Description

About the Role

The Vice President - Lease Advisory is responsible for originating, managing, negotiating, and executing complex lease advisory assignments, including restructurings, terminations, buybacks, buy & recast strategies, occupancy-cost optimization, and landlord-side modifications and extensions. This role combines strategic consulting, financial and operational analysis, and hands-on negotiation. You will work closely with multi-unit operators, franchisees, franchisors, private equity sponsors, and landlords to assess real estate portfolios, unlock value, and implement strategies. Candidates with leasing, tenant rep, landlord rep, investment sales, sale-leaseback, or operator-side real estate experience will excel in this position.

Key Responsibilities

• Review leased and owned real estate portfolios to identify opportunities to reduce occupancy costs, strengthen leasehold control, or reposition challenged assets.
• Structure complex leasehold deals including rent restructures, buybacks, sale-leasebacks, terminations, and capital contribution packages.
• Lead negotiations directly with landlords, tenants, brokers, and operators from LOI through full execution.
• Analyze client geographics, store-level performance, cash flow trends, lease standards, and industry benchmarks to build actionable strategies.
• Reduce base rent, adjust escalation structures, modify percentage rent/fair market rent mechanisms, and secure abatements, TI allowances, or capital contributions.
• Negotiate favorable exit terms or identify replacement tenants to assume obligations.
• Advise on buying back leased properties and executing tenant-favorable sale-leasebacks to unlock capital for expansion while gaining long-term site control.
• Support operators navigating restructuring, bankruptcy, or turnaround processes by aligning real estate decisions with financial recovery strategies.
• Negotiate renewals to maximize renewal probability, term commitment, and asset-level stability.
• Enhance asset value ahead of sale by adjusting term, guarantees, rent structures, or non-economic lease attributes.
• Arrange mutually acceptable early terminations to reposition assets for higher and better uses.
• Identify new tenants for new development and dark site redevelopment opportunities leveraging SURMOUNT's extensive tenant network and leasing brokerage relationships.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for major operators, franchisees, and investor clients.
• Originate new engagements through relationships with operators, franchise systems, private equity sponsors, brokers, and internal SURMOUNT divisions.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of commercial real estate experience, with a strong foundation in leasing, tenant rep, landlord rep, lease restructuring, or portfolio strategy.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating commercial leases and leading restructuring or termination processes.
• Strong financial modeling, underwriting, and analytical capabilities.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with high transaction velocity.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and comfort with large datasets.
• Background in investment sales, sale-leaseback advisory, or net-lease brokerage a plus.
• Experience working for an operator's real estate department, multi-unit franchisee, or sponsor-backed portfolio company a plus.