Division Director, Land Development
MDC Holdings, Inc.
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Sekisui House U.S., Inc. is seeking a Division Director of Land Development to lead entitlement through turnover for residential communities and to manage budgets and teams effectively.
This leadership role directs multiple projects, oversees planning and permitting, and ensures regulatory compliance while partnering with municipalities, consultants, and internal departments to deliver on-time, on-budget outcomes.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, planning, real estate development, or a related field.
- Minimum of 6-8 years of land development or construction experience, or 10-12 years equivalent experience.
- Experience leading teams in residential land development for a homebuilder or land development company.
Responsibilities
- Develop and oversee operational plans for all land development activities, ensuring alignment with division goals, build schedules, and budget targets.
- Lead, manage, and mentor a team of Land Managers, Project Managers, and technical staff, fostering performance, accountability, and professional growth.
- Oversee planning, budgeting, scheduling, and construction of land development projects, including grading, utilities, infrastructure installation, and site preparation.
- Direct review of engineering plans, construction drawings, environmental studies, and utility designs for constructability and compliance.
- Manage relationships with municipalities, regulatory agencies, utilities, consultants, and contractors to secure approvals and coordinate inspections.
- Evaluate project risks and guide team decisions using technical insights.
- Oversee contractor procurement, bid selection, contract negotiation, scopes of work, and performance management.
- Monitor project performance metrics, cash flow, and budget tracking; provide strategic updates to senior leadership.
- Coordinate cross-functionally with land acquisition, finance, construction, sales, and operations.
- Identify and implement process improvements and best practices across land development projects.
Skills
Education
Job description
Job Locations: US-WA-Seattle | US-WA-Kent
Job Type: Regular Full Time
BREAK GROUND ON A REWARDING CAREER WITH US!
The Sekisui House U.S. team is a proud builder of the SHAWOOD, Richmond American, Woodside, Holt, Hubble, and Chesmar brands. We take great pride in being a member of Sekisui House, a global leader in homebuilding. This impressive, 60+ year old company has built over 2.6 million new homes designed to reflect and adapt to the changing needs of today’s homebuyers. Drawing on Sekisui House's unparalleled history and superior service, we commit ourselves to a future where people around the world can live joyful lives in homes that are safe, secure, stylish and comfortable.
We encourage a company culture that promotes professionalism, teamwork, health & wellness and work-life balance. If you are a results-driven professional with a passion for success, consider building a career with us.
Collaborative Team Culture: Join a supportive environment where teamwork and the open exchange of ideas are highly valued.
Team Engagement: Participate in a variety of team-building events and social gatherings, such as company outings, holiday celebrations, and regular office socials. We support a healthy work-life balance and recognize the importance of time outside of work commitments.
This role provides strategic and operational leadership for land development activities, ensuring successful delivery of residential communities from entitlement through construction and turnover. It establishes short-term operational plans, manages resources and budgets, and oversees multiple projects simultaneously, applying broad knowledge of engineering, construction, permitting, and regulatory processes to drive results. This position leads a team of development managers and technical professionals, influences cross-functional partners, and ensures alignment with divisional objectives, operational readiness, and long-term growth.
- Develop and oversee operational plans for all land development activities, ensuring alignment with division goals, build schedules, and budget targets.
- Lead, manage, and mentor a team of Land Managers, Project Managers, and technical staff, fostering performance, accountability, and professional growth.
- Oversee the planning, budgeting, scheduling, and construction of land development projects, including grading, utilities, infrastructure installation, and site preparation, ensuring cost control, quality, safety, and timely lot delivery.
- Direct review of engineering plans, construction drawings, environmental studies, and utility designs to ensure constructability, regulatory compliance, and value-engineering opportunities.
- Manage relationships with municipalities, regulatory agencies, utility providers, consultants, and contractors to secure approvals, coordinate inspections, and resolve issues.
- Evaluate project risks, identify solutions, and guide team decision‑making using technical expertise and analytical insights.
- Oversee contractor procurement, bid selection, contract negotiation, scopes of work, and performance management.
- Monitor project performance metrics, reporting, cash flow, and budget tracking; provide strategic recommendations and updates to senior leadership.
- Coordinate cross‑functionally with land acquisition, finance, construction, sales, and operations teams to ensure alignment between development activities and business objectives.
- Manage site improvement permitting, HOAs, fiscal bond release, community turnover, and common area completion.
- Identify and implement process improvements, best practices, and workflow efficiencies across land development projects.
Required:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, planning, real estate development, or a related field.
- Minimum of 6-8 years of relevant land development or construction experience, or 10-12 years equivalent experience.
Preferred:
- Experience leading teams in residential land development for a homebuilder or land development company.
- Background managing large-scale, multi‑phase horizontal construction projects.
- Broad knowledge of land development, engineering principles, construction practices, and regulatory processes.
- Strong leadership and team management skills with experience supervising experienced professionals.
- Ability to interpret complex engineering plans, environmental reports, and infrastructure designs.
- Strong problem‑solving skills to address difficult, multi‑dimensional issues.
- Influential communication skills for guiding cross‑functional partners and external stakeholders.
- Proficiency in project budgeting, scheduling, forecasting, and performance monitoring.
- Ability to develop and implement operational plans and process improvements.
- Strong vendor and contractor management capability.
- High level of organization, prioritization, and attention to detail.
- Sound judgment and decision‑making in dynamic project environments.
Work occurs in both office and field environments. Field work includes exposure to varying weather, rough terrain, dust, noise, and active construction operations. Travel to job sites, municipal offices, consultant meetings, and regional locations is required.
- Ability to sit or stand for extended periods during meetings, site visits, or project reviews.
- Ability to walk and navigate uneven terrain on active construction and development sites.
- Ability to lift and carry materials such as plans, reports, or equipment up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to operate standard office equipment and computer systems.
- Base Salary: $155,000-$180,000
- FLSA Status: Exempt
- Bonus Type: Year‑end Discretionary
We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families:
- Competitive Compensation: We provide a competitive compensation structure that rewards performance and results.
- Health & Wellness: Comprehensive coverage includes medical, dental, and vision insurance options, as well as Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
- Financial Future: Access a 401(k) retirement savings plan.
- Time Off: Our time‑off benefits include vacation, sick leave, paid holidays, and other leave types (bereavement, jury duty, FMLA, military leave).
- Insurance & Protection: Company‑provided life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and short‑ and long‑term disability coverage are included. An employee assistance program (EAP) is also available.
- Exclusive Perks & Discounts
- Homeownership & Financing: Take advantage of exclusive home purchase and financing discounts.
- Pet Insurance: Enjoy discounted group pet insurance rates.
Sekisui House U.S., Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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