Commercial Sr. Manager, Entertainment & Leisure

Job description / Role

Job Summary
A Commercial Manager for Retail Planning plays a crucial role in formulating and implementing strategies aimed at enhancing retail profitability. This position involves the development and oversight of retail budgets, monitoring financial performance, and generating reports for senior management. Additionally, the manager is responsible for assessing commercial performance against key metrics and customer satisfaction levels, taking necessary corrective actions when required.

Retail Planning
• Supporting the overall retail planning strategy.
• Define and optimize tenant mix, zoning, and retail categories (luxury, F&B, entertainment, convenience, etc.).
• Collaborate with design, development, and project management teams to ensure retail layouts align with commercial strategy.
• Conduct market research and benchmarking to identify best practices, trends, and competitive positioning.
• Integrate customer experience and footfall dynamics into retail planning.
• Review design development drawings to ensure alignment with leasing and operational requirements.

Retail Leasing
• Develop and execute the retail leasing strategy to secure high-quality tenants.
• Support negotiations with anchor tenants, international brands, and local operators.
• Develop relationships with retailers, franchise operators, and leasing agents.
• Structure lease terms and commercial agreements that align with financial targets.
• Drive pre-leasing activity to achieve milestones for project launches.

Entertainment, Activation & Stakeholder Management
• Implement entertainment and leisure strategies within retail destinations.
• Curate a balanced mix of cinemas, family entertainment centers (FECs), leisure attractions, and seasonal activations.
• Engage with entertainment operators, global brands, and local partners to deliver innovative experiences.
• Collaborate with architects, consultants, and development partners to ensure commercial viability.
• Provide input to the Director on leasing performance, tenant mix strategies, and market positioning.

• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business, Architecture, Urban Planning, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum 15 years of experience in retail master planning and leasing within real estate developments, retail destinations, or shopping malls.
• Proven track record of securing and managing anchor tenants, luxury brands, and F&B operators.
• Understanding financial acumen with understanding of real estate investment and feasibility.
• Good negotiation, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Familiarity with international and regional retail market trends (particularly GCC experience is an advantage).
• Strong proficiency in developing presentations and advanced Excel skills are essential.
• Familiarity with CAD files is an added advantage.

Key Skills
• Strategic retail planning and tenant mix design.
• Retail leasing strategy, negotiations, and execution.
• Retail Commercial knowledge.
• Relationship-building with retailers, developers, and investors.
• Cross-functional collaboration.

About the Company

Khatib & Alami, a multidisciplinary urban regional planning, architectural and engineering consulting company, offers clients an integrated approach toward the ever-increasing need for reliable project delivery systems. In-house expertise and the continuous recruitment of bright and innovative professionals enable us to meet the challenges of development with due consideration to environmental protection, social and economic characteristics of society. In close concert with clients, we have been able to consolidate factors that make the resultant project coincide with the client's vision within the time frame and budget set out for implementation.

K&A started its consulting services in Lebanon and extended the areas of its professional activities in accordance with the growth of its experience, and its human and financial resources. The company operates in various countries including Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, State of Kuwait, Kingdom of Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Belgium, Gabon and USA. K&A employs around 4,000 professionals and technicians. Since 1984, K&A has continuously ranked among the top 100 International Design firms as published by Engineering News Record (ENR). K&A has also obtained the ISO 9001:2000 certification for its Quality Management System (QMS).