Director, Land & Development

Champion Home Builders, Inc.; Troy (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Medical insurance

Rx coverage

Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance

Job summary

Champion Home Builders, Inc. is seeking a Director of Land & Development to lead identification, evaluation, acquisition, and development planning of land opportunities supporting Builder Developer growth.

You will oversee the front end of the development lifecycle and partner with Finance, Legal, and external partners to assess opportunities, manage risk, and ensure investments align with financial objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Finance, Business Administration, Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Land Development, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in land acquisition, residential development, real estate development, homebuilding, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating and acquiring residential land and/or finished lots.
• Strong understanding of land development, entitlements, zoning, infrastructure, utilities, environmental considerations, and due diligence.
• Experience developing and evaluating financial models and project pro formas.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate complex real estate transactions.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate land, finished-lot, and development opportunities within targeted markets.
• Develop and maintain relationships with landowners, developers, brokers, municipalities, engineers, and other real estate partners.
• Establish a pipeline of acquisition opportunities aligned with Builder Developer growth priorities.
• Evaluate potential acquisitions based on market demand, location, lot characteristics, development requirements, timing, cost, and strategic fit.
• Lead negotiations related to land and lot acquisitions in partnership with Legal, Finance, and appropriate business leaders.
• Lead comprehensive due diligence for prospective land and lot acquisitions, including zoning, entitlements, utilities, infrastructure, environmental conditions, title, access, development costs, schedules, and other material risks.
• Partner with Finance and Builder Developer leadership to develop project assumptions, acquisition models, pro formas, sensitivity analyses, and investment recommendations.
• Identify key financial, development, entitlement, construction, and market risks before capital commitments are made.
• Develop clear recommendations for proceeding with, modifying, or declining proposed acquisitions.
• Ensure appropriate documentation and analysis are completed before opportunities are submitted through Champion's established capital approval process.
• Develop Champion's internal capabilities related to horizontal land development.
• Evaluate when Champion should purchase finished lots versus acquire and develop land.
• Manage external engineers, consultants, developers, contractors, and other subject matter experts supporting development activities.
• Oversee preliminary development schedules, budgets, entitlement strategies, and infrastructure requirements.
• Monitor development performance against approved project assumptions and identify emerging risks or cost pressures.
• Serve as a key connection point between land acquisition and downstream project execution.
• Establish clear handoffs from acquisition and development planning to project delivery and construction.
• Partner closely with Construction Services on build schedules, lot readiness, infrastructure requirements, and project sequencing.
• Coordinate with Legal on purchase agreements, development agreements, easements, title matters, and other transaction-related documents.
• Work with Finance to ensure acquisition and development decisions meet established investment and return expectations.
• Support executive-level presentations and approval materials for significant land investments.
• Monitor land availability, development costs, entitlement conditions, competitive activity, and market trends within priority markets.
• Develop and maintain a forward-looking land and lot pipeline to support long-term Builder Developer growth.
• Provide leadership with recommendations regarding geographic expansion and land-development opportunities.
• Maintain visibility into acquisition costs, land inventory, development schedules, key risks, and projected lot availability.
• Serve as Champion's subject matter expert for land acquisition and development within the Builder Developer organization.
• Build strong working relationships across Builder Developer, Construction Services, Finance, Legal, Operations, and other corporate functions.
• Establish disciplined land-acquisition and development processes, tools, approval standards, and reporting.
• Provide leadership with timely updates regarding the land pipeline, capital requirements, development risks, and significant transactions.
• Represent Champion professionally with landowners, developers, brokers, municipalities, consultants, and other external partners.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiations

Executive communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial acumen

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Real Estate or related field

Job description

Good Life Begins With A Good Company.

Good Life Begins With A Good Company. Champion Home Builders, Inc. wants YOU! We are seeking to hire a Director, Land & Development, to join our team in the Champion Builder Developer division.

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

• 401k Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Medical
• Rx
• Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance

WHO IS CHAMPION HOME BUILDERS, INC.?

For decades, Champion has served as a leader in the manufactured housing industry and one of the largest mobile and modular home builders in North America. Champion offers many factory-built solutions, from single-family and multi-family homes to commercial and government buildings. Our manufactured homes, modular homes, mobile homes, park models, and commercial modular buildings can be found throughout the United States and western Canada.

Throughout the organization, we act with integrity and respect. We take pride in our craftsmanship and build strong relationships with our customers, suppliers, and our employees. We know that we would not be successful without our team. In return for hard work and dedication, our goal is to provide a safe, productive, and enjoyable workplace for every employee.

Job Title:

Director, Land & Development

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Job Summary:

The Director, Land & Development is responsible for leading the identification, evaluation, acquisition, and development planning of land and finished-lot opportunities supporting Champion Homes' Builder Developer growth strategy.

This role serves as the functional lead for the front end of the development lifecycle, from market evaluation and site sourcing through feasibility, due diligence, acquisition, and development planning. The Director partners closely with Builder Developer leadership, Business Development, Construction Services, Finance, Legal, and external development partners to evaluate opportunities, manage land and development risk, and ensure projects meet Champion Homes' investment, financial, operational, and strategic objectives.

The position will also help build Champion's capability to expand from the acquisition of finished lots into more sophisticated horizontal land development opportunities over time. This aligns with the proposed Builder Developer structure, which identifies dedicated ownership of land sourcing, finished-lot evaluation, development risk, and future horizontal-development capability as a key organizational need.

Position Details:

• Reports to National Vice President, Builder Developer
• Travel required as business demands
• Work location is yet to be determined
• Role may have direct reports in the future

Key Responsibilities:

Land Acquisition & Opportunity Sourcing

• Identify and evaluate land, finished-lot, and development opportunities within targeted markets.
• Develop and maintain relationships with landowners, developers, brokers, municipalities, engineers, and other real estate partners.
• Establish a pipeline of acquisition opportunities aligned with Builder Developer growth priorities.
• Evaluate potential acquisitions based on market demand, location, lot characteristics, development requirements, timing, cost, and strategic fit.
• Lead negotiations related to land and lot acquisitions in partnership with Legal, Finance, and appropriate business leaders.

Feasibility, Due Diligence & Underwriting

• Lead comprehensive due diligence for prospective land and lot acquisitions, including zoning, entitlements, utilities, infrastructure, environmental conditions, title, access, development costs, schedules, and other material risks.
• Partner with Finance and Builder Developer leadership to develop project assumptions, acquisition models, pro formas, sensitivity analyses, and investment recommendations.
• Identify key financial, development, entitlement, construction, and market risks before capital commitments are made.
• Develop clear recommendations for proceeding with, modifying, or declining proposed acquisitions.
• Ensure appropriate documentation and analysis are completed before opportunities are submitted through Champion's established capital approval process.

Land Development

• Develop Champion's internal capabilities related to horizontal land development.
• Evaluate when Champion should purchase finished lots versus acquire and develop land.
• Manage external engineers, consultants, developers, contractors, and other subject matter experts supporting development activities.
• Oversee preliminary development schedules, budgets, entitlement strategies, and infrastructure requirements.
• Monitor development performance against approved project assumptions and identify emerging risks or cost pressures.

Deal & Project Coordination

• Serve as a key connection point between land acquisition and downstream project execution.
• Establish clear handoffs from acquisition and development planning to project delivery and construction.
• Partner closely with Construction Services on build schedules, lot readiness, infrastructure requirements, and project sequencing.
• Coordinate with Legal on purchase agreements, development agreements, easements, title matters, and other transaction-related documents.
• Work with Finance to ensure acquisition and development decisions meet established investment and return expectations.
• Support executive-level presentations and approval materials for significant land investments.

Market & Portfolio Strategy

• Monitor land availability, development costs, entitlement conditions, competitive activity, and market trends within priority markets.
• Develop and maintain a forward-looking land and lot pipeline to support long-term Builder Developer growth.
• Provide leadership with recommendations regarding geographic expansion and land-development opportunities.
• Maintain visibility into acquisition costs, land inventory, development schedules, key risks, and projected lot availability.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as Champion's subject matter expert for land acquisition and development within the Builder Developer organization.
• Build strong working relationships across Builder Developer, Construction Services, Finance, Legal, Operations, and other corporate functions.
• Establish disciplined land-acquisition and development processes, tools, approval standards, and reporting.
• Provide leadership with timely updates regarding the land pipeline, capital requirements, development risks, and significant transactions.
• Represent Champion professionally with landowners, developers, brokers, municipalities, consultants, and other external partners.

Qualifications:

Required

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Finance, Business Administration, Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Land Development, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in land acquisition, residential development, real estate development, homebuilding, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating and acquiring residential land and/or finished lots.
• Strong understanding of land development, entitlements, zoning, infrastructure, utilities, environmental considerations, and due diligence.
• Experience developing and evaluating financial models and project pro formas.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate complex real estate transactions.
• Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to evaluate opportunities involving significant capital and development risk.
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects involving internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
• Experience with a national or regional homebuilder, residential developer, manufactured housing organization, or land-development company.
• Experience overseeing horizontal development from land acquisition through finished lots.
• Experience working across multiple geographic markets. Experience with residential communities incorporating manufactured or modular housing.
• Experience managing external engineers, land planners, environmental consultants, developers, contractors, and municipalities.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking
• Financial and Business Acumen
• Decision Quality
• Negotiations
• Manages Complexity
• Drives Results
• Collaborates
• Builds Networks
• Situational Adaptability
• Risk Assessment and Judgement

EEO Statement

Champion Home Builders is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Champion Home Builders participates in the E-Verify Program.