Real Estate Manager - Burnaby, BC

Location: This hybrid role requires 3 days on-site at our Burnaby, BC office and 2 days remote per week.

Travel: This role requires up to 25% travel across Canada. 

Welcome to Specsavers – where we’re not just about eyecare and eyewear, but changing lives through better sight. Ranked the 5th Best Workplace™ in Canada and 12th globally by Great Place to Work®, we’re proud of our optometrist-owned model that makes high-quality, eyecare and eyewear accessible to all Canadians. 

Founded 40 years ago in the UK by visionary husband and wife optometry duo Doug and Mary Perkins, Specsavers has remained privately owned since day one. Today, we are a $7.8 billion global business with over 45,000 colleagues across more than 2,700 retail optical locations.

In Canada, our support office is based in Burnaby, BC. Since entering the market in 2021, we’ve been scaling rapidly, now with over 270 locations nationwide. With advanced clinical equipment and a wide range of affordable, high-quality eyewear, we’re transforming the way Canadians experience eyecare.

If you’re passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a values-driven organization, join us as we continue to grow. Together, we can change lives through better sight.

What You’ll Do

Specsavers Canada is looking for an experienced Real Estate Manager (internally called ‘Property Manager’) to join our Property team. This is a commercially focused role responsible for building and managing Specsavers' national store portfolio, spanning new site acquisition, lease negotiation, renewals, expansions, and relocations across all provinces.

The successful candidate will be comfortable managing complex, multi-market pipelines, working closely with senior leadership, and representing Specsavers professionally in all landlord and broker negotiations. This role sits at the heart of Specsavers' growth strategy and offers significant visibility across the business.

Key Responsibilities

Site Sourcing & New Store Growth

• Identify and evaluate new store opportunities across target markets using internal growth plans, market intelligence, and landlord and broker relationships.
• Present site recommendations to internal cross-functional stakeholders and prepare executive presentations for senior leadership review and approval.
• Manage all post-approval activity through to Offer to Lease execution, including tracking conditional deadlines and coordinating internal and external stakeholders.
• Negotiate pylon and signage rights as part of new store deal terms wherever commercially viable.

Lease Negotiation & Documentation

• Draft, negotiate, and manage Offers to Lease (OTLs) for all new stores, relocations, and expansions, working in conjunction with Legal Counsel.
• Prepare executive approval packages for senior leadership prior to lease execution.
• Ensure all lease documentation, schedules, and supporting materials are complete, filed accurately, and distributed to relevant internal parties.
• Review and negotiate Estoppel Certificates in conjunction with Legal, Finance, and Construction, managing all landlord-facing communications throughout the process.
• Oversee pylon and signage agreement negotiation and execution, including coordinating construction quotes and obtaining partner approval through the appropriate internal channels.

Renewals, Expansions & Relocations

• Own the national lease renewal calendar, ensuring all option deadlines are tracked and exercised within required notice periods.
• Assess each renewal across lease terms, site performance, store capacity, and financial viability, and present recommendations to the cross-functional team.
• Negotiate renewal terms and Lease Extension Agreements with landlords, managing the full approval process through to execution.
• Identify and assess expansion and relocation opportunities for stores approaching capacity, and manage these through the appropriate approval process.
• Complete financial assessments, including rental calculators and Financial Projection models, for all renewal, relocation, and expansion decisions.

Portfolio Management & Reporting

• Participate in and prepare for all cross-functional meetings, bringing current property updates and recommendations for each market.
• Contribute to the annual Portfolio Review, assessing capacity constraints and forming a clear position on renew, expand, or relocate for each upcoming site.
• Manage the Property Network Plan, maintaining up-to-date landlord communications, touring notes, and market intelligence across all target markets.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Business Development on site appraisals, executive presentations, and new store pipeline management.
• Coordinate with Legal Counsel on lease negotiation, estoppel review, and all binding document approvals.
• Liaise with Construction on possession dates, store turnover requirements, test fit coordination, and pylon installation timelines.
• Provide direction and oversight to the Property and Leasing Administrator, supporting their development and ensuring accurate, timely execution of administrative functions.

What We’re Looking For

• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Real Estate Portfolio Manager in commercial real estate, with a focus on retail leasing, multi-site portfolios, or tenant representation.
• Post-secondary education in Real Estate, Business, Commerce, Urban Planning, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating commercial leases, including base rent, CAM structures, tenant inducements, renewal options, and co-tenancy provisions.
• Sound knowledge of commercial lease structures and the ability to read, interpret, and negotiate lease documentation independently.
• Excellent organizational and deadline management skills with a demonstrated ability to track a high volume of concurrent timelines without losing detail.
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft landlord correspondence, executive summaries, and approval packages.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and financial modelling for portfolio analysis and deal assessment.
• Comfortable working in lease administration platforms such as Lease Eagle (MRI ProLease) or equivalent systems.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across Property, Legal, Finance, Business Development, and Construction teams.
• High degree of professionalism and discretion in managing confidential commercial and legal information.

Nice-to-haves:

• A real estate license or relevant professional designation is an asset but not required.
• Exposure to presenting to senior leadership or executive committees is an asset.

Compensation: $110,000 - $125,000 base salary, plus quarterly bonus, profit sharing, and benefits. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience

Speccies’ Benefits

• 4 weeks of vacation and 1 paid volunteer day per year
• 1 extra paid day off plus an eyecare voucher to celebrate your birthday.
• Health and dental benefits, RRSP matching and a Healthcare Spending Account active from your first day.
• Mental health and wellbeing support, including $3,000 annually for practitioner care and access to our Employee Assistance Program.
• Quarterly bonuses, based on your performance.
• Annual Profit Share program to recognize your part in Specsavers’ success.
• Free parking, access to the building gym, and a fully stocked kitchen with snacks and coffee/tea.
• On‑site wellness offerings in-office, including RMT and yoga sessions.
• Team and company social events, including holiday and annual celebrations. 

Behaviours We Value

• Collaborative: We work together as one Specsavers to deliver on our purpose
• Curious: We question, explore, and seek out diverse perspectives to develop our knowledge and understanding
• Courageous: We challenge the status quo, we experiment with good ideas, and we are brave, bold, and fast in our decision making
• Compassionate: We care, support, and help each other
• Commercial: We treat money wisely and make decisions that are good for our customers, our partners, our people and for the long term

We hope that in applying with us, you value these things as well!

Our Hybrid Work Model

Experience the best of both worlds. At Specsavers, we embrace a hybrid approach that balances in-office collaboration with the flexibility to work from home. We come together in office three days a week to connect, innovate, and keep our culture thriving.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Specsavers, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe that a diverse team enriches our work environment and enables us to achieve our goals. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage candidates of all backgrounds and abilities to apply. If you believe you can contribute to our mission and vision, we welcome your application, even if you don't meet every qualification listed. We value the unique skills and perspectives each individual brings to our team.

Accessibility and Accommodations

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. If you require accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know by contacting us at careers.ca@specsavers.com . We will work with you to meet your needs and ensure a fair and equitable experience.

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