Senior Manager, OP Business Development

Location: Orlando, Florida, United States

Business: Disney Experiences

Job Summary:

The Operating Participant team is a highly visible real estate leasing and management organization charged with assessing long-term retail, dining, and entertainment growth strategies, expansion opportunities, and reinvestment decisions that drive new and existing partnerships across Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.

The Senior Manager, OP Business Development, plays a critical role in advancing tenanting strategy, structuring and negotiating value-maximizing long-term leases and agreements across the domestic portfolio. This role engages regularly with national, regional, and local retailers and restaurants to promote available opportunities, understand space and location needs, and assess market conditions and merchandise mix to identify the right concepts for each property. The Senior Manager partners closely with the Director and senior leadership to bring rigor and insight to retail, restaurant, and mixed-use decisions, and requires excellent strategic thinking, strong analytical acumen, the ability to build recommendations, and lead work independently. A team-oriented attitude and strong people leadership skills are essential.

Responsibilities:

Deal Structuring & Negotiations

• Lead negotiations for deal terms and structure agreements, including rent models, capital contributions, incentives, term structures, and performance provisions while obtaining necessary approvals and documentation

• Develop your own strategic recommendations and autonomously build presentations and negotiation positions for review with the Director and senior leadership

• Lead financial underwriting for new deals and redevelopments, including revenue projections, ROI analysis, sensitivity modeling, and risk assessment

• Monitor portfolio lease expirations, termination rights, and options, and collaborate with senior management and Finance on annual/quarterly budgetary updates

Building & Maintaining Business Development Relationships

• Maintain communication with national, regional, and local retailers, providing information about and promoting available opportunities

• Stay attuned to retailers' space, storefront, and location needs to present suitable opportunities

• Network and build relationships with local brokers

• Prospect and canvass for new retailers, restauranters, and operators for available space

• Conduct property tours

Organizational Leadership & Team Development

• Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring, and development support to Operating Participant Managers and other team members, ensuring resource focus and prioritization aligns with organizational goals and the evolving needs of our business partners

• Lead with integrity and inclusivity, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and high performance is recognized and supported

• Deliver presentations and actively contribute to meetings with senior leadership

• Proactively communicate with business partners on the status of leasing negotiations & other team updates

Cross-Functional Execution

• Build relationships with and engage proactively with cross-functional teams (such as Finance, Legal, Tenant Coordination, Account Management, WDI, and Operations) to drive financial, operational, and contractual alignment throughout the deal lifecycle

• Collaborate across project conception, design, permitting, construction, and opening to ensure commercial & operational intent is preserved through execution

• Partner with Operating Participant Account Management on short- and long-term planning for new and existing agreements, including performance optimization and reinvestment strategies

Basic Qualifications:

• 7+ years of progressive experience in business development, real estate, strategy, or consulting, with a preference for retail, restaurant, entertainment, and/or mixed-use environments

• Deep experience in leasing negotiations, with comfort navigating legal, financial, and operational considerations and ability to execute within established deadlines

• Established relationships with retail brokers and national/regional brands, with a network that can be leveraged to source and close new deals

• Demonstrated strategic thinking, with a self-starter mindset and the ability to navigate ambiguity

• Strong industry perspective and intellectual curiosity, with enthusiasm for the markets and industries addressed by retail, food & beverage, and experiential trends

• Excellent problem-solving skills, including the ability to translate findings into actionable insights and communicate recommendations to diverse audiences

• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization

• Experience coaching and mentoring junior team members

• Domestic travel required

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Preferred Education:

• MBA preferred

• Current Broker or Real Estate License preferred

The hiring range for this position in Florida is $145,500.00 to $177,700.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.