LOCATION:  Remote - Central or Eastern Time Zone

POSITION SUMMARY: The Director of Acquisitions is responsible for originating, evaluating, structuring, and executing retail real estate acquisitions that meet company’s investment criteria. This role leads the day-to-day acquisition’s function while collaborating closely with leasing, development, and capital partners to ensure that opportunities are executable, scalable, and aligned with portfolio strategy.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Deal Sourcing & Relationships

• Proactively source on-market and off-market acquisition opportunities consistent with company’s investment thesis.
• Develop and maintain strong, long-term relationships with investment sales brokers, owners, developers, and local market participants.
• Maintain a robust, trackable acquisition pipeline with clear probability weighting and timing assumptions.

Underwriting & Investment Analysis

• Lead and oversee market-level and asset-level underwriting, including cash flow modeling assessment, sensitivity analysis, and downside risk evaluation.
• Evaluate leasing, redevelopment & value-creation strategies in tandem with internal leasing & development teams
• Ensure underwriting assumptions are supportable, clearly documented, and consistent with company standards.

Transaction Execution

• Lead negotiations with sellers and counterparties from initial pursuit through closing.
• Identify and escalate material risks, timing issues, or structural concerns early in the process.
• Manage the acquisitions team, including analysts, due diligence, attorneys, and third-party vendors.

Investment Committee & Leadership

• Prepare and present acquisition opportunities to the Investment Committee, including clear recommendations, risks, and alternatives.
• Provide leadership & accountability across acquisition’s workflow, ensuring disciplined execution & decision-making
• Mentor and manage acquisitions team members and analysts, setting expectations for quality, efficiency, and professional growth.

Market Presence & Travel

• Travel regularly to target markets to inspect properties, meet owners and brokers, and develop local market intelligence.
• Represent company at industry events, conferences, and trade shows.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Business, or related field (MBA a plus).
• 5+ years prior acquisition and transaction closing experience.
• Negotiation experience.
• Proven track record of sourcing and closing retail real estate transactions.
• Strong independent underwriting and financial modeling capability.
• Established relationships with retail investment sales brokers and owners.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly.

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES:

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Belief in our company, project type and themselves.
• Exhibit a curious and inquiring mind.
• Take full ownership of the acquisitions process from sourcing through closing.
• Demonstrate strong judgment, accountability, and decision-making discipline.
• Be a confident negotiator with the ability to balance creativity and risk management.
• Exhibit intellectual curiosity and a proactive, problem-solving mindset.
• Communicate clearly and effectively in writing and in presentations.
• Operate comfortably in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Collaborate effectively across internal teams while maintaining role clarity and accountability.
• Be a team player.
• Be self-motivated.
• Strong writing and verbal skills.

About Poline Search Partners

Poline Search Partners is an international executive search firm specializing in the shopping center industry. We serve property owners, developers, retailers and service providers who are seeking remarkable talent and work to align them with candidates who are eager for new growth opportunities. Since 1979, our team has been connecting companies and candidates with a commitment to integrity and client satisfaction—making us the industry’s most trusted leader in recruitment.

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