Vice President - Land Development

Pape-Dawson; Savannah (GA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Pape-Dawson’s Savannah office seeks a Vice President to lead the land development team and oversee complex residential projects while strengthening client relationships in the Savannah region. This hands-on leadership role focuses on mentorship, project delivery, and growth of the office.

The ideal candidate has extensive residential land development experience, a strong seller/doer background, and a track record of guiding projects from concept to closeout in collaboration with public-sector

Qualifications

• Requires ABET-accredited B.S. in Civil Engineering.
• P.E. license in Georgia is required.
• 15+ years of progressive civil engineering and land development experience; 20+ years preferred.
• Strong seller/doer background with established client/industry relationships.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior leadership for the Savannah land development team and drive office growth.
• Mentor, develop, and supervise project managers, engineers, designers, and staff.
• Direct complex residential land development projects from planning through final design, permitting, construction, and closeout.
• Maintain key client relationships and act as trusted advisor to developers, public agencies, and partners.
• Lead business development: client outreach, proposals, RFQs/RFPs, interviews, and fee development.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

Client relationships

Mentoring

Communication

Education

ABET-accredited B.S. in Civil Engineering

Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Georgia

Job description

## Vice President - Land DevelopmentApply: Savannah: Full time: Posted Today: JR101661**Job Description:**Pape-Dawson’s Savannah office opened in 2025 alongside our other 8 Georgia offices. Established to expand the firm’s presence and impact across the state, the office provides civil engineering, landscape architecture, and surveying services to clients throughout the Savannah region. The team draws on Pape-Dawson’s national expertise to deliver comprehensive solutions for residential, commercial, public-sector, and community development projects.The **Vice President** will provide senior leadership for Pape-Dawson’s Savannah land development team and play a key role in the continued growth of the office. This individual will lead complex residential land development projects, maintain strong client relationships, mentor and develop staff, and drive business development across the Savannah market.The ideal candidate will bring extensive experience in residential land development, particularly large-scale residential development and single-family communities, along with a strong seller/doer background. This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced project and team leader who remains actively engaged in client relationships and project delivery. The successful candidate will be capable of leading and developing a team while helping establish the Savannah office as a trusted partner in the region. *Experience serving public-sector clients is strongly preferred.***Responsibilities*** Provide senior leadership for the Savannah land development team and support the continued growth of the office.* Lead, mentor, and develop a team including project managers, project engineers, designers, and technical staff.* Direct complex residential land development projects from planning and conceptual design through final design, permitting, construction, and closeout.* Maintain direct ownership of key client relationships and serve as a trusted advisor to developers, public agencies, municipalities, and industry partners.* Lead projects involving large-scale residential development, single-family communities, infrastructure, utilities, drainage, and related civil engineering services.* Provide technical oversight and ensure the quality, schedule, budget, and profitability of project delivery.* Serve as Engineer of Record, as appropriate, and certify plans and documentation in accordance with applicable requirements.* Mentor project managers and senior staff while supporting career development, succession planning, recruiting, and retention.* Drive business development activities, including client outreach, relationship development, pursuit strategy, proposals, RFQs/RFPs, interviews, and fee development.* Develop and maintain relationships with public-sector clients, including municipalities, counties, authorities, and other governmental agencies.* Collaborate with regional and company leadership regarding staffing, resource allocation, operational priorities, and market strategy.* Represent Pape-Dawson through professional associations, industry organizations, civic groups, and community events.* Ensure consistent application of company design, production, quality control, and project management standards.**Qualifications*** Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program.* Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Georgia* Minimum of 15 years of progressive civil engineering and land development experience; 20 or more years is preferred.* Extensive experience in residential land development, including large-scale residential and single-family development projects.* Demonstrated experience managing projects from initial concept and entitlement through design, permitting, and construction support.* Proven seller/doer background with established client and industry relationships.* Demonstrated success leading, mentoring, and developing teams.* Strong preference for experience supporting public-sector clients and working with municipalities, counties, authorities, or other governmental agencies.* Demonstrated ability to balance senior-level leadership with direct involvement in client service and project execution.* Strong business development, proposal, presentation, and client interview skills.* Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage clients, public agencies, internal leadership, and project teams.* Ability to work Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with additional hours as needed to meet project and business needs.