Partner - Land Acquisition & Entitlement (Homebuilding)

The Mulholland Drive Company; New Jersey; On-site; USD 250,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mulholland Drive Company seeks a Partner who will lead land acquisitions and entitlement efforts for for-sale housing across New Jersey. Expect end-to-end ownership from site sourcing to municipal approvals, with equity upside in a highly autonomous role.

The role emphasizes building relationships with landowners, brokers, and builders, negotiating long-term control agreements, and guiding projects through NJDEP and local planning processes. Office-based in New Jersey preferred.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in land entitlement and/or for-sale residential development.
• Proven knowledge of NJ Municipal Land Use Law and municipal approvals.
• Strong familiarity with NJ affordable housing landscape and Mount Laurel obligations.
• Ability to operate autonomously across the full deal lifecycle.
• Extensive network with landowners, brokers, builders in NJ/Mid-Atlantic.

Responsibilities

• Source, contract, entitle, and dispose of land projects throughout New Jersey.
• Lead acquisitions: underwriting, diligence for for-sale housing opportunities.
• Manage the full entitlement process with project teams through hearings and approvals.
• Market and sell entitled paper lots to regional and national homebuilders; coordinate with vendors and lenders.

Skills

Land entitlement

For-sale housing

NJ land use law

Autonomous work style

Job description

The Mulholland Drive Company is seeking a Partner - Land Acquisitions & Entitlements to take a lead role in sourcing, underwriting, negotiating, and entitling land opportunities in the for-sale housing space (single family subdivisions, townhomes, master‑planned communities, etc.) throughout New Jersey. The company's strategy centers on controlling large tracts of land under long‑term, multi‑year contracts, guiding them through the full entitlement process, and selling fully approved “paper lots” to regional and national homebuilders.

This is a highly autonomous role: the Partner will own the deal lifecycle end‑to‑end — from initial site identification through final municipal approvals and disposition — with direct support from the company's partners. The position is ideal for a professional with significant experience in New Jersey land entitlement and for‑sale housing who wishes to branch out into an entrepreneurial venture with significant equity compensation.

Position: Partner - Land Acquisitions & Entitlements

Location: New Jersey

Job Functions: Acquisitions, Entitlements, Development

Experience: 5 years or more

Part Time or Full Time

Company

The Mulholland Drive Company is an opportunistic real estate investment and development firm based in Los Angeles with investments in a broad array of asset classes, sectors, and geographies across the United States, with a specialization in land entitlement for for‑sale residential development. The firm's core strategy is to secure large land tracts under long‑term contracts, create value through the entitlement and approval process, and sell finished paper lots to homebuilders. The firm sources and manages all of its investments directly via its integrated investment platform and proprietary operating capabilities to yield long‑term value and strong risk‑adjusted returns for its institutional joint venture capital partners.

Responsibilities

The Partner will work hand in hand with the company's owners — while operating with a high degree of independence — to source, contract, entitle, and dispose of land projects throughout New Jersey.

Responsibilities will include:

Acquisitions

• Managing the acquisitions process end‑to‑end: sourcing, underwriting, and diligencing new land opportunities suitable for for‑sale housing (single family subdivisions, townhomes, master‑planned communities, etc.)
• Structuring and negotiating long‑term purchase and option agreements with landowners that provide the multi‑year control periods required to complete entitlements
• Developing and nurturing strong relationships with landowners, real estate brokers, and builders to gain access to a steady pipeline of on‑ and off‑market opportunities, inclusive of regular meetings, attending industry events, etc.
• Conducting detailed research of municipal zoning ordinances, master plans, sewer service areas, and planning laws to identify target sites and source deals off market

Entitlements

• Leading the full entitlement and approval process, including preliminary and final subdivision/site plan approvals before municipal planning boards and zoning boards of adjustment
• Assembling, directing, and managing the project team — civil engineers, land use attorneys, planners, traffic and environmental consultants, and other vendors — through concept planning, application preparation, public hearings, and permitting (including NJDEP and county‑level approvals where applicable)
• Managing project budgets, critical dates, and contract milestones across multiple concurrent entitlement pipelines
• Navigating New Jersey's affordable housing framework, including Mount Laurel doctrine obligations, municipal fair share plans, inclusionary zoning requirements, and set‑aside negotiations — and identifying opportunities where affordable housing obligations create rezoning or density leverage
• Representing the company before municipal officials, boards, and community stakeholders

Disposition

• Marketing and negotiating the sale of entitled paper lots to regional and national homebuilders, including managing builder due diligence and closing processes
• Working and coordinating directly with third‑party vendors, brokers, lenders, and counsel on process management, due diligence, structuring, and negotiations

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in land entitlement and/or for‑sale residential development, such as at a land entitlement/development investment company, a regional or national homebuilder, or a land‑focused brokerage firm
• Demonstrated track record of taking projects through New Jersey municipal approvals, with working knowledge of the NJ Municipal Land Use Law, planning board and zoning board processes, and state/county permitting (NJDEP, county planning boards, etc.)
• Strong familiarity with New Jersey's affordable housing landscape, including Mount Laurel obligations, fourth round fair share requirements, inclusionary zoning, and builder's remedy dynamics — and experience leveraging these frameworks in site selection and entitlement strategy
• Ability to operate autonomously and manage the full deal lifecycle — acquisitions through entitlements to disposition — with minimal day‑to‑day oversight
• Detailed knowledge of site and product design, land use planning, lot yield optimization, and land residual and highest‑and‑best‑use analysis for various types of for‑sale housing (both attached and detached)
• Deep network of landowners, brokers, builders, lenders, land use attorneys, engineers, and consultants in the New Jersey / Mid‑Atlantic for‑sale housing space