Director-Real Estate - Finance - job 1 of 18

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Our industry is rapidly evolving, and we need courageous, quick thinkers who can shape the strategic decisions that lead our business forward. Whether it’s negotiating with some of our largest global partners or creating next year’s financial plan, you can influence both our day-to-day P&L and the future direction of the company. As part of the team, you can have the opportunity to learn and use the latest data tools and technologies and explore a range of roles to grow your career. Find your place in finance on #TeamAmex.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated finance professional to support American Express’s Global Real Estate organization. This role will play a central part in evaluating complex real estate transactions, driving financial decision-making, and supporting strategic initiative across a diverse and evolving portfolio. The ideal candidate will bring deep real estate finance and modeling expertise and thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Build and maintain detailed financial models to support high-value real estate transactions and strategic initiatives
• Track project budgets vs. actuals and proactively flag risks or overruns to key stakeholders
• Lead scenario analysis and sensitivity modeling for key decisions
• Develop dashboards or reporting tools (e.g. Power BI) to monitor project financials and KPIs
• Analyze lease vs. own scenarios, structure real estate deals, and assess long-term financial implications
• Partner with our Legal and Real Estate teams to review, analyze, and provide financial input on key contract documents, translating contractual terms into financial implications
• Serve as a key liaison between Finance and internal Real Estate, Controllership, Tax, and Legal teams
• Support long-range planning, capital forecasting, and investment governance for major real estate projects
• Translate complex financial data into clear insights and recommendations for senior leadership
• Ensure alignment with accounting standards and internal capital policies in partnership with Controllership
• Contribute to executive-ready presentations, summarizing deal economics, risk, and strategic rationale

Minimum Qualifications:

• 6+ years of experience in real estate finance, ideally in a corporate real estate function or at a leading real estate advisory firm (e.g., Cushman & Wakefield, JLL, CBRE)
• Advanced financial modeling skills with a focus on real estate transactions, lease accounting, NPV/IRR analysis, and capital vs. operating cost treatments
• Strong understanding of GAAP accounting principles related to real estate, leasing, and capital project governance
• Experience reviewing and interpreting contract language related to real estate development
• Familiarity with the intersection of legal, financial, and commercial terms in large-scale real estate projects
• Understanding of construction budgeting and cost categories (hard cost, soft costs, contingencies etc.)
• Prior experience managing or supporting large-scale capital projects or PMO functions is highly desirable
• Excellent communication skills with a demonstrated ability to simplify complex financial concepts for senior audiences
• Ability to navigate a complex and matrixed environment in a fast-paced setting, frequently collaborating with senior stakeholders at every step
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and driving structure in evolving situations
• High level of energy, intellectual curiosity, and self-motivation
• Collaborative mindset with a strong sense of ownership and accountability

Salary Range: $130,000.00 to $205,000.00 annually + bonus + equity (if applicable) + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries 
• Bonus incentives 
• 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan 
• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits 
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy 
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
• Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including, but not limited to, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

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Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions