Senior Real Estate Manager, East

**This role is remote eligible but the person must live in ET or CT zone**

REI Co-op is united around discovering, building, and celebrating better ways of working so people can find and pursue a love of the outdoors. When you work for the co-op, you can do your best work with support to live your best life. You will also help shape the future of the outdoors for people and the planet.

As Senior Real Estate Manager, you will execute REI’s retail real estate strategy within an assigned territory. You will lead site selection, acquisitions, relocations, expansions, lease renewals, downsizing, and store closures. You may also manage leasing and transactions involving offices, design centers, and distribution centers.

You will apply your knowledge of commercial real estate, leasing, purchasing, market analysis, and store development to guide projects from site selection through store opening and post-opening review. You will collaborate with Legal, Finance, Design, Construction, Property Management, Facilities, Store Operations, brokers, landlords, and developers. Success in this role calls for proactive problem-solving, strategic planning, relationship-building, and sound business judgment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the real estate pipeline for new locations, relocations, expansions, lease renewals, downsizing, and closures. Guide site selection, evaluation, approval, negotiations, and committee presentations.
• Lead real estate transactions using effective negotiation, sound judgment, and creative problem-solving skills. Develop mutually beneficial solutions that support REI’s strategy and business interests.
• Serve as the market expert for your assigned territory. Conduct regular market visits and assess development activity, shopping and traffic patterns, population growth, demographic trends, store performance, and relocation opportunities.
• Coordinate cross-functional projects with Market Research, Finance, Legal, Store Design, Construction, Property Management, Facilities, and Retail Operations. Share clear updates, resolve site-specific issues, and support delivery of key milestones.
• Guide external partnerships by managing REI’s broker network and building productive relationships with landlords, developers, and industry peers. Align partners on strategy, site requirements, service expectations, negotiations, and document control.
• Support portfolio performance by partnering with Property Management and Facilities to improve shopping center operations and resolve landlord-related concerns. Use trade-area maps, demographic information, financial analysis, and construction requirements to identify locations that support REI’s market strategy.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a retail real estate environment, preferably supporting midsize or big-box anchor tenants in neighborhood, power, or regional shopping centers.
• Bachelor’s degree in real estate, business, or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of market planning and implementation for new locations, relocations, expansions, and portfolio or market optimization.
• Extensive knowledge of the real estate development process, including broker management, negotiation, contracts, demographic and financial analysis, site plans, zoning, leasing, and purchasing.
• Experience combining store performance, statistical modeling, geographic analysis, and market and site characteristics to recommend market strategies and store locations. Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Smartsheet, and geographic information systems.
• Effective organization, attention to detail, written and verbal communication, and the ability to manage priorities in a fast-paced environment. Ability to work independently and collaboratively, use sound judgment, and solve business problems.
• Must live within the assigned territory (Eastern or Central time zones) and within a one-hour drive of a major airport. Travel of up to 30% is required.

At REI, we believe the outdoors is for all. We are committed to becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization. We know that there's strength in our diversity – that each employee brings unique skills, experiences, and perspectives. Every day you are driving change, fostering a culture of respect, and knowing you're backed by benefits that support your whole life. To work towards this commitment and fulfill our brand promise of inspiring and enabling a life outside for everyone, we seek employees who demonstrate different ways of working, create a sense of belonging, and actively listen and learn.  

Pay Transparency 

We are committed to practices that promote pay equity and transparency. As required by applicable Pay Transparency laws, REI provides a range of compensation for roles that may be hired in locations under these requirements. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include a wide array of factors, including: your specific skills and experience, geographic location or other relevant factors.   

REI offers all regular employees a generous employee discount, access to health benefits, a retirement savings plan and accrued time off.  Click here for a detailed overview of benefits plans by employee profile.