Job Summary
Develop the Tenant Mix Before the Doors Even OpenA leading property development and investment group is looking for a Retail Leasing Manager to join its New Business / Development Leasing team in Pretoria. This is a role for someone who understands that leasing a new retail development is very different from filling vacancies in an existing centre. The right person needs to know how to shape a tenant mix, secure pre-letting commitments, negotiate commercially sound deals, and work closely with development, finance, legal and asset management teams from concept through to opening.
This is not a renewals or brownfield leasing role. The focus here is on new developments, pre-leasing, forward commitments, heads of agreement, retailer relationships, deal tracking, rental benchmarks, tenant incentives, and ensuring the leasing strategy supports both the commercial objectives and development timelines of each project.
The successful candidate will be based in Pretoria, reporting into the Head of Asset Management for New Business. They will work closely with development teams on layouts, zoning, anchor placement, GLA configuration and feasibility assumptions, while also engaging directly with national, regional and independent retailers to secure the right mix for each project. The role also includes preparing leasing updates, deal trackers and risk assessments for investment committees and owners, as well as supporting handover to asset management teams after practical completion.
The ideal person will bring at least 5 years’ retail leasing experience, with proper exposure to new developments and pre-letting. They need to be commercially sharp, confident with retailers and executives, and strong in negotiation. A degree in Property Studies, Real Estate, Business, Finance or a related field would be useful, and a professional property qualification would be advantageous.
This role will suit someone polished, organised and highly credible in the retail leasing market. They must understand leases, incentives, rentals, escalations, tenant mix, consumer behaviour and development-driven deadlines.
