The Company:
Our Boston based client was founded in 1982 and has grown to become one of the most successful diversified real estate investment private equity firms in the nation. The Firm has acquired, invested in, and/or managed over $45 billion of real estate on behalf of hundreds of U.S. and non-U.S. institutional investors and clients. Leveraging deep expertise in acquiring, developing, managing, and selling real assets in the U.S., they focus on delivering value to investors and communities through a combination of value-add closed-end, core open-end, and customized separate/advisory account strategies.

Position Overview:
Our client is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Director of Research to join their growing team. This role will be instrumental in leading the firm’s research initiatives to differentiate their investment strategies and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace. The Director will operate under the guidance of the Head of Research and provide mentorship to a Research Associate. The successful candidate will be responsible for rigorous tracking, analysis, and interpretation of commercial real estate market dynamics across multiple product lines.

We are seeking institutional experience within commercial real estate research, investment management, or a related field, preferably within a major fund manager, institutional investor, or top-tier brokerage firm. This position will require a deep understanding of commercial real estate market fundamentals, data sources, and analytical methodologies across core, core-plus, and value-add strategies.

Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Market Intelligence

• Drive the "House View": Partner with the Head of Research to synthesize complex economic and property-level data into a cohesive U.S. investment strategy and "house view" for target markets.
• Original Thought Leadership: Author high-impact white papers and self-directed research initiatives that challenge or validate investment strategies, positioning the firm as a market leader for institutional clients.
• Advanced Forecasting: Oversee the development of sophisticated metro-level fundamental forecasts, integrating them into the company-wide underwriting process to improve risk-adjusted returns in major U.S. markets.
• Internal Strategist: Serve as a research advisor to the Portfolio Management, Acquisitions, Asset Management, and Valuation teams providing the top-down foundation for capital allocation decisions.

Investment Support & Portfolio Strategy

• Market Analysis to support Investment Process: Work with the Acquisitions teams in the preparation of comprehensive market overviews and analysis for transactions, ensuring all acquisitions are backed by rigorous data-driven research insights.
• Growth Initiatives: Drive research for new investment strategies, locations and alternative
  asset classes, identifying emerging trends and niche opportunities to fuel organizational growth. 
• Portfolio Risk Assessment: Proactively monitor global and national capital market trends to identify potential headwinds, providing timely risk assessments for asset management and portfolio teams.

Operations & Data Management

• Lead Quarterly Reporting: Standardize and lead the firm’s quarterly data lifecycle—from collection and analysis of real estate, economic, demographic and financial data to the distribution of market fundamental reports.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as a central research hub for Acquisitions, Asset Management, and Investor Relations, delivering thoughtful, ad-hoc analysis to support client requests and internal mandates.

Innovation & Methodology

• Champion New Data Tools & Resources: Pioneer innovative approaches to micro-market analysis, to better understand asset performance.
  Digital Data Platform Enhancement
• Platform Development: Serve as a key resource to the firm’s digital data team, guiding the development and enhancement of research tools, analytical capabilities, and platform features.
• Proprietary Tools: Partner with product design team to create intuitive and easily accessible market research and performance dashboards.
• Data Insights: Link external research data and trends with firm’s asset performance data for unique insights.

Mentorship & Communication

• Team Development: Spearhead training initiatives for junior staff and new hires, fostering a culture of technical excellence in market research tools and analytical methodologies.
• Strategic Communication: Translate complex data into persuasive narratives for external institutional clients and internal stakeholders through high-level presentations and formal reporting.

Qualifications:

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Economics, Finance, Business, or a related field; advanced degree (M.S., MBA) preferred. Minimum of 7+ years of progressive professional experience in real estate research, data analytics, or a related financial services environment.
• Analytical Acumen: Exceptional analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to identify new insights, trends, and market anomalies through advanced data analytics and statistical modeling.
• Market Expertise: Demonstrated passion for and deep knowledge of micro- and macro-level commercial real estate market dynamics, investment principles, and financial terminology.
• Strategic Mindset: Proven research mindset with the capacity to translate complex data and trends into thoughtful, innovative deliverables that differentiate the firm and drive competitive advantage.
• Leadership & Project Management: Strong ability to oversee multiple research projects, determine priorities, allocate resources effectively, and drive projects through to completion while managing competing deadlines.
• Communication & Collaboration: Highly collaborative attitude with experience working cross-functionally across investments, operations, and marketing teams to achieve collective strategic goals. Ability to interpret complex themes and effectively prepare information for high-stakes client presentations and public events.
• Service & Reliability: Commitment to providing efficient, timely, reliable, and courteous service to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring research insights consistently meet business needs.