Real Estate Transaction Lead, Central

Mission Neko is redefining what prevention means, from treating illness when it arrives, to sustaining health before it's ever at risk. Our mission: make data-driven, preventative care accessible to more people, before symptoms appear. In a single, non-invasive visit under an hour, proprietary technology and direct clinical care combine to deliver personalised, actionable insights. It's a team that thinks in 10x, not 10%. Every role here plays a part in building a world where prevention is the norm, and where your work genuinely helps people live longer, healthier lives. Role Purpose We are looking for a driven, transaction-focused real estate professional to own deal execution across the Central region. You will be part of a lean, high-velocity expansion team reporting directly to the Director of Real Estate, US. This is not a support role. You will run site selection, lead LOI negotiations, manage broker relationships, and drive leases to execution across a growing portfolio of healthcare retail clinics in your markets. Neko is opening clinics at pace: the US plan moves from a handful of sites today to a 2028 cohort in the dozens and a portfolio in the hundreds by 2030. Most in-house real estate roles at this scale sit inside large corporate structures where deals move slowly and decisions need layers of approval. Here, your deals matter immediately, your judgment is trusted, and the decisions you make in year one will shape the portfolio for the next decade. The team is small and growing quickly, built around regional Transaction Leads covering the West, East, and Central United States, supported by national specialists in market analysis, deal support, and lease administration. Many of these seats are still being filled, so you will help set the standard rather than inherit one. What You’ll Deliver in the First 6–12 Months • Pipeline management: identify, evaluate, and advance sites across Central markets including Texas, Chicago, the Midwest, Nashville, and Denver. Markets are TBD and could extend west or east depending on demand. • Transaction execution: lead deals from initial market entry through signed lease, managing brokers, landlords, and timelines, at a pace set by the opening plan for the Central region. • LOI negotiation: draft, negotiate, and revise LOIs; own the deal process end to end from first tour to final execution. • Deal approval memos: build and present LOI and Lease Approval Memos with clear economics, risks, and a recommendation that stands up to executive scrutiny. • Landlord relationships: build and maintain relationships with institutional and private landlords across the Central region. • Broker coordination: manage tenant rep broker relationships across multiple markets simultaneously; hold brokers accountable to pipeline and timeline standards. • Cross-functional coordination: work closely with Legal, Construction, Design, and Facilities to move deals from signed lease into buildout. • Platform adoption: use Neko’s GIS site selection platform and lease administration system as the system of record and contribute to their rollout as the function scales. Minimum Qualifications • 3 to 7 years of real estate transaction experience, with meaningful time spent in-house at a healthcare, wellness, or high-growth retail company. • You have personally led deals end to end, from site identification through LOI to signed lease, in competitive markets. • Comfort working in a startup environment with real pressure, fast timelines, and limited infrastructure. You build as you go. • A self-starter who does not need a fully defined playbook to do great work. • Strong communication skills. You can represent Neko professionally with institutional landlords while keeping internal stakeholders informed concisely. • Ability to read and pressure-test lease terms, rent schedules, and deal economics. You do not need to build financial models from scratch, but you need to know when a deal works and when it does not. • Familiarity with GIS tools and lease administration platforms is a plus; willingness to learn them quickly is a must. • AI: We use AI tools including Claude in daily work and expect you to use them too. • Based in the Central United States. You should be within reasonable travel of the markets you cover. Compensation: $157.5K – $192.5K • $157.5K – $192.5K