Director of New Development

Firman Solutions; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Firman Solutions seeks a senior leasing and sales leader to drive occupancy and revenue across student housing properties. You will lead leasing teams, develop go-to-market plans, and collaborate with development, construction, and investment stakeholders to position properties for success.

The role requires extensive travel to support launches and ongoing operations, with a strong emphasis on data-driven leasing performance and market analysis.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Real Estate, Hospitality Management, or a comparable discipline is preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive professional experience in student housing, multifamily leasing, sales management, property operations, or new community development.
• Established track record of launching and leasing student housing communities, including pre-leasing initiatives, go-to-market plans, and building leasing teams.
• Proven ability to lead sales professionals, improve leasing performance, increase conversion rates, and achieve occupancy and revenue objectives.
• Knowledge of student housing leasing trends, seasonal demand patterns, competitive market analysis, pricing strategies, and revenue optimization.
• Hands-on experience hiring, coaching, and mentoring leasing professionals to build productive teams.
• Oversee leasing across multiple properties and markets while maintaining standards.
• Experience collaborating with development, construction, design, and investment stakeholders during early phases.
• Proficiency with Entrata, CRM systems, leasing dashboards, and Excel.
• Willingness to travel frequently across the United States to support launches and operations.

Skills

7+ years experience

Leasing leadership

Sales leadership

Market analysis

Pricing strategy

Talent development

Multi-property management

Cross-functional collaboration

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Real Estate, Hospitality Management, or a comparable discipline

Tools

Entrata

CRM systems

Leasing dashboards

Excel

Job description

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Real Estate, Hospitality Management, or a comparable discipline is preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive professional experience in student housing, multifamily leasing, sales management, property operations, or new community development.
• Established track record of successfully launching and leasing student housing communities, including developing pre-leasing initiatives, executing go-to-market plans, and building effective leasing teams.
• Proven ability to lead sales professionals, improve leasing performance, increase conversion rates, and achieve occupancy and revenue objectives.
• Comprehensive knowledge of student housing leasing trends, seasonal demand patterns, competitive market analysis, pricing strategies, and revenue optimization.
• Hands‑on experience identifying, hiring, coaching, and mentoring leasing professionals to build productive, results‑oriented teams.
• Ability to oversee leasing activities across multiple properties and geographic markets while maintaining consistent operational standards.
• Experience collaborating with real estate development, construction, design, and investment stakeholders during early project phases, including leasing office planning, property positioning, and project delivery coordination.
• Working proficiency with property management platforms, particularly Entrata, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, leasing performance dashboards, and Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel.
• Flexibility to travel frequently throughout the United States to support property launches, leasing operations, and onsite team performance.