Director of Development

Bullpen; New York (NY); Remote; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

A fast-growing housing and real estate platform is seeking a Director of Real Estate Development. This role leads end-to-end development for new housing communities, focusing on land acquisition and site feasibility. Candidates should have 8–15 years of real estate development experience, with strong skills in entitlements and managing civil engineers. The position offers flexibility with remote eligibility and requires travel to active sites as needed, shaping the future of housing delivery models.

Qualifications

• 8–15+ years of experience in real estate development.
• Strong track record in land acquisition and entitlements.
• Direct experience managing civil and site engineers.
• Willingness to travel to active development sites as needed.

Responsibilities

• Source and evaluate land opportunities for ground-up development.
• Lead entitlement strategy and execution.
• Own pre-construction schedules and development budgets.
• Manage and develop a junior development team member.

Skills

Land acquisition

Entitlements

Site development and infrastructure coordination

Residential communities

Managing civil and site engineers

Stakeholder management

Willingness to travel

Job description

📍 Flexible location | Remote eligible (travel to sites as needed)

We are partnering with a fast-growing housing and real estate platform to hire a Director of Real Estate Development to lead land-driven development efforts at a pivotal stage of growth.

This is a hands-on development role for a real estate professional who excels at land acquisition, entitlements, and site development, and wants to help scale a vertically integrated housing platform.

About the Company

The company is a privately held housing and real estate platform operating at the intersection of real estate development, construction, and modern housing delivery models. The business controls the full lifecycle—from land acquisition and development through construction, leasing, and long-term operation.

Historically, the platform has redeveloped existing properties into housing communities. The next phase of growth is focused on acquiring land directly and developing communities from the ground up, which improves economics, scalability, and long-term value creation.

The Role

The Director of Real Estate Development will own the end-to-end development lifecycle for new housing communities, from land sourcing and feasibility through entitlements and shovel-ready execution.

This role is development-first, not finance-first. The focus is on real estate fundamentals, municipal navigation, and execution, working closely with civil engineers, site consultants, construction partners, and internal operations teams.

The role will also manage and mentor a junior development team member and help establish repeatable development processes as the platform scales.

Key Responsibilities

Land Acquisition & Feasibility

• Source and evaluate land opportunities for ground-up development
• Conduct site feasibility, zoning analysis, and land studies
• Coordinate environmental, geotechnical, and utility due diligence
• Support LOI negotiation and land acquisition strategy

Entitlements & Approvals

• Lead entitlement strategy and execution
• Manage zoning, rezoning, variances, and municipal approvals
• Interface with municipalities, planning boards, and local agencies
• Coordinate entitlement consultants through approval milestones
• Manage civil and site engineers
• Oversee site design, grading, drainage, utilities, and infrastructure
• Ensure sites are fully shovel-ready for vertical development
• Coordinate permitting timelines with construction and operations

Development Execution

• Own pre-construction schedules and development budgets
• Support value engineering and scope optimization
• Partner with construction and operations teams to align delivery plans
• Provide leadership with clear development updates and risk visibility

Team & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Manage and develop a junior development team member
• Collaborate with construction, operations, property management, and leadership
• Help build scalable development processes and standards

Ideal Background

This role is best suited for candidates with:

• 8–15+ years of experience in real estate development
• Strong track record in:
• Land acquisition
• Entitlements
• Site development and infrastructure coordination
• Residential communities
• Manufactured, modular, workforce, or land-intensive housing
• RV parks, mobile home parks, or similar assets (strong plus)
• Direct experience managing civil and site engineers
• Willingness to travel to active development sites as needed