Associate Director – Real Estate Strategy & Transactions (India & APAC)
Job Summary
About Cognizant
Key Responsibilities
Real Estate Strategy & Transactions
- Act as the Corporate Real Estate (CRE) Strategy & Transactions focal point for India and APAC.
- Lead and manage all real estate transaction activities including new lease acquisitions, lease renewals, lease expiries, site exits, mid-cycle escalations, and associate lease actions.
- Evaluate market opportunities and develop executable real estate solutions for new space acquisitions.
- Develop short-term and long-term city-level real estate strategies aligned with business and workplace requirements.
- Conduct market intelligence assessments and rental benchmarking studies to support strategic decision-making.
Transaction & Governance Management
- Drive Request for Proposal (RFP) processes in partnership with Procurement teams.
- Update and validate Statements of Requirements based on business demand and market conditions.
- Lead technical, commercial, financial, and legal due diligence activities in collaboration with Legal, IT, Security, HSE/EHS, and Workplace Services teams.
- Organize and manage transaction governance forums and approval processes.
- Prepare strategic recommendations and gain stakeholder alignment on shortlisted real estate solutions.
- Develop business cases and secure approvals through appropriate governance channels.
- Lead lease negotiations and facilitate execution readiness across all stakeholders.
- Execute agreements and obtain required sign-offs from business leadership.
- Ensure seamless transition and handover of completed transactions to Workplace Services and project delivery teams.
Lease & Portfolio Management
- Maintain and govern the India and APAC Real Estate Portfolio Tracker.
- Manage lease execution, registration, documentation, compliance, and archival activities.
- Lead operational lease discussions and negotiations with landlords and service providers.
- Support security deposit recovery, lease closures, and resolution of lease payment-related matters.
- Serve as a key source of lease-related information for FP&A, Lease Accounting, Accounts Payable, and Workplace Services teams.
Financial Planning & Business Support
- Support regional leadership with annual budget planning exercises and portfolio forecasts.
- Drive Operations & Maintenance budgeting and forecasting activities.
- Monitor portfolio performance and occupancy costs to identify opportunities for optimization and efficiency.
- Ensure adherence to internal governance processes, lease obligations, and corporate policies.
Stakeholder Management
- Partner with business leaders and functional teams to align real estate strategies with organizational objectives.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with landlords, developers, consultants, brokers, and service providers.
- Present strategic recommendations and portfolio insights to executive leadership and governance committees.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Engineering, Architecture, Business Administration, Finance, Facility Management, or a related discipline.
- 15+ years of experience in Corporate Real Estate, Real Estate Transactions, Lease Administration, Portfolio Management, Workplace Strategy, or related functions.
- Proven experience leading large-scale lease transactions, site acquisitions, renewals, consolidations, and exits.
- Demonstrated experience managing real estate portfolios across India and APAC.
- Strong understanding of commercial real estate markets, leasing structures, governance processes, and financial analysis.
- Experience working with senior leaders and managing complex stakeholder environments.
Required Skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong negotiation and influencing capabilities.
- Effective problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Advanced analytical and strategic thinking abilities.
- High attention to detail and organizational excellence.
- Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
- Excellent time management and prioritization skills.
- Knowledge of program and project management tools.
- Financial modeling, budgeting, and business case preparation skills.
- Ability to successfully manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
Work Model
- Shift: Day Shift (India GMT +5:30)
- Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Employment Type: Full-Time
- Travel: Willingness to travel across India and APAC based on business requirements.
Why Choose Cognizant
À propos de Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) est un AI Builder et une entreprise de services numériques (ESN) élaborant des solutions complètes d’IA maximisant les investissements pour des résultats concrets. Sa profonde expertise des métiers, des processus et des technologies lui permet d’intégrer dans les systèmes technologiques le contexte unique de chaque organisation de l’ingénierie à la production à l’échelle. Son objectif: améliorer l’efficacité des équipes, créer de la valeur et permettre aux grandes entreprises de rester performantes dans un monde qui évolue rapidement. Pour en savoir plus: cognizant.ai ou @cognizant.
À savoir avant de postuler
- Autorisation de travail: Cognizant ne prendra en considération que les candidats à ce poste qui sont légalement autorisés à travailler au Canada sans avoir besoin d'un parrainage de l'employeur, aujourd'hui ou à l'avenir.
- Mesures d’adaptation: Si vous avez un handicap qui nécessite des mesures d’adaptation raisonnable pour effectuer une recherche d’emploi ou poser une candidature, veuillez envoyer un courriel à [email protected] avec votre demande et vos coordonnées.
- L’IA dans notre processus de recrutement: Nous utilisons des outils d'intelligence artificielle (IA) pour trier et évaluer les candidatures efficacement. Notre équipe examine ensuite les candidatures et décide qui passe à l’étape suivante.
- Poste à pourvoir: Sauf indication contraire, ce poste est actuellement vacant et nous cherchons à le pourvoir.
- Exigences linguistiques: Nous demandons à tous les candidats de posséder une connaissance de base de l’anglais afin de faciliter les communications internes. Pour les postes au Québec, la capacité à communiquer efficacement en anglais est requise car vous fournirez des services à et collaborerez avec des parties prenantes anglophones situées hors de la province.
- Inclusion: Cognizant est un employeur souscrivant au principe de l’égalité d’accès à l’emploi. Votre candidature et votre dossier ne seront pas examinés en fonction de la race, de la couleur, du sexe, de la religion, des croyances, de l'orientation sexuelle, de l'identité de genre, de l'origine nationale, du handicap, des renseignements génétiques, de la grossesse, du statut d'ancien combattant ou de toute autre caractéristique protégée par les lois fédérales, provinciales ou locales.











