About This Role
Leading the strategic and transactional side of the company's portfolio of over 200 company locations, the Corporate Leasing Manager is a key role on the Real Estate and Construction team. This role serves as the primary landlord contact, negotiating lease renewals, extensions, and early terminations, and conducting site and market analysis to support critical real estate decisions. The position ensures every lease decision is grounded in market data and store performance, negotiated on terms that protect the company and control occupancy costs.
Responsibilities
- Lead negotiation of lease renewals and extensions across the portfolio, from initial landlord outreach and letter of intent through final execution
- Build and manage a rolling renewal pipeline 12 to 24 months ahead of expiration, prioritizing locations by expiration date, store performance, and negotiating leverage
- Set the negotiation strategy for each renewal, including target rent, term, option structure, tenant improvement allowance, and landlord work, and secure leadership approval before engaging the landlord
- Negotiate key retail and QSR lease provisions at renewal, including use and exclusive clauses, co-tenancy, radius restrictions, kick-out and go-dark rights, signage, drive-thru, patio, parking, and venting and grease requirements
- Draft and negotiate renewal and extension amendments, side letters, and related documents in partnership with Legal and outside counsel
- Make the renew, extend, or exit recommendation on each lease option and deliver option exercise notices ahead of the deadline
- Conduct site and market analysis for existing and prospective locations, including trade area demographics, anchor and co-tenant health, traffic counts, visibility and access, and competitive presence
- Gather market rent comparables and broker opinions of value to benchmark current rent and set renewal and relocation targets
- Evaluate renew, relocate, downsize, or close scenarios with Operations and Finance using sales trends, four-wall profitability, occupancy cost as a percentage of sales, and capital requirements
- Identify relocation opportunities within existing trade areas and negotiate relocation terms with current and prospective landlords
- Conduct site visits to assess property condition, center health, and nearby development that may affect a location's long-term viability
- Direct tenant-representation brokers on market surveys, site tours, and deal sourcing
- Negotiate early terminations, lease buyouts, and surrender agreements, including termination fees, surrender dates, and release of future obligations
- Evaluate and exercise contractual termination, kick-out, and co-tenancy remedies when store performance or center conditions warrant
- Develop exit strategies for underperforming locations, including assignment, sublease, buyout, or negotiated early termination
