The Development Associate, will spearhead all activities from site identification through entitlement and financing, ensuring projects are construction ready. You’ll own market analyses, due diligence, zoning and permitting, financial pro formas, and investor/client presentations—reporting directly to the VP of Construction. You must build strong relationships with outside investors and clients to secure deal commitments and guide projects into formal development and construction.

Key Responsibilities

-Lead demographic, competitive, and highest-and-best-use studies to source viable sites.

-Present site-selection findings and recommendations to internal leadership and external investors/clients.

-Coordinate environmental, geotechnical, title, and traffic studies; manage third-party consultants. Synthesize findings into clear risk-assessment reports for design consultant, underwriting and investor review.

-Develop and execute entitlement strategies: zoning, land-use, permits, variances.

-Prepare entitlement packages and deliver persuasive presentations at public hearings and client meetings.

-Build and maintain detailed pre-development pro formas, ROI analyses, and cash-flow forecasts.

-Assist and collaborate with finance and capital markets teams to tailor investor deliverables.

-Assist in drafting investment memoranda and pitch decks; participate in presentations to equity partners, banks, and private investors.

-Maintain investor/client communications: status updates, risk/return profiles, milestones.

-Establish and nurture relationships with local government officials, community groups, and client representatives.

-Serve as the primary point of contact for external stakeholders throughout the pre-development lifecycle.

-Develop preliminary schedules and budgets; identify critical path items for development phases.

-Coordinate handover of fully entitled projects to the execution/construction teams.

**Required Skills & Qualifications Education & Experience: **

-Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development, Finance, Urban Planning, or related field.

-5+ years in real estate pre-development, land acquisition, or capital markets—preferably in the Southeast. Financial & Analytical Proficiency: Advanced Excel skills; pro-forma and sensitivity-analysis expertise.

-Familiarity with Argus Enterprise or equivalent financial modeling platforms.

Regulatory & Entitlement Expertise: Deep knowledge of Southeastern zoning codes, land-use processes, and permitting timelines.

Investor/Client Communication: Exceptional presentation skills; experience creating and delivering investor pitch materials. Strong negotiation abilities with equity partners, lenders, and landowners.

**Project Leadership & Collaboration: **Ability to lead cross-functional teams of consultants, attorneys, and in-house specialists. Proven track record managing complex pre-development pipelines.

Personal Attributes: Strategic thinker with a bias for action and high tolerance for ambiguity. Detail-oriented and highly organized; capable of juggling multiple sites and investor relationships. Willingness to travel regionally (up to 30%).

Core Deliverables

1. Site‐Selection Reports: Comprehensive market and feasibility analyses with recommendations.

2. Due Diligence Packages: Consolidated study summaries, risk assessments, and mitigation plans.

3. Entitlement Milestone Tracker: Live dashboard of permit status, hearing dates, and approval timelines.

4. Investor/Client Briefs: Regularly updated pitch decks, financial models, and executive summaries.

5. Pre-Development Close-Out: Fully entitled, financed, and schedule-ready project handover dossier.