Consultant, Real Estate in Birmingham

Department Overview

You will be part of the Acquisitions Team, forming part of the wider Real Estate Department along with Construction and Estates Management. We need an experienced surveyor to lead the acquisition of new restaurants, predominantly drive‑thru’s in the north. You will oversee the entire acquisition process of both freehold and leasehold sites. Location is flexible although good knowledge of your region is crucial and regular travel within that region for site visits and elsewhere for internal/external meetings is crucial.

Duties

• Responsible for the delivery of the new restaurant openings and future pipeline sites for the allotted region;
• In a timely manner
• On budget
• In line with expected sales and ROI
• With acceptable deal terms and planning permissions/conditions
• Optimise the site development and site selection processes
• Ensures quality control standards for real estate transactions (cost, deliverability, time, location, economics, market needs, planning and deal quality etc.)
• Ensures the best location/best value for all real estate acquisitions
• Communicates and implements corporate policies and procedures
• Externally and internally promotes a professional image of the department.
• Provide and present reports in line with company procedure for approval of sites at Senior Executive Level
• To fully research the local property market and develop and maintain contact with key agents, developers and local authorities to identify all potential opportunities
• To identify and bring forward appropriate sites and to:
• Secure Ops support.
• Negotiate acceptable and beneficial acquisitions terms.
• Agree sales levels with operations and finance based upon site criteria, sales assessment models and benchmarking against existing stores performance.
• Liaise with the project manager and architect who will provide the site specific design and costs to ensure optimal provisions.
• To prepare financial appraisals taking into account trading performance and the impact of the acquisition on the existing estate.
• Based on this a full business case for all proposals is to be prepared, including an assessment of the quality of the opportunity, town profile, sales assessment, benchmarks, key risks and opportunities.
• To prepare and present acquisition papers, both pre‑read and final approval, in line with agreed standards, to the Senior Executive board.
• To negotiate contracts in line with company best practice, ensuring we secure sites without compromising the quality of our operating, physical and financial asset, with maximum flexibility on timings.
• To work with the project manager and planning consultants to secure the requisite planning consent together with any appropriate planning agreements.
• To ensure a timely handover of the site (or completed shell development) to the project manager and lead legal and statutory progress to opening.
• To ensure that all outstanding planning and contractual matters are completed satisfactorily, before handing over to the relevant estate manager.
• To review the performance of projects post‑completion with the Head of Acquisitions, VP Development and VP Finance. Use findings to further improve the identification, development appraisal, approval and implementation of future schemes.
• To be fully aware of direct (and indirect) competitor activity in the property market, and apply any learnings to sourcing sites for McDonald’s.
• To build confidence and credibility, both individually and for the acquisitions team, to provide impact and influence over internal colleagues, as well as creating an extensive network externally.
• Other duties as advised from time to time

Qualifications

• Consistent track record in acquisitions and/or development
• Chartered Surveyor (General Practice) with a minimum of 2 years relevant post qualification experience (ideally)
• Broad knowledge of landlord and tenant, planning, property and contract law, procurement, finance, construction and the acquisitions and development process (ideally)
• A proactive approach to problem solving with an ability to think strategically in order to make sound judgements based upon knowledge and experience. (Essential)
• Demonstrates the company’s core values and a commitment to providing excellent customer service (crucial)
• A proven track record to communicate effectively at all levels in order to co‑ordinate and lead internal relationships from the very top to the very bottom and external parties including agents, land owners, solicitors, local and statutory authorities, architects, planning consultants and project managers (crucial)
• Strong Negotiation skills
• Strong market knowledge including competitor activity, deals and market planning
• Strong network of contacts in the wider property environment
• Strong commercial business and operations knowledge
• Be a great team mate with the knowledge and passionate about leading
• A pragmatic and common sense approach is crucial whilst being able to work under pressure and prioritise effectively