Head of Construction & Development

Ember Capital Group; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Ember Capital Group in Atlanta seeks a highly capable Head of Construction & Development to own construction across the portfolio. This role blends builder instincts with management oversight, requiring boots-on-the-ground problem solving and budget accountability.

You will lead fix-and-flip and ground-up residential projects, manage subcontractors, schedules, permits, and costs, and work closely with CFO and operations to maximize profitability.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of meaningful residential construction, renovation, or development experience.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects.
• Experience with permitting and inspections.
• Ground-up single-family construction experience preferred.
• Active Georgia residential or general contractor license is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own construction execution across Ember Capital Group's portfolio.
• Manage budgets, subcontractors, permits, schedules, and materials.
• Hire and manage subcontractors across trades and maintain network.
• Coordinate with sales, operations, and finance teams; drive profitability.
• Lead ground-up construction efforts and eventual division leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Field operations

Subcontractor mgmt

Scheduling

Cost control

Ground-up construction

Negotiation

Travel readiness

Education

Georgia contractor license (preferred)

Job description

Ember Capital Group is an Atlanta-based real estate investment company focused on acquiring, improving, and monetizing real estate throughout the Southeast.

Our core business has historically centered around high-volume off-market residential acquisitions and dispositions. The company currently evaluates and contracts Hundreds of properties every year and has established teams across acquisitions, dispositions, operations, finance, and real estate transactions.

We are now entering the next phase of Ember's growth.

In addition to continuing to scale our core real estate business, we are building a true internal construction and development operation.

Our immediate focus is developing a disciplined fix-and-flip platform while also beginning ground-up construction on scattered lots the company already has in the pipeline.

We are looking for someone who wants to help build this division from the ground up and eventually become the leader of a significant construction and development operation within Ember.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly capable and extremely hands-on Head of Construction & Development to own construction execution across Ember Capital Group and our broader real estate portfolio.

This is not a desk-based construction management position.

We want someone who can manage budgets, subcontractors, permitting, schedules, materials, and multiple simultaneous projects—but who is equally comfortable putting on boots, walking a job site, picking up materials, coordinating temporary labor, and personally solving problems when something needs to get done.

The right candidate will be a combination of: Builder + Construction Manager + Field Operator

Key Responsibilities:

Fix-and-Flip Construction

• Take ownership of construction immediately after Ember acquires a property.
• Develop detailed scopes of work for every project.
• Create accurate renovation budgets and timelines.
• Solicit, compare, negotiate, and approve subcontractor bids.
• Hire and manage subcontractors across all trades.
• Replace underperforming subcontractors quickly when necessary.
• Build and maintain a reliable subcontractor network throughout our markets.
• Manage approximately many active projects simultaneously.
• Maintain quality-control standards throughout construction.
• Source and purchase materials.
• Control and approve change orders.
• Coordinate permits and inspections.
• Manage punch lists and final completion.
• Track actual construction costs against original budgets.
• Coordinate with Ember's sales, operations, and finance teams.
• Continuously improve renovation timelines, construction costs, and project profitability.

Hands-On Field Operations

This position requires a genuine willingness to do whatever is reasonably necessary to keep projects moving.

That may include:

• Personally sourcing materials when needed.
• Picking up materials or equipment.
• Meeting vendors and subcontractors at job sites.
• Coordinating temporary or day labor for smaller projects.
• Troubleshooting job-site issues directly.
• Handling urgent field problems.
• Occasionally working outside normal business hours when a project requires immediate attention.

Ground-Up Residential Construction

As the division develops, this role will increasingly lead Ember's ground-up construction efforts.

Initial projects will primarily involve scattered residential lots, with the potential to expand into larger developments and subdivisions over time.

Responsibilities will include:

• Evaluating construction feasibility for potential lots.
• Developing preliminary construction budgets.
• Reviewing plans and specifications.
• Coordinating architectural and engineering resources.
• Coordinating municipalities and utility providers.
• Building subcontractor teams for ground-up construction.
• Managing construction from site work through Certificate of Occupancy.
• Coordinating inspections.
• Developing standardized construction specifications.
• Improving construction cost per square foot.
• Creating repeatable processes for future homebuilding projects.

This role will also oversee significant construction and capital-improvement projects across company- and owner-held real estate.

Examples may include:

• Office-building renovations and tenant improvements.
• Short-term rental renovations.
• Major residential improvements.
• Exterior projects.
• Additions.
• Commercial property improvements.
• Other significant construction or capital projects.

Budget & Financial Accountability

You will work closely with our CFO and operations team to maintain strong financial controls across every project.

Responsibilities include:

• Actual-versus-budget reporting.
• Material-cost tracking.
• Construction forecasts.
• Final project cost reconciliation.
• Project-level profitability analysis.

The goal is not simply to complete projects.

The goal is to complete projects on time, on budget, at a high standard, and profitably.

The Type of Person We're Looking For

• You may be a strong fit if:
• You are a builder first and administrator second.
• You know how to manage subcontractors but are not helpless without them.
• You can manage a six-figure construction budget and still care whether a $500 repair is being completed correctly.
• You know when to negotiate hard and when spending additional money will save time and protect project profitability.
• You are comfortable solving problems without waiting for perfect information.
• You naturally take ownership instead of saying, “That’s not my responsibility.”
• You have strong field judgment.
• You understand construction economics.
• You are comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial environment where priorities can move quickly.
• You can eventually build systems and a team underneath you without becoming disconnected from what is happening in the field.

Experience & Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of meaningful residential construction, renovation, or development experience.
• Proven ability to manage residential construction projects from initial scope through completion.
• Experience managing multiple simultaneous projects.
• Strong estimating and budgeting ability.
• Strong understanding of residential construction sequencing.
• Experience with permitting and inspections.
• Experience sourcing materials and controlling construction costs.
• Ground-up single-family construction experience strongly preferred.
• Existing subcontractor relationships throughout Georgia are a major plus.
• Experience with fix-and-flip or investor-owned real estate is strongly preferred.
• Active Georgia residential or general contractor license is strongly preferred but not required for an exceptional candidate with significant construction experience.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout Georgia and occasionally into Alabama and Tennessee.

Compensation

Annual base salary depending on experience.

This role also includes meaningful project-based profit participation, allowing total compensation to increase significantly as project volume and profitability grow.

Our intended incentive structure rewards the Head of Construction directly based on successful project outcomes, with higher participation percentages as project profitability increases.

Exact profit-participation terms will be discussed during the interview process and documented clearly as part of the final compensation plan.

An additional annual performance bonus may also be available based on overall division performance.

Why Join Ember

This opportunity offers something very different from joining a traditional construction company.

You will have:

• Direct access to ownership.
• An existing real estate acquisition engine feeding projects into the construction pipeline.
• Access to capital for fix-and-flip projects.
• The opportunity to build systems and teams your way.
• Direct participation in project profitability.
• Exposure to renovations, ground-up construction, commercial projects, and future development opportunities.
• The potential to build and eventually lead an entire construction and development division.

We are looking for someone ambitious enough to see this as more than another construction job.