Director of Real Estate Strategy & Portfolio Management

The Archdiocese of St. Louis strives to teach and share our faith, serve others, and foster unity throughout the St. Louis area. Once a part of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary's campus, the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury, MO is today the headquarters and curia (governing body) for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Job Summary The Archdiocese of St. Louis seeks a strategic, mission-driven leader to oversee the comprehensive stewardship of its real estate portfolio. This role is responsible for developing and executing a long-term portfolio strategy that ensures Church properties are mission-aligned, financially sustainable, canonically compliant, and responsibly stewarded for future generations. This position extends beyond property administration. It requires discernment and sound judgment to evaluate how ecclesiastical property should be utilized, repurposed, consolidated, leased, or divested in light of demographic change, parish vitality, school enrollment trends, and regional economic conditions. Working closely with the Archbishop’s leadership team, Finance, Legal, Facilities, and parish leadership, this individual ensures that real estate decisions reflect both prudent business practice and fidelity to Church teaching and canonical requirements. Church property is not merely an asset. It is a temporal good entrusted for the sake of mission. Job Responsibilities First 90 Days: Listening, Assessment, and Strategic Framing Conduct a comprehensive review of all owned and leased properties. Evaluate lease agreements, renewal schedules, rent performance, and compliance documentation. Assess underutilized, mission-critical, and financially burdensome assets. Review closed parish properties and associated service contracts. Meet with pastors, parish business managers, Finance, Legal, and Facilities leadership. Identify immediate governance, risk, or compliance concerns. Develop an initial strategic assessment outlining strengths, risks, and priority areas. Key Responsibilities Portfolio Strategy & Long-Term Planning Develop and maintain a comprehensive real estate portfolio strategy aligned with Archdiocesan priorities. Identify opportunities for consolidation, adaptive reuse, leasing, or divestment. Align portfolio planning with demographic shifts, enrollment trends, and parish vitality metrics. Collaborate with Archdiocesan analysts, universities such as SLU and Notre Dame, and civic research partners. Develop a multi-year roadmap for portfolio optimization and sustainability. Leasing, Transactions & Negotiation Lead negotiations for leases, renewals, extensions, and strategic property transactions. Coordinate with pastors and parish business managers on lease decisions. Prepare and review lease documents in coordination with General Counsel. Maintain oversight of lease administration systems, renewal tracking, rent escalations, and compliance documentation. Oversee modernization of lease portfolio management systems and reporting tools. Coordinate with Finance to ensure accurate receivable tracking and rent collection. Address delinquent rent matters with appropriate prudence and pastoral sensitivity. Ensure all agreements reflect sound stewardship and protect the Church’s long-term interests. Canonical & Legal Governance Maintain working knowledge of canonical requirements regarding alienation, leasing, and repurposing of ecclesiastical property. Coordinate closely with Legal and appropriate Church authorities on transactions requiring canonical review. Ensure compliance with civil law, tax exemption requirements, and regulatory filings. Oversee real estate tax assessment reviews, exemptions, and appeals where appropriate. Data, Governance & Financial Stewardship Develop clear dashboards to track occupancy, lease performance, costs, revenue, and risk exposure. Establish consistent decision-making frameworks for property evaluation. Coordinate closely with Finance, Shared Accounting, and Facilities to ensure disciplined approvals and documentation. Monitor service contracts for closed and Archdiocesan-owned properties. Oversee property management vendors for security, maintenance, and grounds services. Civic & Community Engagement Build relationships with city and county development organizations and planning authorities. Engage nonprofit partners and community organizations to explore mission-aligned reuse opportunities. Identify thoughtful and creative approaches to property repurposing, including housing, education, shared-use facilities, or ministry partnerships. Job Requirements 10+ years of experience in real estate strategy, development, brokerage, asset management, or portfolio oversight within a complex organization. Strong financial acumen with experience in asset optimization and investment analysis. Demonstrated experience negotiating complex agreements. Experience modernizing lease administration systems and reporting platforms. Familiarity with ecclesiastical property considerations and willingness to operate within canonical structures. Ability to interpret demographic and economic data and translate it into strategic action. Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred. Active practicing Catholic in good standing preferred. Leadership Profile The Director of Real Estate Strategy must possess: Strategic judgment balanced with pastoral sensitivity. High emotional intelligence and strong relationship-building skills. The ability to navigate sensitive property matters with discretion and calm. A disciplined and data-informed approach to decision-making. Comfort operating at the intersection of Church leadership, civic stakeholders, and nonprofit partners. The maturity to exercise prudent independent judgment in matters affecting long-term Church stewardship. Real estate decisions often involve history, emotion, and community identity. This leader must approach such matters with respect, clarity, and steadiness. The Archdiocese of St. Louis is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital, parental, veteran or disability status. Our Mission We are a unique community—diverse in our talent, but unified in our drive to create together, face challenges together and grow together. Our values push us to empower, propel and inspire new ways of turning possibilities into realities. Our competencies define the behaviors that guide who we are, how we are inspired and how we inspire of others to succeed. Benefits Work/life balance is so important to the archdiocese. After all, our business is about making life easier and better—and we want that for you and your career just as much as our consumers and their day-to-day lives. That’s why we offer flexible working times, remote working options, generous paid vacation increasing with service, and personal leaves of absence. As well as being able to make the most of life at home, you’ll also be able to contribute to the Archdiocese sponsored volunteer events. You can discover more about who we’re working with near you, and you can always ask us more about this at events and interviews—we love to see how passionate our people are about giving back.