Director, Corporate Real Estate, Mergers & Acquisitions

The Director of Corporate Real Estate, Mergers & Acquisitions is responsible for the oversight of the company's real estate portfolio consisting of approximately 120 locations across the U.S. This role manages all aspects of corporate real estate, including portfolio strategy, lease administration, site selection, facilities operations, construction oversight, financial management, and mergers & acquisitions closings and integrations. The Director of Corporate Real Estate, Mergers & Acquisitions partners with executive leadership to align real estate initiatives with the company's operational, financial, and growth objectives while driving efficiency, cost savings, and scalability across the organization.

Responsibilities

Corporate Real Estate Strategy

• Develop and execute the company's national real estate and occupancy strategy in alignment with corporate growth initiatives.
• Oversee a portfolio of approximately 120 office and operational locations.
• Lead strategic planning related to renewals, relocations, consolidations, acquisitions, dispositions, and expansions.
• Evaluate market conditions, occupancy trends, and financial impacts to support executive decision-making.
• Establish long-range portfolio optimization strategies focused on operational efficiency and cost management.

Portfolio & Transaction Management

• Lead all lease negotiations, renewals, amendments, restructures, dispositions, and site selection initiatives.
• Manage landlord, broker, and legal relationships related to real estate transactions.
• Oversee lease administration functions including critical dates, rent escalations, option notices, and compliance obligations.
• Ensure accurate portfolio reporting, analytics, and documentation management.

Construction & Capital Project Oversight

• Provide executive oversight of national construction, renovation, relocation, and capital improvement projects.
• Partner with local office construction leadership to ensure projects are delivered on schedule and within budget.
• Oversee workplace standards, office design strategy, and vendor coordination.
• Review and approve capital expenditures and project budgets.

Facilities & Operational Management

• Oversee facilities, maintenance programs, utilities management, and vendor performance across all locations.
• Ensure operational continuity, workplace functionality, and adherence to company standards.
• Develop preventative maintenance as required per leases
• Drive standardization and operational consistency throughout the portfolio.

Financial Management

• Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning for all real estate and facilities operations.
• Analyze occupancy costs, capital expenditures, and operational efficiencies.
• Partner with Finance and Accounting teams regarding lease accounting compliance, accruals, invoice management, and payment processes.
• Identify and implement cost-saving initiatives across the portfolio.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop a high-performing real estate team, including:
• Property Manager
• Director/VP Construction Manager
• Accounting Analyst/Specialist
• Establish departmental goals, KPIs, policies, and operational procedures.
• Mentor team members and support succession planning and professional development initiatives.

Executive Communication & Vendor Management

• Serve as the primary real estate advisor to executive leadership.
• Provide strategic recommendations, portfolio analyses, and financial updates to senior leadership.
• Manage relationships with brokers, landlords, attorneys, architects, contractors, consultants, and third-party vendors.
• Negotiate vendor contracts and service agreements to optimize performance and cost efficiency.

Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions

• Coordinate and analyze due diligence efforts for potential acquisitions between internal decision makers and other internal resources, management, and other key personnel of the company being acquired, and third-party resources (i.e. outside counsel, accounting firms, and brokers for both parties).
• Lead cross functional due diligence teams and perform ongoing deal analyses
• Develop protocols and standard operating procedures for evaluating and mitigating corporate and/or shareholder risk.
• Delegate work to and handle oversight of outside legal counsel, as well as control legal costs through managing legal billing matters.
• Evaluate lease obligations, facility liabilities, operational risks, and integration opportunities.
• Develop and execute post-acquisition integration and consolidation strategies.
• Collaborate with the subsidiary based integration teams to develop comprehensive post-merger integration plans.
• Develop and support the ongoing efforts to align all M&A processes and templates with best practices from each closed deal.
• Conduct site visits, as needed.
• Assess and advise the company of potential risks and legal ramifications discovered throughout the diligence process and recommend options needed to resolve in a favorable manner.
• Organize financial, legal, and business diligence into data warehouse while coordinating information with others.
• Establish and coordinate regularly scheduled internal diligence meetings with key personnel to discuss acquisitions currently in the pipeline as it relates to internal personnels' various functional areas.
• Provide status updates to internal personnel throughout the diligence process and serve as a point of contact for internal diligence questions/concerns.

Required Qualifications

• 15 years of related experience
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Real Estate or related field required
• Dependable, detail-oriented, and organized
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Advanced knowledge of commercial lease structures and real estate transactions.
• Strong financial and analytical competency.
• Experience with portfolio management and lease administration platforms.
• Strong strategic planning and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experience managing large national real estate portfolios across multiple markets.
• Significant experience supporting mergers & acquisitions, including real estate due diligence and integration.
• Demonstrate expertise in lease negotiations, portfolio strategy, construction oversight and facilities management
• If driving for, or on behalf of, any ECS subsidiary, a valid driver's license is required

ECS Group of Companies (ECS) was founded in 1988 with the goal to raise the standards of professional engineering consulting. Today, we are a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and building science + infrastructure consulting services. We are employee-owned with more than 3,00 employees in 100+ offices and testing facilities coast to coast. ECS is currently ranked #60 in Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms (April 2026), #148 in Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms (October 2025) and #38 in Zweig Group's Hot Firm List (June 2026). For additional information about ECS, visit:www.ecslimited.com.

ECS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To learn more, clickhere.