Role Purpose:

The Development Director is a senior executive responsible for leading the front-end planning, commercial structuring, and delivery of high-value real estate projects. With full accountability for P&L performance, the role bridges strategy and execution—ensuring developments are financially viable, contextually relevant, and operationally successful. The Director steers projects from early visioning through to execution and handover, delivering assets ready for market activation and long-term operational success.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic & Front-End Development Leadership

• Lead the front-end development lifecycle including site evaluation, concept creation, market testing, and investment case formulation.
• Champion the development strategy across residential, commercial, hospitality, and mixed-use components, ensuring alignment with brand positioning and market opportunity.
• Drive land acquisition strategies, masterplan programming, and commercial deal structuring with anchor tenants, operators, and JV partners.
• Conduct highest-and-best-use analysis and scenario modeling to inform early decisions and secure executive buy-in.

Commercial and P&L Accountability

• Own the development P&L across all assigned projects, including capital planning, cash flow forecasting, and ROI optimization.
• Oversee the preparation and review of detailed financial models, feasibility studies, and risk-return analyses.
• Collaborate with finance, investment, and legal teams to ensure proper deal structuring, funding strategies, and contract alignment.

Execution Oversight

• Oversee the transition from concept to execution by working closely with project management, design, and construction teams to ensure design intent, budget adherence, and scheduling integrity.
• Ensure execution aligns with commercial objectives, brand standards, and development vision.
• Monitor construction progress, manage change control, and support the resolution of technical, permitting, or procurement issues in coordination with delivery teams.

Operational Handover & Asset Transition

• Lead the development-to-operations handover process, ensuring assets are fully tenant/operator-ready.
• Collaborate with asset management, facilities, and operating teams to define fit-for-purpose delivery, handover protocols, and activation timelines.
• Ensure long-term operational needs, lifecycle costs, and end-user requirements are considered from the design and development phases.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the lead point of contact for regulators, JV partners, consultants, and strategic tenants or operators.
• Secure timely planning and regulatory approvals while safeguarding design and investment integrity.
• Represent the company in high-level forums and negotiations with authorities, communities, and strategic partners.

Leadership & Governance

• Build, mentor, and empower a results-driven development team, fostering cross-functional collaboration and accountability.
• Participate in steering committees and board updates, providing clear reporting on project progress, commercial performance, and key risks.

Key Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Architecture, Engineering, Urban Planning, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 15+ years of experience in large-scale real estate development, with a strong focus on front-end planning, P&L ownership, and multi-asset project delivery.
• Proven track record in taking projects from concept through to execution, handover, and operational readiness.
• Strong financial acumen with deep understanding of feasibility, development economics, investment returns, and value engineering.
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Familiarity with regulatory processes, land entitlement, and development approvals in [insert region/country].

Desirable Traits

• Visionary thinker with grounded execution capability.
• Commercially sharp, design-literate, and operationally aware.
• Adept at navigating complexity, aligning stakeholders, and creating lasting impact through built environments.