Director, Real Estate Development

Company Overview

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

Job Category

Real Estate & Property Management

Position Summary

The Director, Real Estate Development is responsible for leading the execution of BSRO’s retail real estate development strategy and new store growth plan. This role leads the Real Estate Development team and oversees the identification, evaluation, negotiation and advancement of new store opportunities from market prioritization and site selection through real estate approval and transition to construction. The Director ensures disciplined execution of the development pipeline, strong financial performance and consistent application of BSRO’s real estate standards while developing a high-performing team capable of delivering the company’s long-term network growth objectives.

Responsibilities

· Lead the execution of BSRO’s multi-year new store development strategy, translating network growth objectives and market priorities into an actionable development pipeline.

· Lead and develop the Real Estate Development team, establishing clear priorities, performance expectations and accountability for new store delivery.

· Direct site identification and selection within prioritized markets, ensuring opportunities align with growth strategy, market demand, demographics, traffic patterns, retail synergy, competition and operational requirements.

· Manage the development pipeline from initial site identification through Real Estate Committee approval and transition to construction, ensuring projects advance efficiently and achieve established timelines.

· Oversee the evaluation and negotiation of leases, purchase agreements, letters of intent and other real estate transactions supporting new store development.

· Ensure proposed new store investments meet established financial return thresholds, including IRR, payback and ROIC, and provide clear recommendations regarding investment opportunities.

· Partner with Market Research and Strategy to leverage market intelligence, sales forecasting, demographics, competitive analysis and other data to prioritize markets and evaluate site opportunities.

· Review and challenge site recommendations, deal structures, financial assumptions and development risks prior to presentation for approval.

· Drive consistent development processes, standards and best practices across regions while maintaining the flexibility necessary to address individual market and transaction requirements.

· Monitor development pipeline performance, identify risks and barriers to delivery and implement solutions to maintain new store growth objectives.

· Partner closely with Construction to ensure effective handoff of approved projects and alignment on site conditions, development requirements, schedules and capital considerations.

· Collaborate with Operations, Finance, Legal, Construction, Market Research and Strategy and other internal partners to ensure coordinated evaluation and execution of new store opportunities.

· Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with developers, brokers, landlords, property owners and other external partners to build a robust pipeline of high-quality real estate opportunities.

· Support the Executive Director in preparation for Real Estate Committee meetings, long-range development planning, capital forecasting and other strategic real estate initiatives.

· Ensure compliance with applicable zoning, entitlement and regulatory requirements, BSAM code of conduct and established real estate policies and procedures.

· Foster a collaborative, high-performing and customer-centric culture focused on accountability, talent development, problem-solving and execution.

Minimum Qualifications

· Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible retail real estate development experience, preferably within a large, multi-site retail organization, including at least 5 years of experience leading real estate professionals.

· Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, real estate, law or a related field.

· Proven experience leading site selection, deal negotiation and execution of a high-volume retail development pipeline.

· Strong financial acumen and understanding of real estate investment metrics, including IRR, payback and ROIC.

· Demonstrated leadership, negotiation, decision-making and problem-solving skills.

· Strong industry relationships among developers, brokers, landlords and other real estate professionals.

· Detailed knowledge of leases, purchase agreements, letters of intent, due diligence materials and real estate financial analysis.

· Exceptional verbal, written and presentation skills.

· High level of proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and real estate technology platforms.

At Bridgestone, you are Free to Be

We believe people can only provide superior service and quality to others when they feel safe bringing their chosen version of themselves to work. We believe in championing all perspectives, individuals and teams because we understand the importance of seeing the world and our business through many different lenses. So, show us what you are made of, because who you are is what we need.

What we offer

At Bridgestone, what really matters is to foster co-creation opportunities and empowering you to be creative and curious to make mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for future generations. Whatever role you fill, when you represent Bridgestone, you are a valued teammate, and part of our larger mission to “Serve Society with Superior Quality”, for that, we offer you more than just a competitive compensation; we will provide you:

• •A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into our team.
• •The opportunity to develop and grow, through training and regular mentorship.
• •Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
• •A truly global, dynamic and challenging work environment.
• •Agility and work/life effectiveness and your long-term well-being.
• •An effective and inclusive team.

Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is our policy to consider all individuals for employment based on their unique merit and without regard to age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Employment Eligibility

If hired, a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.