Senior Associate (Retail)

Company Overview:

Hillwood, a Perot company, is a premier commercial and residential real estate developer, investor, and advisor of properties throughout North America and Europe. Hillwood was founded in 1988 by Ross Perot, Jr. in association with the Alliance Texas project – an award winning 27,000-acre master-planned, mixed-use development and global logistics hub. With a diverse portfolio of properties and home to many of the world’s leading companies, Hillwood is committed to bringing long-term value to our customers, partners, and the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.hillwood.com.

Hillwood Properties, based in Fort Worth, is a premier real estate developer specializing in industrial-logistics, corporate office, and retail mixed-use development, as well as airport and property management. With a commitment to excellence and innovation, Hillwood has established a reputation for quality development that drives economic growth for communities throughout North Texas. Signature developments include AllianceTexas, Circle T Ranch, and Frisco Station. To date, Hillwood Properties has developed and acquired 31 million square feet of industrial, 3.2 million square feet of retail and office, and over 4,000 multifamily units.

For more information on Hillwood Properties’ flagship development, AllianceTexas, please visit www.alliancetexas.com.

Position Summary:

Hillwood Properties is seeking a driven and experienced Senior Associate, Retail to support the growth and strategic expansion of its retail portfolio. Reporting to the Vice President (VP) of Retail and working closely with the Director of Retail, this role will serve as a key contributor in executing leasing strategy, managing transactions, underwriting deals, and cultivating tenant relationships.

This individual will operate as a critical partner in driving retail growth initiatives across leasing, land sales, and ground lease opportunities. The ideal candidate brings a minimum of 2–3 years of commercial real estate experience in leasing, development, or real estate finance and is comfortable taking ownership of deal execution responsibilities while collaborating cross-functionally.

Responsibilities:

Leasing & Transaction Support:

• Support and actively participate in the marketing and leasing of retail spaces and pad sites within the AllianceTexas corridor, including land sales and ground leases.
• Assist in structuring, negotiating, and executing leases and contracts in partnership with senior leadership.
• Prepare and review LOIs, lease abstracts, exhibits, and deal summaries; coordinate internal and external approvals through execution.
• Manage transaction timelines and ensure alignment across legal, development, construction, and finance teams.
• Analyze deal economics and present recommendations to leadership.

Tenant Prospecting & Pipeline Management:

• Maintain leasing databases, CRM tools, and prospect lists, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information.
• Develop and maintain an active pipeline of prospective tenants aligned with the strategic vision for AllianceTexas.
• Engage directly with brokers, tenants, and industry contacts to cultivate long-term relationships and generate new leasing opportunities.
• Participate in property tours, tenant meetings, and presentations; serve as a knowledgeable representative of Hillwood’s retail platform.
• Identify emerging retail concepts, market trends, and tenant categories to inform merchandising strategy.

Financial Analysis & Market Intelligence:

• Support investment evaluation and scenario analysis for leasing and development opportunities
• Evaluate lease rates, tenant improvement structures, concessions, and project feasibility.
• Conduct detailed market research on competitive developments, absorption trends, rental comparables, and retail demand drivers.
• Provide strategic insights to leadership to support pricing, positioning, and portfolio optimization.

Marketing & Presentation Materials:

• Oversee the preparation and refinement of marketing materials, site plans, and broker packages to effectively position retail opportunities.
• Ensure listings on platforms such as CoStar and Crexi remain current and competitive.
• Contribute to leasing strategy discussions, merchandising plans, and long-term retail vision for the corridor.

Cross-Functional Coordination:

• Coordinate closely with development and construction teams on project planning, tenant delivery schedules, and capital improvements.
• Support entitlement processes and pre-development considerations as they relate to retail sites.
• Provide regular reporting and pipeline updates to senior leadership.
• Assist in preparing internal investment memorandums and presentations for executive review.

Client & Industry Engagement:

• Support property tours and client meetings by assisting with preparation materials, site data, and follow-up coordination.
• Attend select industry events (e.g., ICSC, Retail Live!) alongside senior team members to gain exposure and build market knowledge.
• Deliver high-touch, professional support to internal and external stakeholders throughout the transaction lifecycle.

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Strong understanding of commercial real estate fundamentals, lease structures, and retail economics.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, structure, and support negotiation of transactions.
• Advanced analytical and financial modeling capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation experience.
• Ability to manage multiple active deals and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal skills and comfort interacting with senior executives, brokers, and clients.
• High integrity, accountability, and ownership mindset.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint required; familiarity with CoStar and Crexi preferred.
• Strategic thinking balanced with strong executional discipline.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in real estate, finance, economics, business, or related field required.
• Minimum 2–3 years of experience in commercial real estate, with exposure to leasing, development, brokerage, or real estate finance.
• Prior retail leasing or retail-focused development experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or participating in transaction negotiation and execution.
• Familiarity with the DFW retail market preferred.

EEO Statement:

Hillwood is committed to providing Equal Opportunity in Employment, to all applicants and employees regardless of, race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, military status, veteran status, handicap, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.

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