Expansion / Real Estate Manager – Central and Southern Italy

NORMAL is looking to add another ambitious and commercially driven Real Estate Manager with strong knowledge of the Italian commercial real estate market and retail landscape.

We have ambitious plans for our continued growth in Italy and across Europe. As our new Real Estate Manager, you will play a key role not only in identifying and securing new store locations, but also in actively managing and optimizing our existing store portfolio.

You will take responsibility for the full real estate lifecycle – from new locations and lease negotiations to renewals, optimizations and relocations – with a clear focus on strengthening the long-term performance of our store network.

As part of the continued development of our Italian Real Estate organization, you will be responsible for Central and Southern Italy. You will work alongside the existing Real Estate Manager responsible for Northern Italy and the Country Real Estate Manager.

Areas of responsibility and tasks

As Real Estate Manager for Central and Southern Italy, you will be responsible for driving both our expansion and the portfolio management of our existing lease portfolio in Central and Southern Italy.

You will be part of the Italian Real Estate team working closely with the Real Estate Manager for Northern Italy and with the Country Real Estate Manager, who is responsible for leading and coordinating the Italian Real Estate function. You will also work closely with the Head of Real Estate Southwest, legal counsel for Italy, establishment team and our international Real Estate team.

Your tasks will include:

• Own the real estate activities in Central and Southern Italy, including responsibility for the relevant market areas and the development of a strong pipeline of new store locations.
• Source, evaluate and secure new store opportunities, including building relationships with landlords, developers, shopping center operators, real estate agents and other relevant market stakeholders.
• Prepare and present business cases and related material for approval of both new locations and existing-store decisions.
• Negotiate and secure commercially attractive lease agreements and coordinate the legal review of leases and amendments with our real estate attorneys before signing.
• Work closely with the Establishment Team from the internal activation of each project through to lease signing, incorporating their input into landlord negotiations to secure the best possible handover conditions and minimize NORMAL’s CAPEX expenditure. Following signing, hand over the project to the Establishment Team, who will be responsible for the construction and fit-out of the store.
• Manage and optimize the existing store portfolio, including lease renewals, renegotiations, occupancy costs, lease conditions and the identification of opportunities for commercial improvements.
• Identify and execute portfolio improvement opportunities, including relocations, extensions, downsizing and terminations, based on evaluations of the commercial and real estate performance of existing stores.
• Monitor the Italian commercial real estate market, including developments in high streets, shopping malls and other relevant retail locations, and use this knowledge to support expansion and portfolio decisions.

You will report to the Country Real Estate Manager and collaborate closely with the Country Manager, other Real Estate Managers, regional managers, our international Real Estate and Establishment teams, legal advisors and external stakeholders.

Your profile

You are commercially minded, result-oriented and have a keen eye for bothnew opportunities and value creation within an existing portfolio.

You understand that successful retail real estate is not only about opening new stores. It is equally about continuously improving the quality, commercial conditions and long-term performance of the existing store network.

At NORMAL, we work – and win – as a team, so being a team player is essential. You are curious, pragmatic and thorough in your work, and you thrive in a fast-paced environment where execution and commercial results matter.

We also expect that you:

• Have at least 3 years of experience in commercial real estate, preferably within retail, expansion, leasing or a similar position on retailer or lessor side.
• Possess strong knowledge of Italian city centres, shopping malls and the wider retail real estate market, including leasing trends and pricing.
• Have a strong network among landlords, developers, shopping mall operators, agents and other real estate professionals.
• Have solid knowledge of Italian commercial lease law and market practice. Knowledge of technical areas of construction and fit-out of retail stores is an advantage, although not a requireme