Development Manager

Blue Castle Agency; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary annual bonus

Health, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

PTO and paid holidays

Job summary

Blue Castle Agency is seeking a Development Manager in Austin, TX to own projects from Investment Committee approval through IFC drawings and GMP reconciliation. You will manage budgets, schedules, and cross-functional teams to keep the deal on track and aligned with the finish line.

The role requires 5-7+ years in ground-up multifamily or student housing development, with strong experience in entitlements, permitting, and GMP contracts.

Qualifications

• 5-7+ years of direct ground-up multifamily or student housing development experience.
• 3+ years working in entitlements and permitting.
• 3+ years leading outside consultant teams through design and construction.
• 3+ years managing proformas, development budgets, and GMP contracts.
• Track record of holding schedule and budget within a tight variance.
• Based in or willing to work from Austin, TX.

Responsibilities

• Serve as deal owner across the full project lifecycle from IC approval to IFC drawings.
• Reconcile GMP contracts and manage the budget process through final buyout.
• Hold project schedules to within ±3-5% and flag slippage early.
• Coordinate day-to-day between entitlements, development, and preconstruction leadership.
• Lead and direct outside consultant teams through design and permitting.
• Support the entitlements and permitting process and surface risks to the right people.
• Keep all stakeholders informed with current information.

Skills

Project ownership

Budget management

Schedule management

Leadership

Stakeholder communication

Entitlements

GMP contracts

Vendor management

Communication

Job description

Development Manager Austin, TX $125,000–$150,000 / year, based on experience️ OVERVIEWA ground-up multifamily and student housing developer is looking for a Development Manager to own projects from Investment Committee approval all the way through issuance-for-construction drawings and GMP reconciliation. You’ll be the through-line on every deal you touch — the person keeping schedule, budget, and every specialist team pointed at the same finish line. WHAT YOU’LL DO Serve as deal owner across the full project lifecycle, from Investment Committee approval through issuance-for-construction (IFC) drawings Reconcile GMP contracts and manage the budget process through final buyout Hold project schedules to within ±3-5% and flag slippage before it becomes a real problem Coordinate day-to-day between entitlements, development, and preconstruction leadership without stepping on their lane Manage proformas and development budgets across active projects Lead and direct outside consultant teams (architecture, engineering, civil) through design and permitting Support the entitlements and permitting process, tracking status and surfacing risk to the right people Identify and escalate project risk early enough that it’s still solvable Keep every stakeholder — internal leadership, consultants, and ownership — working from the same current information WHY YOU MATTERGround-up development lives or dies on someone actually owning the deal end to end. Without a real through-line, schedules slip and budgets drift before anyone notices. That’s the gap you’re filling. WHAT IT TAKES 5-7+ years of direct ground-up multifamily or student housing development experience 3+ years working in entitlements and permitting 3+ years leading outside consultant teams through design and construction 3+ years managing proformas, development budgets, and GMP contracts A track record of holding schedule and budget within a tight variance Comfort partnering with senior specialists (entitlements, development, and preconstruction leads) without needing to own their function Strong written and verbal communication across internal and external stakeholders Highly organized, deadline-driven, and comfortable managing several moving pieces at once Based in or willing to work from Austin, TX THE PERKS! $125,000–$150,000 base, depending on experience Discretionary annual performance/deal bonus Full health, dental, and vision coverage 401(k) with company match PTO and paid holidays