Head of Real Estate- Country Road Group

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, you will be a part of one of Australia's largest Lifestyle Brand Houses, overseeing the Real Estate Leasing and Store Development teams across our five iconic brands - Country Road, MIMCO, Politix, Trenery & Witchery.

The purpose of this role is to develop and drive a Group Real Estate Leasing & Store Development strategy that supports and enables brand strategies and leverages the scale of the group. This will be achieved through effective collaboration with the key Brand stakeholders and Finance team, leadership and mentorship of the team to execute against strategy and the development of processes to maximise leverage in lease negotiations and procurement.

Key responsibilities will include;
- Lead and drive development of the Real Estate strategy through leasing strategy workshops and landlord portfolio reviews with the CEO, Finance and Brands to set renewal and new store strategy.
- Maintain strong relationships with all landlords and lead regular portfolio reviews as well as upholding a strong network of contacts with other retail Leasing Executives in the retail industry to ensure access to market rental data.
- Share market data and insights including shopping centre performance, development opportunities, comparative market rentals to support strategy development.
- Provide thought leadership for store design process and development of new brand concepts ensuring the balance between quality and commercial outcomes.
- Develop and drive processes within the Store Development team to deliver cost effective procurement.
- Set guiding principles to deliver effective negotiation of lease renewals and new stores in line with agreed strategy.
- Set guiding principles for the store development and maintenance teams to ensure the overall program of work is in line with budgets and on time.
- Oversee complex lease negotiations as required to ensure effective outcomes for the group and that they are in line with governance framework.
- Create an inspiring team environment that fosters collaboration and ongoing development.
- Foster effective collaboration between the Leasing and Store Development teams to ensure end to end processes for store activity are robust
- Build strong relationships with Brand MDs and the Finance team to drive effective outcomes.
- Extensive industry experience within Property Leasing & Store Development and a proven track record in leadership
- Analytical problem-solving ability with strong communication skills and business acumen to drive a business forward
- Experience in developing a high-performance culture with the ability to lead team member capability, growth and succession
- Strong technical skills with materials and manufacturing knowledge as well as being able to read architectural drawings and visualize in 3D
- Ability to support prioritisation of work across team to support strategic objectives
- Proven skills to work under pressure and focus on continuous process improvement

Why work for us?
- A competitive remuneration package, including annual performance incentives
- Generous employee discounts across the Country Road Group brands
- An additional day of leave for your birthday
- Hybrid working arrangements in office and from home that provide appropriate work/life balance
- Seasonal clothing allowance across the Country Road Group portfolio of brands
- Opportunities to support community partnerships across our Corporate Social Responsibility program
- Be a member of a company committed to sustainable practices
- Ongoing training and development to pursue individual ambitions

About Us

The Country Road Group is one of Australasia’s largest fashion retail groups comprising of iconic brands such as Country Road, POLITIX, Trenery, Witchery and MIMCO. Our Values include being Customer Obsessed, Collaborative, Inspirational, Responsible and Dedicated to Quality. We are looking for highly motivated and passionate individuals to be part of the Group’s evolution and support each brand to realise their full potential.