Role Purpose
To support the growth of a student accommodation management and services platform by identifying, evaluating, and progressing Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) management contracts, institutional partnerships, and third-party inventory opportunities.
The role focuses on business development, partnership engagement, commercial evaluation, and proposal development, working closely with senior leadership and internal stakeholders to progress opportunities through established governance and approval processes.
Key Responsibilities
- Identify and develop PBSA management services and partnership opportunities with asset owners, developers, and higher education institutions.
- Source and assess student accommodation inventory opportunities aligned with quality, experience, and operational standards.
- Develop opportunity briefs, market insights, and recommendations to support strategic discussions.
- Build and manage relationships with universities, colleges, developers, and institutional partners.
- Conduct commercial assessments, feasibility studies, and scenario analysis for new opportunities.
- Prepare proposals, presentations, and decision papers to support internal review and approvals.
- Coordinate cross-functional inputs to progress opportunities through governance processes.
- Track and manage the business development pipeline, highlighting key risks, dependencies, and milestones.
- Support mobilisation planning following approved opportunities.
- Monitor PBSA market trends, competitor activity, and emerging partnership models.
Experience & Requirements
- 8–12 years of experience in business development, partnerships, real estate, hospitality, PBSA, or related sectors.
- Proven experience supporting or leading management contracts, asset-light growth models, or institutional partnerships.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience preparing feasibility studies and business cases.
- Excellent presentation skills with strong English written and spoken communication.
- Technology-savvy, with working knowledge of AI tools and digital platforms to support analysis and decision-making.
- Demonstrated ability to manage senior external stakeholders, including universities and asset owners.
- Strong understanding of the student accommodation and higher education ecosystem in Malaysia and/or overseas markets.
- Experience working within structured governance and approval environments.
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Real Estate, Hospitality, or related field (Master's degree an advantage).
Key Competencies
- Strategic and commercially astute.
- Strong relationship builder and influencer.
- Structured thinker with execution discipline.
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills for senior audiences.
- Comfortable working in matrixed, governance-led organisations.
- High integrity and professionalism.
