Pre-Development Manager
Big Sky Resort
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Big Sky Resort seeks a Pre-Development Manager to lead site identification, feasibility, entitlements, and design coordination before construction. You will be the central point of contact for pre-construction planning, handling legal, underwriting, and stakeholder work to set up projects for execution.
Gain exposure to village and real estate development, on-mountain terrain, and infrastructure while coordinating with various departments and external partners.
Qualifications
- 5+ years in real estate development, land development, or closely related field.
- Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business, Finance, Urban Planning, or related field preferred.
- Experience with entitlements, platting, subdivision processes, and jurisdictional permitting.
- Familiarity with HOA formation and governance.
- Strong project management, budgeting, and risk management skills.
Responsibilities
- Identify project sites and assemble property summaries for evaluation.
- Evaluate feasibility and coordinate with Mountain Operations and other departments.
- Prepare proformas, ROI analyses, and highest-and-best-use studies.
- Coordinate AHJ, USFS Special Use Permits, and permitting requirements.
- Lead high-level design coordination and handoff to Construction.
- Manage HOA formation and governance where required; oversee records for handoff.
- Coordinate with resort departments and stakeholders to ensure project integration.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Reporting to the VP of Development & Construction, the Pre-Development Manager prepares development projects for execution — from site identification and feasibility through entitlements, design coordination, and handoff to the assigned Construction Manager. Projects range from village and real estate development to on-mountain terrain and infrastructure. The role serves as the central point of contact for pre-construction planning and carries the legal, entitlement, underwriting, and stakeholder work that precedes construction.
Reporting to the VP of Development & Construction, the Pre-Development Manager prepares development projects for execution — from site identification and feasibility through entitlements, design coordination, and handoff to the assigned Construction Manager. Projects range from village and real estate development to on-mountain terrain and infrastructure. The role serves as the central point of contact for pre-construction planning and carries the legal, entitlement, underwriting, and stakeholder work that precedes construction.
- Develop and maintain comprehensive working knowledge of the resort's existing and historic legal frameworks, ownership structures and governing documents — including HOA covenants, easements, entitlements, and jurisdictional agreements
- Serve as the department's primary resource for questions related to association obligations, development rights, and property constraints
- Conduct legal, entitlement, and title research; coordinate all required jurisdictional approvals
- Understand legal relationships with adjacent properties and partnership entities
- Manage the creation and early administration of Homeowner Associations (HOAs) where a project requires one. The role forms the association and administers it through initial turnover to the owners; it does not serve as the ongoing HOA manager.
- Maintain organized records of agreements, approvals, permits, and title documents for handoff to the assigned Construction Manager
- Identify potential project sites; assemble property and site summaries for team evaluation
- Evaluate project feasibility, coordinating with Mountain Operations and other resort departments where a project affects operations
- Prepare financial proformas, ROI analyses, and highest-and-best-use analyses
- Conduct market research and competitive set analysis as part of project underwriting
- Support long-term master planning strategies and feasibility/cost studies
- Identify all Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), including local, state and federal, and manage the approvals and permitting process
- Manage USFS Special Use Permit requirements and coordinate ongoing compliance
- Understand and strategize entitlement sequencing including subdivision, platting, and use permitting
- Manage the entitlement schedule and the approval dependencies that drive project timing
- Develop detailed project plans with clear milestones, deliverables, and Gantt timelines using the department's project management platform
- Lead high-level development design management; coordinate with designers in preparation for construction handoff
- Manage real estate transactions including acquisition and disposition
- Prepare and publish comprehensive project briefs, scopes, and parameters
- Identify potential project risks and develop mitigation strategies
- Lead post-mortem analysis meetings; contribute to best-practices development
- Coordinate with resort departments (Mountain Operations, Lodging, F&B, Retail, HR, Real Estate) to ensure seamless project integration
- Solicit input and milestone feedback from stakeholders throughout the pre-development process
- Maintain regular communication with partners, investors, and lenders; provide progress updates and address concerns
- Coordinate with sales and marketing on project status, sales materials, and sales summary updates to partners and lenders
- Neighbor and adjacent area owner management, including proactive communication and notification on projects that affect them
- Handle objections and build consensus among neighboring owners, adjacent landowners, permit-holding partners, and affected interests
- Maintain and expand a library of similar and competing projects, tracking design, pricing, and outcomes
- Maintain awareness of the competitive set to inform project positioning, pricing, and future execution
- This position is based at Big Sky Resort with regular on-site presence expected. Much of the work is desk-based research, analysis, and coordination; the role also participates in site visits, jurisdictional and agency meetings, and neighbor and stakeholder meetings.
- The Development & Construction department is small and carries active construction and contracting work alongside pre-development. This position supports that work as demands shift, which may include project support outside the pre-development scope described above.
- Work occurs year-round in an operating resort environment, including outdoor conditions and winter access constraints, with periodic work outside standard business hours.
- 5+ years of experience in real estate development, land development, or a closely related field
- Strong understanding of the full real estate development lifecycle, from site selection through closing
- Experience with entitlements, platting, subdivision processes, and jurisdictional permitting
- Experience with federal or state land-use permitting (USFS Special Use Permits or similar) preferred
- Familiarity with HOA formation and governance
- Ability to read and interpret title work, easements, plats, and covenants, and to work productively with outside counsel
- Financial acumen; ability to prepare and interpret proformas and ROI analyses
- Strong project management skills: planning, scheduling, budgeting, and risk management
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to coordinate across internal departments, legal counsel, brokers, and investors
- Negotiation skills; ability to manage contracts and resolve conflicts
- Technical familiarity with architectural plans, construction processes, and applicable regulations
- Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Business, Finance, Urban Planning, or related field preferred
This description reflects the general nature and scope of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties. The Development & Construction department is small and generalist by design; members of the department are expected to take on related work as project needs, project volume, and the annual capital cycle require. Assignments and priorities are set by the VP of Development & Construction and will change over time.
- Full Health Plan with Company HSA Match
- 401(k) eligable
- Flexible Paid Time Off
- Cell Phone Service Allowance
- Free Ski Pass for you, your spouse and dependents
- FREE Golf Passfor you, your spouse and dependents
- Free Bike Haul/Scenic Lift Pass for you, your spouse and dependents
- FREE Basecamp activities including zip line courses and discounted passes for spouse and dependents
- Steep Lodging discountsfor accommodation for friends and family (blackout dates apply)
- 25% off Food discount at all outletswith charging privileges
- 20%-30% off Retail discount at all outletswith charging privileges, gear and sponsor discounts
- Eligibility for affordable employee housing,a short walk or free bus ride away from work
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