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Senior Specialist Real Estate - EM South

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

This role maximizes Own Retail profitability across Emerging Markets South by securing and optimizing real estate in line with adidas’ store growth strategy. The role leads site identification, financial viability assessment, and lease negotiations while ensuring strong governance, documentation, and cross-functional alignment with Legal and Finance.

 

Key Responsibilities:

  • Identify and evaluate real estate opportunities through strategic portfolio planning, site visits, defined site‑selection metrics, demographic analysis, and market research to secure optimal locations for the brand.
  • Manage and apply site‑selection metrics and decision criteria, including research analytics, financial performance assessments, and revenue forecast models; consolidate and present recommendations to the Retail Leadership Team (RLT).
  • Lead the negotiation of letters of intent and key commercial lease terms, securing deal structures that are advantageous to the brand through OTLs.
  • Present adidas retail concepts and requirements to prospective landlords and developers, where required.
  • Manage the preparation of site justification and business case documentation in support of capital approval processes (BPM).
  • Continuously evaluate the existing store portfolio to identify opportunities for rent reductions, lease renewals, extensions, or terminations, and lead related negotiations where appropriate.
  • Manage the existing store fleet portfolio, including the submission of turnover reports to landlords and coordination with internal Finance teams.
  • Chair and manage monthly PropCo meetings, ensuring agenda preparation, stakeholder alignment, and timely distribution of meeting minutes.
  • Provide a structured weekly real estate update to the Own Retail team, covering pipeline status, key risks, and decisions required.
  • Ensure all real estate transactions and documentation comply with internal governance standards, delegated authorities, and legal requirements.
  • Support internal and external audits by maintaining accurate and auditable lease and portfolio records.

 

Key Relationships:

  • Global Real Estate
  • Emerging Markets Real Estate (Hub)
  • Landlords
  • Market Retail team including:
  • Retail Back Office (RBO) team
  • Senior Director Own Retail
  • Senior Manager Store Development and Real Estate
  • Legal and Finance team

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Good numeracy, literacy, verbal and written communication skills
  • Excellent administration and reporting skills
  • Commercial negotiation and influencing skills
  • Strong analytical and financial modelling capability
  • Stakeholder management across multiple seniority levels
  • Ability to operate independently

 

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

  • Minimum of 5 years’ retail real estate site selection experience
  • Industry: ideally in apparel/fashion/shoes or FMCG
  • Exposure: Sports, store implementation, Real estate community, legal partners
  • University degree, preferably in Real Estate or Finance

AT ADIDAS WE HAVE A WINNING CULTURE. BUT TO WIN, PHYSICAL POWER IS NOT ENOUGH. JUST LIKE ATHLETES OUR EMPLOYEES NEED MENTAL STRENGTH IN THEIR GAME. WE FOSTER THE ATHLETE’S MINDSET THROUGH A SET OF BEHAVIORS THAT WE WANT TO ENABLE AND DEVELOP IN OUR PEOPLE AND THAT ARE AT THE CORE OF OUR UNIQUE COMPANY CULTURE: THIS IS HOW WE WIN WHILE PLAYING FAIR.

  • COURAGE: Speak up when you see an opportunity; step up when you see a need..
  • OWNERSHIP: Pick up the ball. Be proactive, take responsibility and follow-through.
  • INNOVATION: Elevate to win. Be curious, test and learn new and better ways of doing things.
  • TEAMPLAY: Win together. Work collaboratively and cultivate a shared mindset.
  • INTEGRITY: Play by the rules. Hold yourself and others accountable to our company’s standards.
  • RESPECT: Value all players. Display empathy, be inclusive and show dignity to all.


At adidas, we strongly believe that embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into our culture and talent processes gives our employees a sense of belonging and our brand a real competitive advantage.

– Culture Starts With People, It Starts With You –

By recruiting talent and developing our people to reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities, we foster a culture of inclusion that engages our employees and authentically connects our brand with our consumers.

Job Title:  Senior Specialist Real Estate - EM South

Brand: 
Location:  Cape Town
TEAM:  Real Estate & Facilities
State:  West
Country/Region:  ZA
Contract Type:  Full time
Number:  543340
Date:  Apr 9, 2026
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