VP of Development - Multifamily

Burnett Staffing Specialists; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Burnett Staffing Specialists seeks a Vice President of Development to lead the company’s multifamily development platform from feasibility to turnover in Houston, TX. This executive will own the development pipeline and collaborate with the CEO on growth strategies, while coordinating land procurement, design, and construction teams.

The ideal candidate comes from a large-scale real estate developer with a proven track record in complex projects, entitlements, and investor relations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Significant experience in real estate development, with a focus on multifamily projects.
• Experience with land acquisition, underwriting, entitlements, and permitting.
• Proven ability to lead large, complex development projects from feasibility to completion.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including budgets and investment analysis.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to coordinate architects, engineers, construction professionals, and stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with hands-on execution capability.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead the multifamily development pipeline from feasibility through turnover.
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue new development opportunities and land acquisitions.
• Lead land acquisition negotiations, underwriting, and investment analysis.
• Develop comprehensive business plans for new development opportunities.
• Evaluate development economics, budgets, returns, and project feasibility.
• Set development priorities and long-term growth strategies with the CEO.
• Maintain relationships with investors, partners, consultants, and municipalities.
• Oversee land use approvals, entitlements, permitting, and pre-development activities.
• Coordinate design, architecture, construction, and sales/leasing teams.
• Transition development into leasing, operations, stabilization, and disposition.

Skills

Multifamily development

Executive leadership

Land acquisition

Feasibility analysis

Underwriting

Development strategy

Financial acumen

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, or related field

Job description

Vice President of Development

Location: Houston, TX

Reports To: CEO

Position Overview We are seeking an experienced Vice President of Development to lead and oversee the company’s multifamily development platform and serve as a key member of the executive leadership team. This individual will have ownership of the development pipeline from initial feasibility and land acquisition through entitlements, design, construction, leasing, stabilization, and final turnover. The ideal candidate will come from a large-scale real estate development organization and have a proven track record managing complex, large-scale multifamily projects. This is a highly visible leadership position requiring a combination of strong development expertise, financial acumen, design and construction knowledge, and the ability to lead multiple teams toward a common project vision. The company is open to candidates who are ready to take the next step in their careers. While prior experience at the VP level is preferred, exceptional Director-level development professionals with the appropriate large-scale multifamily experience will be considered.

Key Responsibilities

Development & Investment Strategy

• Own and lead the company’s multifamily development pipeline from initial feasibility through project completion and turnover.
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue new development opportunities and potential land acquisitions.
• Lead and/or oversee land acquisition negotiations, underwriting, feasibility studies, and investment analysis.
• Develop comprehensive business plans for new development opportunities.
• Evaluate development economics, including project budgets, returns, financial projections, and overall investment feasibility.
• Work closely with the CEO and executive leadership to establish development priorities and long-term growth strategies.
• Maintain strong relationships with investors, development partners, consultants, municipalities, and other key stakeholders.

Due Diligence, Entitlements & Permitting

• Lead comprehensive due diligence for prospective development sites.
• Oversee zoning, entitlement, permitting, governmental approvals, and other pre-development activities.
• Identify and mitigate development risks throughout the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate with municipalities, consultants, attorneys, engineers, architects, and other stakeholders to move projects efficiently through the approval process.

Design & Architecture Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight of all architectural and design activities associated with development projects.
• Set the overall design strategy jointly with the CEO.
• Oversee architecture, engineering, and design teams to ensure projects meet the company’s financial, operational, market, and design objectives.
• Ensure design decisions are aligned with project budgets, schedules, market demand, and development strategy.
• Serve as the senior point of coordination between the development, architecture, construction, and sales/leasing teams.

Project & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Provide executive-level oversight of projects from conception through completion.
• Ensure the architecture, development, construction, sales/leasing, and operations teams are working collaboratively and effectively.
• Establish project priorities, timelines, budgets, and performance expectations.
• Monitor project progress and proactively address challenges affecting cost, schedule, quality, or overall project execution.
• Oversee construction and development activities at a strategic level while ensuring accountability across project teams.
• Coordinate the transition from development and construction into leasing, operations, stabilization, and asset disposition.

Executive & Operational Leadership

• Work closely with the CEO to develop and execute the company’s overall business strategy, plans, and growth initiatives.
• Help establish comprehensive goals and performance metrics for the development organization.
• Provide leadership, direction, and mentorship to development and project teams.
• Establish and maintain effective operational and financial processes within the development department.
• Communicate directly with current and prospective investors and other strategic partners.
• Represent the company with a high level of professionalism in the marketplace.
• Promote and reinforce the company’s culture, vision, and long-term objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, or a closely related field required.
• Significant experience in real estate development, with a strong focus on multifamily development.
• Experience working for a large-scale real estate development company strongly preferred.
• Proven experience managing large, complex development projects from feasibility through completion.
• Strong understanding of land acquisition, underwriting, development economics, entitlements, permitting, design, construction, and project execution.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate architects, engineers, construction professionals, consultants, sales/leasing teams, and other project stakeholders.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including experience with development budgets, investment analysis, project economics, and business plans.
• Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to operate effectively at both a strategic and hands-on level.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced development environment.
• Ability to communicate with senior executives, investors, partners, and other high-level stakeholders.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a high-level multifamily development professional who has successfully operated within a sophisticated, large-scale development organization and understands the entire development lifecycle. This individual may currently be a VP, SVP, Managing Director, Development Director, or senior-level Director who is ready to assume broader responsibility and take ownership of an entire development platform. The successful candidate will be a strategic leader who can look at the business from a "big picture" perspective, while also having enough technical development knowledge to understand the details and hold internal and external teams accountable. Most importantly, this person will serve as the central leader connecting development, architecture, construction, sales/leasing, and operations, ensuring all teams are aligned and projects move successfully from concept through completion.