Download lease manager - BC Public Service

POSITION DESCRIPTION
Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services and
Open Government /Shared Services BC (SSBC)
Integrated Workplace Solutions
LEASE MANAGER
GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY:
The Lease Manager is primarily responsible for acquiring cost effective and
operationally effective leased space in support of SSBC’s diverse customer base. In
addition, the Lease Manager markets and manages the leasing of surplus corporate
assets. The Lease Manager is expected to show considerable leadership to other
SSBC departments and customers on all matters related to leasing and general real
estate including customer relations, project definition, creation and implementation of
optimal solutions and management of leased facilities.
NATURE AND SCOPE:
The Leasing Department project manages and negotiates new and renewal leased
space that meets the program needs of ministry and non-ministry clients. This work
requires:

sophisticated knowledge of the real estate industry and markets.

creating accommodation alternatives.

estimating the probable total cost of various alternatives and the probable “best
solution for best value” alternative.

negotiating open and fair contracts with the private sector at market rates or better,
in a highly competitive private sector market environment.

consultation with customers to ensure that recommended alternatives
provide the best solution for best value, contributes to customer success, is
consistent with government policy and is defensible to the private market and
taxpayers.

providing project management services that meet customer expectations, contribute
to customer success and are consistent with corporate guidelines and objectives.

Proactively managing all aspects of lease projects to ensure that customers are able
to provide continuous service at present locations until move date, that an efficient
move occurs and that any post-occupancy customer concerns are addressed.
At any one time the group of Leasing Managers will manage up to 300 leasing projects,
developing scope, schedule and budget and/or negotiating corporately and with
customers to creatively modify the scope, schedule and/or budget to meet customer
needs. Customers have a wide range of service expectations. Customers and SSBC
itself require the Lease Manager to provide great creativity in most lease transactionsboth large and small. As part of any given lease transaction the Lease Manager may
be required to assist Client Services’ Directors in making the sale, justify corporate
pricing to the customer, provide scope and budget based on limited information, provide
technology upgrades to current standards, provide disabled accessibility, provide
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POSITION DESCRIPTION
Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services and
Open Government /Shared Services BC (SSBC)
Integrated Workplace Solutions
LEASE MANAGER
environmental assessment and remediation and/or seismic assessment and upgrade,
provide management consulting, etc.
The Leasing Department is also responsible for the creation and maintenance of all
records systems and ongoing administration of the leased portfolio, which consists of
approximately 1,000 leases with an annual budget of approximately $165 million.
The position fulfils a wide range of responsibilities including:

major and minor new lease projects.

lease renewals

negotiates formal lease documents directly with the landlords’ lawyers.

lease termination negotiations/agreements.

sale-leaseback agreements.

public-private partnerships and options/rights of first refusal to purchase.

project management of new construction.

management of the corporate Lets process and all corporate Lets agreements.
including development of marketing plans to lease vacant space.

approval and execution of all leases up to $500,000 over term

provision of cost reports as a component of the consumption reports to customers..

provision of strategic real estate information and advice to all levels of SSBC and its
customers up to and including the executive level
Lease Managers:

work closely with Customer Services to understand customer requirements

develop much of the scope of leased projects.

provide project budgets for leased projects and work to understand and work within
the limitations of customer budgets.

manage the delicate balance between client expectations and private market
realities.

use highly professional skills to negotiate lease terms/agreements and project
manage work on a best value basis—in a climate requiring ongoing cost justification
and benchmarking.

lastly, but very importantly to customers, provide a one year warranty period for all
completed work.
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POSITION DESCRIPTION
Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services and
Open Government /Shared Services BC (SSBC)
Integrated Workplace Solutions
LEASE MANAGER
As such, the Lease Managers provide leadership and direction in all stages of project
delivery. Customer needs are often unpredictable, extremely complex and difficult to
translate into ‘real world’ solutions. The Lease Manager is charged with the
responsibility to translate these varied customer needs into a solution that makes
business sense to both government and the private sector such that the government in
general is seen to be delivering its programs in an efficient and effective manner. The
commitments that Lease Managers make on behalf of SSBC have significant legal and
financial implications well beyond the purview of government’s direct control. Mistakes
would require a court of law to determine solutions- not Treasury Board.
These
responsibilities
require
excellent
sales
skills,
decision
making,
communication/negotiation and analytical skills as well as related technical knowledge
and expertise. The Manager’s knowledge of commercial leasing and construction
methods as well as real estate law, general architecture and engineering principles,
public land policy issues and Residential Tenancy Act provisions are essential to
successful performance of duties. In addition, the Manager requires an excellent
working knowledge of the business priorities of Ministry clients , significant non-Ministry
clients and the various SSBC departments. As a designated core process the activities
of the Leasing department and its Lease Managers affect and are relied upon by all
major departments in SSBC.
A major challenge of this position is to manage the extremely complex processes
related to customer relations, project scope definition and budgeting, negotiation of
lease contracts with private interests and project management of significant design and
construction work in a manner that ensures customer satisfaction, timely project
completion, and best solutions for best value. The scope, size and uniqueness of
projects coupled with the variety of stakeholders contributing to the process and time
constraints, add a further dimension to the challenge. The Lease Manager’s role is to
assume significant customer account management responsibilities including
interpretation of issues, creation of optimal solutions and assumption of corporate
responsibility for significant recommendations. The Manager balances competing
interests and determines which solution(s) are in the best interest of the customer,
SSBC and government. This process involves financial and non-financial analyses to
determine best value based on fluctuating market conditions and other factors. New
leased accommodations are obtained through a proposal call process vs. a traditional
tendering procedure, an approach offering greater creativity in the goal to achieve
customer success and requiring a higher level of independent decision-making. With
this greater flexibility comes increased risk of strategic errors or legal challenges. As
such Lease Managers must act extremely professionally in their negotiation and
implementation of lease solutions. On an ongoing basis the position is challenged to
develop strategies and employ tactics to effectively negotiate and implement all aspects
of lease projects including assessing financial and legal considerations, broader
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POSITION DESCRIPTION
Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services and
Open Government /Shared Services BC (SSBC)
Integrated Workplace Solutions
LEASE MANAGER
corporate impacts, probable impacts on customer success and the organization’s ability
to provide quality ongoing management of completed facilities.
The position acts independently or in concert with project teams in all aspects of lease
projects. While the position’s approved Commitment Authority technically does not
exceed leases costing $500,000 in practice the Lease Manager position manages and
conditionally commits the organization to lease projects and associated
design/construction work of an unlimited value.
The Lease Manager works closely with senior SSBC and government management to
define and develop lease requirements, and engages the services of other
departments, private industry consultants, developers and landlords as necessary.
Typically communications involve skill in direct negotiation with suppliers, as well as
provision of professional advice to customers in clarifying needs, advising on and
defining options, and other professional services.
DIMENSIONS:
The position has a contributory
managers/consultants) on:
impact
(shared
among
the
10
lease
Annual Lease Budget:
$165 million
Leases Negotiated:
Shared
responsibility
for
negotiation of approx. 300 leases
per annum with total committed
cost, over term, of approx. $200 $250 million
Total lease Projects
500 to 600 completed annually
Project Management of new construction:
Shared responsibility for approx.
$80 - $100 million per annum
Size of total leased inventory:
Over 1000 leases comprising
approx. 7 million square feet.
Corporate Lets:
100 existing agreements. Each
year approx. 70 of these
agreements are negotiated- with
a total commitment over term of
$3.0 Million.
SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES:
 Manages customer and corporate expectations while negotiating the terms and
conditions of new lease agreements, lease buyouts, sale-leaseback agreements,
public-private partnerships (P3s), lease renewals and other contracts. The Lease
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POSITION DESCRIPTION
Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services and
Open Government /Shared Services BC (SSBC)
Integrated Workplace Solutions
LEASE MANAGER
Manager must ensure that terms are achievable by the developer/contractor, legally
binding, cost effective and satisfy customer needs.
 Approves and executes all lease contracts up to a total cost of $500,000 over term.
 Assumes customer account management responsibilities including: consulting with
customers to create innovative solutions, defining project scope; managing the
Requests for Proposal process with potential landlords/developers; contributing
expert financial forecasting and advice for Treasury Board and other customer
funding submissions; managing all aspects of lease projects; managing final project
and initial rental invoicing to customers and assuming responsibility for project
outcomes under the terms of the warranty contract with customers. .
 Assumes responsibility and leadership for project management of all construction
work occurring as a result of lease projects. For leases in excess of 10,000 square
feet provides of a strong contributory project management role, defining the
parameters for the subsequent project management of the design and development
activities. This will normally occur by way of negotiating within a lease contract the
developer’s commitment to perform design and development work in accordance
with a customer approved Request for Proposal document or, working in concert with
the Development Managers, ensuring that a suitable site or building is acquired such
that subsequently it can be effectively developed or renovated to meet customer
requirements. The negotiated lease generally describes many of the most relevant
conditions for subsequent project management including location, site, time and cost
constraints, development team, development specifications and preliminary design.
The Lease Manager is challenged with the responsibility to communicate complex
site, building and customer program requirements to potential developers/landlords
and ultimately gain the legal commitment of these parties to develop sites, buildings
and premises meeting agreed specifications.
 Ensures that renewals of leases are performed in a manner that ongoing customer
satisfaction with these premises is achieved. Lease Managers must ensure that
deficiencies are corrected, occupancy charges quoted to the client are realized, the
renewal of lease commences on time and that landlords are paid only agreed
amounts. A one year warranty of completed work is also provided on all renewal of
lease assignments.
 Develops marketing plans to lease vacant space including devising strategies for the
Corporation to obtain tenants at market rates or better. This requires the Lease
Managers to think strategically and utilize expert real estate knowledge and skills to
minimize the losses to SSBC and embarrassment to government which vacant
space can create. Activities include marketing of vacant space, hiring of private real
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POSITION DESCRIPTION
Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services and
Open Government /Shared Services BC (SSBC)
Integrated Workplace Solutions
LEASE MANAGER
estate agents where in the best interests of the organization, negotiating offers to
lease and documentation of leases, management of tenant improvement work,
communication with property management and resolution of payment issues when
required up to and including legal action against tenants in default.
 Prepares a variety of detailed financial and market analyses documents and creates
and maintains records systems for the ongoing administration of the leased portfolio.
The Lease Manager’s evaluation of changing market conditions and reporting for the
Leasing Budget process are fundamental to the preparation of financial reports for
the customers to accurately forecast changes in their overall occupancy costs. The
Lease Manager’s must maintain a high degree of knowledge of customers and their
financial constraints to provide this advice effectively.
 Provides consulting services and leadership to other departments of SSBC regarding
real estate management issues and the creation of innovative solutions to address a
wide range of customer requirements. Lease Managers are expected to contribute
a well-informed private market perspective to many customer issues, often bringing a
strong ‘reality-check’ to SSBC and customer decisions.
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POSITION DESCRIPTION
Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services and
Open Government /Shared Services BC (SSBC)
Integrated Workplace Solutions
LEASE MANAGER
Qualifications:
Education and experience:

Must have a minimum of five years commercial real estate experience.

Must be competent and have experience in all principles of commercial and
residential leasing, contract negotiation, and real estate development.

Preference given to applicants possessing B.Com (Urban Land), RI (BC), CCIM,
and CLO designation/memberships.
Knowledge, skills and abilities and competencies:

Must possess extensive knowledge of commercial real estate practices and law,
commercial leasing, lease contract negotiation, building development and
construction, and property management

Posses knowledge of project management procedures

Must possess excellent team building, planning, communication, facilitation,
negotiation, change management and customer relationship management skills

Must be skilled in the preparation and analysis of lease, sublease and license
documentation, schedules, Request for Proposal and contract documents.
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