Director Real Estate, Expansion & Development (m/w/d)

The XIAO Group is a mid-sized, family-owned company in the real estate and gastronomy industries with headquarters in Gelsenkirchen and Leverkusen. Our real estate portfolio is continuously growing through the development of new projects and targeted acquisitions. It exclusively includes commercial properties in NRW that are used for multi-story office, fitness, and other commercial purposes.

Every year, we welcome around 2 million guests to our XIAO restaurants and achieve a turnover of approximately €65 million. Our nearly 1,000 employees drive the expansion in gastronomy forward with great passion and engagement. We have ambitious future plans and want to continue the strong growth of recent years by doubling our gastronomy turnover over the next three years and realizing investments worth €40 million.

The foundation for this has already been laid – therefore, we are looking for a Director Real Estate, Expansion & Development (m/w/d), who will actively drive our expansion at various locations – primarily in North Rhine-Westphalia and prospectively nationwide.

We are not looking for a classic expansion manager.

We are looking for someone who recognizes opportunities before they become visible on the market. Someone who finds, evaluates, and develops properties, negotiates contracts with municipalities and authorities, and accompanies projects independently until signature.

If you bring a reliable network in the commercial real estate market, think entrepreneurially, and prefer to shape things yourself rather than manage them, then we should get to know each other.

About XIAO:

XIAO is one of Germany's most successful system gastronomies and pursues an ambitious growth course. Our goal is to expand our location network to around 30 locations in North Rhine-Westphalia and simultaneously look at nationwide expansion.

We do not focus on classic inner-city locations or small gastronomy areas. We develop large-scale retail properties, former wholesale markets, furniture stores, car dealerships, and new development sites at high-traffic locations with excellent visibility and generous parking facilities. Our restaurants are destination locations – no walk-in concept.

We are not looking for 1A inner-city locations, foot traffic zones, or small gastronomy areas.

Your Mission:

You will be responsible for expanding XIAO independently – from the first property opportunity to the signed lease or purchase agreement.

You will identify suitable properties and evaluate their economic, technical, and legal feasibility. You will develop these together with owners, municipalities, and project partners and create the foundation for long-term successful XIAO locations.

While taking on responsibility for investment decisions in the multi-million range and acting entrepreneurially.

The tasks you can expect at XIAO:

• BUILDING AND DEVELOPING A HIGH-QUALITY PROPERTY PIPELINE

• AQUISITION (LEASE OR PURCHASE) OF SUITABLE PROPERTIES

• Maintaining and expanding a reliable network to property owners, project developers, brokers, investors, municipalities, and economic development agencies

• EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF SUITABLE PROPERTIES – ideally before they are publicly offered

Location Analysis & Feasibility Study:

You will evaluate locations based on the XIAO location blueprint and make informed investment decisions based on:

• Catchment area, purchasing power, and competition

• Parking facilities, visibility, and traffic frequency

• Building quality and development potential

• Economic feasibility and approval

Therefore, you will recognize at first glance whether a property is suitable for XIAO, what renovation and modernization efforts are required, and whether the project can be realized economically.

Baurecht & Projektentwicklung:

• You will review independently:

• Zoning plans

• Built environment and building regulations

• Changes of use

• Approval feasibility

• Coordination with municipalities, building authorities, and government agencies

Fundierte Kenntnisse der Versammlungsstättenverordnung (VStättVO) sind zwingend erforderlich, da sie für die Machbarkeitsprüfung unserer Standorte unverzichtbar sind.

Vertragsmanagement:

You will conduct lease and purchase agreement negotiations independently and accompany the entire process until signature – including LOIs, due diligence, and coordination with property owners, notaries, and lawyers.

Your Work Style:

This position is not a management role.

You will not lead a team but work independently and be responsible for your projects from the first location analysis to the contract signing.

You possess an advanced hands-on and self-made mentality, take responsibility, and feel more at home in a family-owned mid-sized company with short decision-making paths than in corporate structures.

• Several years of experience in expansion and real estate development with large-scale retail, wholesale market, or gastronomy properties

• You possess a reliable network to property owners, existing property holders, project developers, and commercial real estate brokers. This network is the foundation for success in this position.

• You can evaluate properties regarding their economic, technical, and legal feasibility, particularly with regard to revitalization and re-use.

• Fundierte Kenntnisse im Bauplanungs- und Bauordnungsrecht sowie der Versammlungsstättenverordnung (VStättVO)

• Entrepreneurial thinking, hands-on mentality, and independent negotiation skills against property owners, investors, municipalities, and government agencies

• High travel readiness with a focus on North Rhine-Westphalia

We offer you:

• A permanent full-time employment contract in an expanding company

• A competitive salary

• Independent, challenging work with a broad range of tasks and opportunities for shaping

• Exciting collaboration in a highly motivated and collegiate team

• Flat hierarchies, short decision-making paths, and an open communication culture

• Modern working spaces in a dynamic environment

• Free parking facilities

• Provision of a company vehicle

If you find locations not just, but develop them, recognize opportunities before others see them, and want to actively shape the further growth course of XIAO with your network, we look forward to receiving your application.

Does this sound like a challenging opportunity? Then we would be happy to learn more about you. Please share your CV, relevant certificates, and a brief but interesting and informative cover letter that tells us what kind of person you are. Additionally, please provide your salary expectations.