Associate, Strategic Initiatives

Overview

A successful Associate will support the various activities described below, helping to identify needs, define strategy, create implementation plans, and assist in the execution of those plans. A successful candidate will be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously, bring analytical rigor to decision-making, communicate effectively across the organization and with senior leadership, and understand how to achieve organizational buy-in and drive change.

The day-to-day experience of the Strategic Initiatives Associate will be varied.  The individual may spend one day analyzing financial statements and developing a financial model, the next day researching a new business venture, and another day managing the execution of a critical business initiative.  This role requires strong analytical skills and a desire to tackle new challenges daily.  Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Prepare and maintain financial models to evaluate new business ventures and emerging tenants. These models include 10-year cash flows for IRR, cash flow multiple, and other profitability analyses. 

• Opportunistically support in additional revenue enhancement / ancillary income and business priority opportunities (e.g., partnerships, potential investment opportunities in operating businesses, “green” technologies, investment recommendations and due diligence of non-real estate operating businesses, etc.).
• Independently research new and complex subjects to evaluate and create new lines of business.
• Identify needs related to company processes and systems, define implementation plans, and support the execution of those plans along with cross-functional partners.
• Work with diverse, cross-functional teams and senior leadership to identify business opportunities with significant impact to profitability.
• Support the execution of existing high-priority initiatives across all functional areas of the business.
• Perform business intelligence research to establish industry best practices for implementation at WS.

Immediate Opportunity and Potential for Growth: This role will provide significant exposure to the WS organization and senior leadership as well as to a breadth of projects and company initiatives. A successful Associate will have significant growth opportunities within WS and will play a critical role in key decisions within the company.

• 4 years of overall experience in strategy and process improvement
• Strong analytical capabilities and experiencing developing data driven analysis using Excel, PowerBI, Tableau, SQL/Python.
• Preferred profiles include:
• Consulting
• Investment banking with focus on M&A
• Internal consulting or process improvement within a growing company
• Self-starter with the ability to support high-value initiatives to conclusion
• Strong analytical capabilities and previous experience developing data-driven analyses
• Excellent soft skills and the ability to work cross-functionally to persuade and drive change
• Strong written and verbal presentation skills, enabling this person to prepare and present information and recommendations to a broad and diverse audience
• Comfort with and eagerness to tackle ambiguous problems
• Strong knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint with ability to produce clear reports and presentations
• Interest in real estate

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or in the future.

About WS Development

Massachusetts-based WS Development is a mixed-use developer with a singular mission: creating places people want to be. With an approach that values art, science, innovation and, above all else, people, WS strives to engage each community it serves with best-in-class experiences, designed with our customers, tenants and partners in mind. Established in 1990, WS is one of few vertically-integrated real estate companies that conceptualizes, owns, operates and leases more than 100 properties that range from cutting-edge urban spaces to lifestyle and community centers. With over 22 million square feet of existing space and an additional nine million square feet under development, it is one of the largest privately-owned development firms in the country.

WS is where great ideas and great people come together to design, build, and operate some of the best loved real estate projects in the country. We live at the intersection of entrepreneurship and establishment. We have the infrastructure of decades supporting a culture of free-thinking excellence.

We expect every WS employee to feel welcomed and valued irrespective of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, and life experiences. Or for any other reason.