Consultant, Real Estate in Birmingham

About Us

McDonald's has run its business in the UK since 1974 and currently operates over 1500 restaurants across the UK and Ireland, serving almost four million customers each day. McDonald's is one of the UK's largest private sector employers, employing over 170,000 people.

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-thrus 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;
• 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;
• Fully research the local property market and develop and maintain contact with key agents, developers and local authorities to identify all potential opportunities;
• Identify and bring forward appropriate sites and 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;
• Prepare financial appraisals taking into account trading performance and the impact of the acquisition on the existing estate;
• Prepare and present acquisition papers, both pre-read and final approval, in line with agreed standards, to the Senior Executive board;
• 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;
• Work with the project manager and planning consultants to secure the requisite planning consent together with any appropriate planning agreements;
• Ensure a timely handover of the site (or completed shell development) to the project manager and lead legal and statutory progress to opening;
• Ensure that all outstanding planning and contractual matters are completed satisfactorily, before handing over to the relevant estate manager;
• Review the performance of projects post-completion with the Head of Acquisitions, VP Development and VP Finance;
• Be fully aware of direct (and indirect) competitor activity in the property market, and apply any learnings to sourcing sites for McDonald's;
• 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 passion about leading;
• A pragmatic and common sense approach is crucial whilst being able to work under pressure and prioritise effectively.

At McDonald's, we are People from all Walks of Life...

Company Vision and Culture

Our Global vision is to build a better McDonald's and in the UK and Ireland we are working hard to be the UK & Ireland's best-loved restaurant company. McDonald's is defined by its culture. Our culture shapes and informs everything we think and everything we do. Our culture influences the way we interact with each other, and how we interact with customers, franchisees and suppliers. Our culture motivates and inspires us to attract and retain great talent, creating a positive, energising, exceptional working environment for us all. Our values drive our culture and shape our beliefs, our priorities and our actions. They influence the decisions we make, how we treat one another and how we show up as a brand to the world.

• Serve: We put our customers and our people first;
• Inclusion: We open our doors to everyone;
• Integrity: We do the right thing;
• Community: We are good neighbours;
• Family: We get better together.

At McDonald's we are People from all Walks of Life... People are at the heart of everything we do, and they make the McDonald's experience. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture that means people can be their best authentic self in our restaurants and offices, which helps us to better serve our customers. We have a strong heritage of diversity and representation within our communities, which we are proud of. The diversity of our people, customers, Franchisees and suppliers gives us strength. We do not tolerate inequality, injustice or discrimination of any kind. These are hugely important issues and a brand with our reach and relevance means we have a very meaningful role to play. We also recognise our responsibility as a large employer to continue being active in our communities, helping to develop skills and drive aspirations that will help people to be more aware of the world of work and more successful within it, whether with McDonald's or elsewhere.