Director of Land

Director of Land

Job Summary

Under the direction of the President, the Director of Land is responsible for the strategic leadership and daily operations of the Land Department. This role serves as the primary driver of land acquisition — identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and securing new land deals to meet business plan targets consistent with the Company’s strategic goals and site selection criteria. The Director leads a team of professionals spanning forward planning, land development, and vertical project management, ensuring accountability for project milestones, schedules, and cross-departmental alignment from acquisition through homebuilding operations. This position is central to Tim Lewis Communities’ goal of maintaining the land pipeline to meet annual home delivery goals. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Land Acquisition & Strategy

• Serve as the primary driver of land acquisition strategy — identifying, sourcing, and securing land opportunities aligned with the Company’s business plan, growth targets, and site selection criteria.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with land brokers, developers, investors, landowners, and other homebuilders to generate and sustain a robust acquisition pipeline.
• Lead and manage the preparation, negotiation, and execution of letters of intent, purchase and sale agreements, and land contracts in coordination with outside legal counsel.
• Create, manage, and maintain project pro-formas from initial underwriting through the life of the project; collaborate with internal departments to solicit and incorporate input into financial models.
• Research title documents to identify and clarify any restraints or encumbrances on land utilization; coordinate review of title reports and acquisition-related constraints.
• Lead and manage the due diligence process, overseeing feasibility studies, permit fee analyses, environmental reviews, and development reports to support sound acquisition decisions.
• Manage the land acquisition processes, ensuring alignment with business plan targets and timely progression through the acquisition pipeline.

Land Entitlement & Forward Planning

• Direct internal staff and external consultants through all phases of the entitlement process, including general plan amendments, specific plans, tentative and final maps, development agreements, and design review.
• Develop and oversee entitlement strategy; interpret and apply zoning codes, General Plans, municipal codes, and ordinances to inform feasibility and regulatory approach.
• Manage relationships and coordination with local, regional, state, and federal agencies; serve as a senior liaison for planning, public works, and utility-related approvals.
• Oversee public outreach and community engagement efforts as required by jurisdictional processes.
• Maintain and review all project schedules for acquisition, planning, permitting, and land development to ensure milestone dates are met.
• Oversee DRE processing, coordinate with internal teams and outside counsel for CC&Rs, disclosures, HOA formation, and sales-related documentation.
• Supervise the Forward Planning Manager in their leadership of the entitlement, feasibility, and pre-development process, providing strategic direction and removing obstacles.

Land Development Oversight

• Oversee the Land Development function, ensuring staff and contractors effectively manage engineering design, civil improvement plans, budgets, contracts, bid and awards, and field operations.
• Monitor land development project schedules and hold the team accountable to critical dates including pave, model starts, production starts, occupancy, first closing, and bond exoneration.
• Review and approve land development budgets, cost projections, and value engineering recommendations to ensure financial alignment with the business plan.
• Supervise the Land Development Project Manager, providing guidance on contractor management, field operations, compliance, and cross-functional coordination.

Vertical Forward Planning Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight of the Forward Planning (Vertical) Project Manager, responsible for managing the start-up of new home communities from architectural approvals through first construction start.
• Ensure effective coordination between vertical forward planning, land development, purchasing, construction, sales, and marketing to achieve milestone dates and readiness for community openings.
• Review vertical project schedules, permitting progress, and community start status reports; hold the team accountable to first construction start timelines.

Team Leadership & People Management

• Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing Land Department team including the Forward Planning Manager, Land Development Project Manager, Forward Planning (Vertical) Project Manager, and admin.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, provide timely performance feedback, and deliver formal performance reviews; actively develop team members’ skills and career growth.
• Set clear expectations, delegate work appropriately, and establish accountability structures to ensure team performance against business plan goals.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, urgency, transparency, and continuous improvement across the Land team.
• Participate in hiring, onboarding, and training of Land Department staff; build team capacity to support the Company’s growth objectives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Reporting

• Serve as the senior liaison between the Land Department and other Company departments (Construction, Purchasing, Sales, Marketing, Finance) to ensure alignment across the project lifecycle.
• Provide regular project status updates, risk assessments, and milestone reports to the President and senior leadership.
• Participate in and lead business planning, project review, and cross-departmental meetings; represent the Land team at senior level.
• Identify and proactively communicate risks to acquisition strategy, entitlement timelines, or development schedules and drive resolution.

Other duties may be assigned. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in land acquisition, entitlement, and residential land development, with at least 5 years in a leadership of a dynamic team.
• Demonstrated success sourcing, negotiating, and closing residential land transactions across multiple markets.
• Proven experience managing entitlement and permitting processes for residential communities, including tentative and final maps (single-family and multi-family preferred).
• Experience managing and developing a team of direct reports across multiple functional areas (forward planning, land development, and/or vertical project management).
• Homebuilding industry experience required; experience with communities targeting 150–250+ homes per year across multiple active projects strongly preferred.
• Valid Driver’s License; reliable automobile with required insurance.

Management Responsibilities:

The Director of Land directly manages the following positions:

• Forward Planning Manager; Land Development Project Manager; Forward Planning (Vertical) Project Manager; Land Admin or Intern(s)

Management responsibilities will be carried out in accordance with the Company’s policies and applicable laws, including interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities):

Land Acquisition & Market Expertise: Deep knowledge of residential land markets, deal sourcing, underwriting, pro-forma analysis, and land contract negotiation.

Entitlement & Regulatory Knowledge: Strong understanding of zoning regulations, General Plans, municipal codes, CEQA, and entitlement processes across California and Nevada jurisdictions.

Leadership & People Management: Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of professionals across multiple functional areas; fosters a high-performance culture.

Strategic Thinking: Develops and executes strategies to achieve organizational land acquisition and development goals; analyzes market conditions and competitive dynamics.

Negotiation: Strong negotiation skills applied to land contracts, vendor agreements, consultant scopes, and governmental agency processes.

Project & Schedule Management: Coordinates complex, multi-project workflows; holds team accountable to aggressive milestone schedules; identifies and resolves schedule risks proactively.

Financial Acumen: Proficient in pro-forma development, budget management, and cost analysis; understands the financial implications of acquisition, entitlement, and development decisions.

Oral Communication: Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens effectively and seeks clarification.

Presentation Skills: Effective in one-on-one and group settings, including executive-level presentations.

Written Communication: Writes clearly and informatively; presents numerical and analytical data effectively.

Business Acumen: Understands business implications of decisions; demonstrates knowledge of market conditions and competition.

Problem Solving: Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; develops and evaluates alternative solutions.

Ethics: Treats people with respect; works with integrity and upholds organizational values.

Teamwork: Exhibits objectivity and openness; gives and welcomes feedback; supports others’ success.

Professionalism: Approaches others with tact; reacts well under pressure; maintains respect and composure.

Innovation: Displays original thinking and creativity; meets challenges with resourcefulness.

Managing People: Includes staff in planning and decision-making; provides regular performance feedback; develops subordinates’ skills; delegates appropriately; provides recognition for results. Exhibits visionary leadership by inspiring and motivating others; effectively influences actions and opinions of others; displays confidence, passion, and optimism.

Mathematical Skills:

Able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Able to compute rate, ratio, and percent. Able to interpret bar graphs and pie charts. Able to calculate proportions, area, circumference, and volume. Able to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

Language Skills:

Read/Analyze/Interpret: Able to read, analyze, and interpret complex instructions, correspondence, policies, procedures, technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents.

Write: Able to write complex reports, correspondence, and procedure manuals.

Speak: Able to effectively present information and respond to questions in one-on-one, small and large group situations of customers, clients, employees, top management, and the general public.

Computer Skills:

Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel — advanced), Microsoft Project or equivalent scheduling software experience required. Familiarity with project management or entitlement tracking platforms preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

Valid Driver’s License required. AICP, PMP, or Real Estate Development-related certifications preferred.

Physical Demands:

Lifting/Carrying: Under 25 lbs = Occasional; Up to 30 lbs = Rarely

Pushing/Pulling: Under 30 lbs = Occasional

Driving: Personal Vehicle — Frequent; includes driving to view potential land, sites under construction, and related business travel.

Twisting/Turning: Reach over shoulder = Occasional; Reach outward = Occasional; Climb = Occasional (includes stairs in homes, construction and sales trailers); Crawl = Rarely; Kneel = Rarely; Squat = Rarely

Sitting, typing = Frequent; Walk – Normal Surfaces = Frequent; Walk – Uneven Surfaces = Frequent (includes walking on dirt and construction sites); Walk – Slippery Surfaces = Occasional; Stand = Frequent; Bend = Occasional

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Work Environment:

The work environment includes both an office setting and frequent outdoor environments, including seasonal weather conditions and active construction sites. The outdoor work environment may have moderate to loud noise.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Minimum Education and/or Experience:

Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field required.

Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in land acquisition, entitlement, and residential land development, with at least 5 years in a leadership of a dynamic team.

Demonstrated success sourcing, negotiating, and closing residential land transactions across multiple markets.

Proven experience managing entitlement and permitting processes for residential communities, including tentative and final maps (single-family and multi-family preferred).

Experience managing and developing a team of direct reports across multiple functional areas (forward planning, land development, and/or vertical project management).

Homebuilding industry experience required; experience with communities targeting 150–250+ homes per year across multiple active projects strongly preferred.

Valid Driver’s License; reliable automobile with required insurance.