A leading institutional real estate organization is seeking a Senior Vice President of Office Leasing to help lead leasing strategy and execution across a high-profile New York City office portfolio. This senior leadership role will focus on driving occupancy and revenue, strengthening tenant relationships, executing complex transactions, and positioning assets competitively within the Manhattan office market. The SVP will work closely with senior real estate leadership and cross-functional partners while providing direction and mentorship to the broader leasing team.
Key Responsibilities
Leasing Strategy & Portfolio Management
- Develop and execute leasing strategies designed to maximize occupancy, rental performance, and long-term asset value.
- Lead leasing activity across the portfolio, including new transactions, renewals, expansions, relocations, contractions, and early renewals.
- Evaluate market conditions, competitive properties, tenant activity, and workplace trends to inform asset-level leasing strategies.
- Work with asset management and development teams on repositioning plans, capital improvements, amenity investments, and other initiatives intended to strengthen leasing performance.
- Establish annual leasing goals, forecasts, business plans, and budget assumptions.
- Track leasing activity and portfolio performance against established objectives and adjust strategies as market conditions evolve.
Transaction Execution
- Lead complex office lease negotiations from initial strategy through final execution.
- Direct the development and negotiation of proposals, letters of intent, lease economics, commission agreements, and other transaction terms.
- Coordinate with legal, finance, construction, property management, and other internal teams throughout the transaction process.
- Evaluate lease structures and economics within the context of asset-level investment objectives and long-term portfolio performance.
Market & Relationship Development
- Build and maintain strong relationships throughout the New York commercial real estate community, including brokerage firms, tenants, corporate real estate leaders, landlords, and other industry participants.
- Maintain an active presence within the brokerage community and relevant industry organizations.
- Identify prospective tenants, expanding companies, and emerging sectors that could create future leasing opportunities.
- Develop strategies that strengthen the competitive positioning and visibility of individual assets within the market.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Partner with asset management, property management, marketing, development, design and construction, finance, and legal teams to support leasing and tenant initiatives.
- Provide leasing input into property marketing, branding, campaigns, events, and other initiatives intended to generate tenant and broker engagement.
- Contribute market and leasing expertise to acquisitions, dispositions, redevelopment opportunities, and major capital planning decisions.
- Help ensure leasing strategy remains aligned with broader asset and portfolio objectives.
Team Leadership
- Provide leadership, coaching, and strategic guidance to leasing professionals across varying levels of experience.
- Develop team members through regular feedback, mentorship, and career development.
- Establish priorities and help allocate resources across active transactions and leasing initiatives.
- Support a collaborative, accountable team environment focused on execution and strong tenant relationships.
- Serve as a senior resource on complex negotiations, transaction structures, and challenging leasing situations.
- Help build the team’s long-term capabilities through talent development and succession planning.
Business Planning & Reporting
- Prepare leasing forecasts, pipeline reports, market analyses, and executive-level presentations.
- Monitor tenant activity, transaction pipelines, competitive properties, and broader market trends to identify potential risks and opportunities.
- Advise senior leadership on leasing strategy, market conditions, tenant behavior, and portfolio positioning.
- Identify opportunities to improve leasing processes, reporting, and operating practices.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree is a plus.
- Approximately 12+ years of commercial office leasing experience, including substantial experience within the New York City market.
- Significant experience representing institutional owners or similarly sophisticated commercial real estate organizations.
- Demonstrated success negotiating large and complex office lease transactions.
- Deep understanding of Manhattan office leasing, including tenant demand, market dynamics, competitive positioning, and the brokerage community.
- Established relationships with New York City brokers, tenants, landlords, developers, and corporate real estate decision-makers.
- Experience operating within a large institutional, public, or highly structured real estate organization is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop leasing professionals.
- Strong financial and analytical capabilities with an understanding of how leasing decisions affect asset-level performance and valuation.
- Executive-level communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
- Ability to work effectively across multiple functions and influence decisions without relying solely on direct authority.
- Strong commercial judgment and the ability to balance near-term leasing objectives with long-term asset strategy.
