Job Summary The Real Estate Acquisitions Manager plays a critical role in driving Moon Valley Nurseries' continued national expansion by identifying, sourcing, and securing real estate for new locations. Reporting directly to the VP of Real Estate, this individual is responsible for building and maintaining a robust pipeline of site opportunities across all U.S. markets through business acquisitions, direct purchase or lease, and ground-up development. The right candidate brings a sales-driven mindset to real estate — someone who measures success by deals initiated and closed, thrives on prospecting in unfamiliar markets, and treats rejection as part of the process rather than a barrier to it. This is a high-autonomy, field-first role suited for a self-directed professional who can walk into any room, earn trust quickly, and come back with a deal. Candidates based in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area are preferred. However, due to the extensive travel requirements of this position, qualified candidates residing in major metropolitan areas with access to large airport hubs, including Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Miami, will also be considered. Key Duties and Responsibilities Site Sourcing and Pipeline Development
Proactively identify and pursue real estate opportunities nationwide through direct outreach, broker relationships, and persistent market prospecting
Build and sustain a large, active pipeline of qualified site opportunities at all stages of development volume and momentum matter in this role
Source deals through three primary channels: company and nursery acquisitions, direct real estate purchase or lease, and ground-up development
Conduct direct, creative outreach to landowners, owner-operators, and potential acquisition targets to generate off-market opportunities that others won't find
Site Evaluation and Analysis
Evaluate prospective sites against Moon Valley's operational and financial criteria, including acreage, visibility, access, zoning, and water availability
Conduct market research to identify high-priority expansion geographies and assess the competitive landscape
Prepare site packages, financial summaries, and investment memos for review and approval by leadership
Deal Negotiation and Execution
Negotiate letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements, ground leases, build-to-suit arrangements, and business acquisition term sheets with confidence and creativity
Manage due diligence processes in coordination with internal legal, finance, and construction teams
Maintain accurate deal tracking and provide regular pipeline reporting to the VP of Real Estate
Relationship Management
Establish and grow an active network of brokers, developers, landowners, and municipal contacts in both established and new markets — and know how to work that network to find the next opportunity
Represent Moon Valley Nurseries professionally in all external interactions with property owners, sellers, and community stakeholders
This is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities. We work collaboratively and new responsibilities may be assigned over time.
Qualifications: Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
5–8 years of experience in real estate site acquisition, commercial brokerage, or a high-volume transaction environment; experience in retail rollouts, automotive, agriculture, or large-footprint commercial real estate strongly preferred
Demonstrated track record of independently sourcing and closing real estate transactions across multiple markets — candidates who have built pipelines from scratch are strongly encouraged to apply
Experience across multiple deal structures including leases, ground leases, direct purchases, build-to-suit, and business acquisitions
Established broker relationships with the ability to quickly build new networks in unfamiliar markets
Strong negotiation skills and a proven ability to keep deals moving through complexity and competing interests
Highly self-motivated with the ability to manage a large, active pipeline with strong attention to detail and follow-through
Willingness and ability to travel extensively — this role is built around being in the market, not behind a desk
Education Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field preferred Physical requirements/Working Conditions While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is very active and requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing all day. The employee must frequently lift and/or move items over 15 pounds. Able to work outdoors for extended periods of time in possibly extreme conditions, including rain, heat, sun, and wind. Other Subject to MVR and criminal background check (In accordance with applicable fair chance laws, rules, and regulations) About Us Moon Valley Nurseries is the largest grower of box trees and palms in North America, and is an industry leader and high growth company that offers competitive salaries with exceptional employee benefits including medical insurance, 401(k), holidays, and PTO to all eligible employees. We are an equal employment opportunity employer. We are a drug free workplace.