Manager - Expansion

Job Title: Manager - Expansion

Locations:

Reports To:

Employment Type:

Experience Required:

Languages Required:

Pune: Marathi (Fluency)

Chennai: Tamil (Fluency)

Hyderabad: Telugu (Fluency)

Role Overview

We are expanding our network of schools across India and are looking for dynamic professionals who can identify and evaluate potential properties for new campuses. The Manager – Expansion will be responsible for scouting, assessing, and finalizing properties suitable for setting up schools, coordinating with landlords, brokers, legal teams, and internal stakeholders to ensure smooth acquisition and handover of properties.

This is a field-intensive role requiring strong local market knowledge, excellent communication skills in the regional language, and the ability to manage multiple property evaluations simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities

1. Property Identification & Evaluation

• Scout and identify suitable land or building options for school expansion within the assigned city and nearby areas.
• Evaluate shortlisted properties based on location viability, catchment analysis, accessibility, and compliance with educational infrastructure norms.
• Prepare detailed site reports with photos, maps, and key metrics (e.g., frontage, road width, floor plate area, parking, etc.).

2. Market Intelligence & Local Networking

• Build and maintain a strong network of real estate brokers, developers, and landlords in the region.
• Stay updated on market rental trends, new project launches, and upcoming micro-markets suitable for schools.
• Leverage local contacts to get early leads on potential properties.

3. Negotiation & Coordination

• Facilitate site visits and meetings with property owners, brokers, and internal teams.
• Support price and lease/rent negotiations in alignment with company standards.
• Coordinate due diligence, document collection, and liaison with legal and finance teams for property finalization.

4. Reporting & Documentation

• Maintain a city-level property pipeline tracker with status updates on each lead.
• Prepare periodic MIS reports on property scouting, conversion ratios, and timelines.
• Assist in drafting term sheets and liaising for legal vetting and approvals.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Academic Planning, Finance, Legal, and Operations teams for end-to-end property evaluation.
• Coordinate with design and project teams for site feasibility studies and layout assessments.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Educational Qualification:

• Graduate / Postgraduate in Business, Real Estate, or related field.
• MBA preferred but not mandatory.

Experience:

• 4 - 8 years of experience in real estate scouting, retail expansion, or site acquisition (preferably from education, retail, healthcare, or coworking sectors).
• Proven track record of closing property deals or leasing agreements.
• Strong understanding of local geography and micro-market dynamics.

Skills & Attributes:

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills in English and the local language (Marathi/Tamil/Telugu).
• Comfortable with field travel (approx. 60 - 70% of time).
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in Excel, Google Maps, and reporting tools.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with ownership and accountability.