Real Estate Asset Manager

About the Opportunity

Job Description

Title                 Real Estate Asset Manager

Department    Real Estate - European Portfolio & Asset Management

Location          Netherlands, Amsterdam

Reports To      Associate Director

Level                Assistant Manager/Manager (individual contributor)

We’re proud to have been helping our clients build better financial futures for over 50 years. How have we achieved this? By working together - and supporting each other - all over the world. So, join our Real Estate team and feel like you’re part of something bigger.

About your team :

The real estate division of Fidelity International was founded in 2006 and launched its first funds for institutional investors in 2008, since when it has attracted a range of blue-chip clients from continental Europe, the UK, Canada and Asia. Current real estate AuM is in the region of €2.5 billion. The experienced team of fund managers, asset managers, transaction managers, research professionals, analysts and operations professionals are based in five locations across Europe (London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Luxembourg). The team has established strong performance track records and we are building on this success by both growing our existing flagship funds, and further developing the business through new funds, including funds focused on climate impact investing.

We are committed to sustainable investing and have firmly embedded sustainability in all steps of our investment process, from the time of acquisition, throughout the holding period and until disposition. We have set a range of sustainability targets and proactively engage with our tenants and suppliers to drive improvements.

About your role :

This position offers an exciting opportunity to join an established and successful team. Reporting to an Associate Director, who is based in Amsterdam and who has responsibility for real estate asset management across the Netherlands, you will embrace and thrive on the challenge of contributing to outperformance in the coming years.

Your role will focus on assisting the Senior Asset Manager in actively managing assets in the Netherlands including value-add initiatives ranging from mid-scale refurbishments to large scale repositioning of commercial properties to improve financial and sustainability performance, in close cooperation with external advisors. The portfolio within the regional scope comprises a growing portfolio of office, retail, light industrial and logistics properties.

Key responsibilities include asset management and investment support.

Asset Management

• Identifying and implementing opportunities for value and sustainability enhancement strategies: this includes exploring repositioning potential of the properties, co-ordinating redevelopment and refurbishment work, managing letting activities, lease negotiations and tenant fit-out and potential for improvement in the asset´s sustainability credentials
• Development of individual sustainability measures for each asset to obtain and improve Green Building Certification (e.g. BREEAM), EPCs, etc., applying energy saving measures and management initiatives, reviewing measures for applying renewables / non-fossil energy solutions with solar panels, heat pumps, etc., engaging with tenants and suppliers; measuring against the net zero carbon pathway
• Selection, assignment and oversight of relevant third parties such as property managers, technical and sustainability advisors, project managers, architects, letting brokers, marketing managers and lawyers
• Inspecting assets regularly and building close relationships with our tenant base
• Professional, active leasing and negotiation of rental agreements for commercial space and proactive tenant and roll-over management exploring value creation opportunities to meet both tenant needs and cash flow generation
• Supporting in the execution of disinvestment strategies considering optimum life and market cycle timing to generate superior returns
• Drafting, reviewing and updating business plans: carrying out cash flow and profitability analyses to support decisions in relation to leasing and capital expenditures, including sustainability measures
• Setting up and monitoring budgets for project works and reporting on progress
• Reviewing service charge reconciliations and approving maintenance budgets including preparation and maintenance of refurbishment budgets and proforma analyses
• Collecting and verifying property level data on financial and non-financial (e.g. ESG) data points
• Ensuring proper analysis of project performance and reporting in terms of financial performance including ESG factors based on information from construction, leasing, ESG/sustainability experts and accounting
• Preparing written recommendations and decision papers on asset management initiatives for internal committees
• Writing and contributing to asset reports for boards and finance partners / banks 

Investment Support (acquisitions and dispositions)

• Working closely with the transaction management team during acquisitions and underwriting by analysing and exploring feasibility, risk of value and sustainability performance, including associated with re-development / re-positioning opportunities
• Providing input on recommendations for purchases and sales regarding professional technical information required, especially with a view on reasonable, economic sustainability measures
• Inputting on the review and evaluation of appropriate due diligence, including ESG audits and technical due diligence
• Review of underwriting assumptions and contribution to business plan for each asset

About you :

• Relevant experience in commercial real estate asset management in the Netherlands; candidates with approximately 5 years or more experience are encouraged to apply
• Hands-on experience of planning or co-ordinating asset refurbishment or asset repositioning projects; experience of energy saving measures would be beneficial.
• Good understanding of lease requirements and structures of tenants across sectors and general asset management market practices; good understanding to add value and integrate sustainability for real estate assets.
• Experience in identifying and executing asset management initiatives to add value, stabilise cash flows and work towards an optimal exit within the predefined budget, time and quality targets would be beneficial.
• Familiarity with sustainability concepts such as the Net Zero Carbon Pathway, EPC, and Green Building certificates would be beneficial.
• Good working knowledge of relevant IT systems such as Microsoft Office, with the ability to manage real estate accounting, valuation, and financial modelling software like YARDI (used by external property managers) and ARGUS Enterprise being advantageous.

• Experience in managing third-party property managers, along with initial experience in managing technical and legal teams.
• Commercially minded and numerate, with an eye for detail
• Structured and methodical in your approach with the discipline to manage budgets and project programmes
• Open-minded and able to learn new sustainability requirements for properties and generate new ideas

• Able to co-ordinate multi-disciplinary project teams, to a large extent independently, with a “hands-on” mentality
• Fluent in Dutch, preferably mother-tongue, and ideally a good command of the English and French language

Feel rewarded :

For starters, we’ll offer you a comprehensive benefits package. We’ll value your wellbeing and support your development. It’s all part of our commitment to making you feel motivated by the work you do and happy to be part of our team. For more about our work, our approach to dynamic working and how you could build your future here, visit careers.fidelityinternational.com.

As an international financial services organisation, we are in-scope of international regulations in the way that we carry out our work. This position is involved in work that is regulated by the FCA and/or the PRA and their Individual Conduct Rules (COCON) apply to it, along with any other regulation. We provide training on COCON and how it affects our employees. More information about COCON can be found in the Employment Handbook.