Job description
Auckland | Major Retail Assets | Senior Commercial Role
Assemble Recruitment is partnering with Auckland Airport to appoint a Retail Commercial & Leasing Manager into a senior, commercially focused role responsible for some of New Zealand’s most complex and high‑profile retail environments.
This is not your typical leasing role opportunity goes well beyond traditional leasing. It is a strategic, income‑driven commercial role, ideally suited to someone with a retail asset management or senior retail leasing background, who is experienced in creating robust, data‑led retail leasing strategies informed by market and customer insights and benchmarking analysis, and enjoys shaping tenancy mix, driving performance, and protecting long‑term asset value at scale.
The Opportunity
In this role, working with the Manager of Retail Commercial & Leasing you will lead the end‑to‑end retail commercial and leasing strategy across Auckland Airport’s retail portfolio, including terminal retail and Mānawa Bay Premium Outlets. You will be accountable for the planning and delivery of retail leasing strategies integral to asset development and positioning, including spatial and precinct planning, tenancy mix and retail design, major lease negotiations, income optimisation, and vacancy management, with decisions directly influencing customer experience, retail sales, and long‑term commercial outcomes.
The role requires strong strategic and commercial judgement, advanced negotiation capability, and the confidence to engage with senior executives from global retail brands, often without agency support. You will work closely with internal stakeholders across property, finance, legal, development, and operations, contributing a strong commercial lens to retail planning, redevelopment, and spatial design decisions.
Key Responsibilities
You will likely bring:
This is a rare opportunity to step into a commercially influential role where leasing and asset decisions directly shape performance across a nationally significant retail portfolio. You’ll work at scale, with genuine autonomy, complexity, and the ability to materially influence long‑term outcomes for Auckland Airport.
Apply Now
For a confidential discussion or to request the full position description, please contact:
Matt Webster
Manager – Commercial Real Estate
Assemble Recruitment
027 274 6829
mattw@assemblerecruit.com
Assemble Recruitment is partnering with Auckland Airport to appoint a Retail Commercial & Leasing Manager into a senior, commercially focused role responsible for some of New Zealand’s most complex and high‑profile retail environments.
This is not your typical leasing role opportunity goes well beyond traditional leasing. It is a strategic, income‑driven commercial role, ideally suited to someone with a retail asset management or senior retail leasing background, who is experienced in creating robust, data‑led retail leasing strategies informed by market and customer insights and benchmarking analysis, and enjoys shaping tenancy mix, driving performance, and protecting long‑term asset value at scale.
The Opportunity
In this role, working with the Manager of Retail Commercial & Leasing you will lead the end‑to‑end retail commercial and leasing strategy across Auckland Airport’s retail portfolio, including terminal retail and Mānawa Bay Premium Outlets. You will be accountable for the planning and delivery of retail leasing strategies integral to asset development and positioning, including spatial and precinct planning, tenancy mix and retail design, major lease negotiations, income optimisation, and vacancy management, with decisions directly influencing customer experience, retail sales, and long‑term commercial outcomes.
The role requires strong strategic and commercial judgement, advanced negotiation capability, and the confidence to engage with senior executives from global retail brands, often without agency support. You will work closely with internal stakeholders across property, finance, legal, development, and operations, contributing a strong commercial lens to retail planning, redevelopment, and spatial design decisions.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide critical thinking, initiative and leadership to develop retail planning and further develop the retail proposition and own outcomes to achieve this
- Lead retail leasing strategy, tenancy mix design, and commercial decision‑making
- Negotiate complex lease and licence agreements with major domestic and international retailers
- Drive income growth, optimise commercial terms, and minimise vacancy across the retail portfolio
- Apply financial modelling and analysis to support leasing, asset, and development decisions
- Contribute to retail development planning, spatial strategy, and major redevelopments
- Build and maintain senior relationships with tenants, advisors, consultants, and internal stakeholders
You will likely bring:
- Significant experience in retail asset management, senior retail leasing, or commercial property management
- Proven ability to design, implement, and embed scalable leasing and asset‑management processes, providing structure, governance, and clarity while enabling effective decision‑making across complex retail portfolios
- Strong commercial acumen with a proven ability to drive income and manage risk
- Experience negotiating complex leasing and license agreements
- Confidence operating with executive‑level stakeholders and influencing outcomes
- A strategic mindset combined with hands‑on execution capability
This is a rare opportunity to step into a commercially influential role where leasing and asset decisions directly shape performance across a nationally significant retail portfolio. You’ll work at scale, with genuine autonomy, complexity, and the ability to materially influence long‑term outcomes for Auckland Airport.
Apply Now
For a confidential discussion or to request the full position description, please contact:
Matt Webster
Manager – Commercial Real Estate
Assemble Recruitment
027 274 6829
mattw@assemblerecruit.com
