Director of Real Estate

Director of Real EstateLocation: Company Headquarters, Houston, TexasReports to: Chief Retail OfficerThe RoleThe Director of Real Estate is a senior development leader responsible for advancing the retail growth strategy across new store development, relocations, and remodel initiatives.Based in Houston, this role leads the execution of the development pipeline — transforming strategy into openings.You will oversee projects from site identification through entitlement, construction partnership, and opening — ensuring disciplined capital deployment and predictable milestone progression.This is a leadership role for a hands-on operator who thrives in a growth environment and knows how to move projects forward in complex retail ecosystems.What You Will OwnDevelopment Pipeline ExecutionManage a portfolio of NTI builds, relocations, and remodel projects.Advance projects through defined stage gates from site control to opening.Partner with Finance to support underwriting and capital approval packages.Maintain 12–24 month forward visibility on active projects.You are accountable for project progression — not just activity.Market Intelligence & Site StrategyIdentify coverage gaps and trade area opportunities.Evaluate demographic trends, traffic patterns, and competitive positioning.Work closely with brokers to source high-quality development opportunities.Support multi-year market planning efforts.The Director translates growth strategy into viable, finance-ready opportunities.Cross-Functional Project LeadershipCoordinate with construction, operations, fuel, marketing, and legal teams.Drive alignment from feasibility through opening.Ensure design and development standards are upheld.Anticipate risk and proactively surface solutions.You serve as the connective tissue between strategy and execution.Remodel Program LeadershipPrioritize remodel projects aligned to ROI thresholds.Partner with operations to define scope and value creation.Track performance of remodeled locations versus projections.Help evolve remodel strategy through field insight.Remodels are not maintenance — they are performance investments.Broker & External Partner ManagementBuild and manage broker relationships.Negotiate letters of intent and support contract structuring.Navigate entitlement processes and local regulatory requirements.Represent the company professionally in market-facing settings.What Success Looks LikeProjects consistently advance through stage gates on predictable timelines.Strong pipeline quality with disciplined underwriting.Clear visibility into upcoming capital needs and project risks.Productive broker relationships generating viable opportunities.High confidence from leadership in execution reliability.What You Bring7–10 years of experience in retail real estate, development, or construction.Experience in convenience, fuel, or high-volume retail preferred.Demonstrated experience advancing ground-up or complex retail projects.Working knowledge of entitlements and permitting processes.Financial fluency — ability to understand IRR, payback, and capital prioritization.Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills.The ProfileYou are:Structured and proactive.Commercially minded.Comfortable navigating ambiguity.Skilled at balancing persistence with collaboration.Motivated by seeing projects move from dirt to doors open.Growth PathThis role is designed as a key leadership position within the development organization, with the opportunity to scale scope as the retail footprint grows.