Senior Manager - Leasing, Joint Ventures & Partnerships

(Tenant and Partner Origination - The Client's Smart Manufacturing Hub)

1. Position Details

Position Title: Senior Manager - Leasing, JV & Partnerships (ESMH)

Function: Commercial - Leasing & Strategic Partnerships

Reports To: Head of Leasing & Strategic Partnerships

Direct Reports: Leasing Managers (2); Leasing Executive; Channel Partner Coordinator

Location: Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (with regional and international travel)

Band / Grade: Senior Management

Employment Type: Full-time, permanent

2. Purpose of the Role

The Senior Manager - Leasing, JV & Partnerships is responsible for filling the client's Smart Manufacturing Hub. The role originates, negotiates and closes the tenancy and joint venture transactions that deliver 150 resident industries across six sectors on a 335-acre platform - 30 industries operational by end-2027 and 80 by 2030 - together with the leasing of labour accommodation and residential assets. Uniquely, the role sells two products at once: occupancy of the Hub, and The client's 40% equity participation in each resident industry, which underpins the Group's Ecosystem Flywheel revenue model.

3. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

A. Tenant Origination and Pipeline

- Build and manage a qualified demand pipeline across the Hub's six target sectors, sourcing manufacturers, OEMs, suppliers and technology firms from the GCC, Indian subcontinent, East and Southeast Asia, Europe and North America.

- Develop and execute the sector-by-sector go-to-market plan, including trade missions, industry exhibitions, chambers of commerce, investment promotion agencies, embassies and diaspora business councils.

- Recruit, appoint and manage channel partners, brokers and country representatives; administer the channel partner agreement framework and commission structures.

- Maintain a disciplined CRM pipeline with staged qualification, weighted probability and forecast conversion reporting to the Head of Leasing and COO.

- Qualify prospective tenants on financial standing, technical fit, employment and export contribution, ESG profile and alignment with the Hub's cluster strategy.

B. Lease Structuring and Negotiation

- Structure and negotiate the full product range: serviced land leases, build-to-suit facilities, ready-built industrial units, warehousing, office and laboratory space, and labour accommodation and residential tower leases.

- Prepare leasing proposals, heads of terms, offer letters and lease agreements in coordination with Group Legal and Contracts; manage the approval path to Investment Committee.

- Own commercial terms: base rent and land rate, escalation, rent-free and fit-out periods, service charges, utility and infrastructure charges, security deposits and guarantees, and expansion and renewal options.

- Model transaction economics with Group Finance - net effective rent, incentive amortisation, yield on cost and contribution to programme returns - before commitment.

- Drive lease execution, handover coordination with the Project Manager, and onboarding of tenants into the Hub's operating and service framework.

C. Joint Ventures and Strategic Partnerships

- Originate and negotiate joint venture and equity participation transactions in which the client takes a 40% interest in resident industries, including valuation basis, contribution structure, governance rights, reserved matters, deadlock provisions and exit mechanics.

D. Market Intelligence and Reporting

- Maintain competitive intelligence on rival free zones and industrial parks in the UAE and the wider region - pricing, incentives, absorption rates and tenant movements.

- Advise on pricing strategy, incentive policy and product mix based on observed demand and competitor positioning.

- Produce the monthly leasing report: pipeline, conversions, signed area, committed rent, occupancy against plan, and JV transactions closed.

- Contribute leasing evidence and occupancy assumptions to feasibility studies, valuation reports and investor materials, ensuring consistency with published Group figures.

4. Key Performance Indicators

- Signed leases and committed area against the 2027 and 2030 industry occupancy targets.

- Annualised contracted rental income and net effective rent achieved versus target.

- Number and value of 40% equity participation joint ventures closed.

- Pipeline coverage ratio and lead-to-signature conversion rate.

- Tenant credit quality and arrears / default rate on the leased portfolio.

- Channel partner productivity and cost of acquisition per signed tenant.

5. Qualifications and Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Business, Real Estate, Engineering, Economics or a related field; MBA advantageous.

- Minimum 10 - 12 years' experience in industrial, logistics or free zone leasing, investment promotion, or corporate development / JV origination.

- Demonstrable track record of closing large-format industrial leases and/or joint venture transactions with corporate counterparties.

- Established network among manufacturers, OEMs, industrial brokers and investment promotion agencies in the GCC and target source markets.

- Working knowledge of UAE free zone regimes, licensing, foreign ownership rules and industrial land tenure.

- RICS membership or equivalent professional accreditation advantageous.

- Fluent English; Arabic strongly preferred; additional languages relevant to source markets an advantage.

6. Technical and Behavioural Competencies

- High-calibre commercial negotiation, from first approach to signed agreement.

- Financial literacy sufficient to construct and defend deal economics.

- Confident presentation to boards, ministries and multinational corporate decision-makers.

- Contract literacy across leases, term sheets and shareholders' agreements.

- Self-directed business development discipline with a strong pipeline ethic.

- Cultural fluency across GCC, Asian and Western business environments.

7. Key Working Relationships

Internal: Head of Leasing & Strategic Partnerships; Chief Operating Officer; Chairman & Managing Director; Group Legal; Group Finance and Vice President - Finance; Project Manager - Construction; Chief Architect; Marketing & Communications.

External: Prospective and existing tenants; OEMs and JV partners; channel partners and brokers; RAKEZ and other free zone and licensing authorities; investment promotion agencies, embassies and trade missions; chambers of commerce; external legal counsel.

8. Terms of Appointment

Remuneration will comprise a fixed base salary, housing and transport allowances, and an annual performance bonus, together with a long-term incentive element linked to the Group's capital markets milestones for executive-band positions (to be announced later and as per co. policy). The full package will be determined by reference to the successful candidate's experience and to prevailing UAE market benchmarks for comparable roles. Benefits include medical insurance for the employee and spouse, annual leave and air passage in accordance with Group policy, and end-of-service gratuity in accordance with applicable UAE and free zone employment law. Appointment is subject to satisfactory references, verification of qualifications, background and integrity screening, and completion of visa and licensing formalities.