Director Of Land Development

The Director of Land Development will provide vision, leadership and management to the land development operations for the Division. The Director will work in collaboration with the Division President and functional leaders to ensure business plan metrics are met with regard to sales, starts and closings. The Director will provide oversight and establish metrics to measure team performance related to schedules, budgets, land plan design, and land development construction. The Director of Land Development will manage project tasks from preliminary plat to final recorded plat, HOA turnovers, and Agency bond exonerations. In addition, the Director is expected to coordinate the lowering of site cost budgets with Director/VP Construction and Purchasing. Finally, the Director is responsible for the hiring, management, and motivation of all Land Development personnel.

• Schedules - Ensure all communities open per land committee approved dates. Schedules will be maintained by verifying quality of work, contractor progress, and engineered plans are correctly followed. In addition, resolving entitlement problems and conditions prior to and during development is critical.
• Communication – Facilitate communication with (internal) land acquisition, land committee, sales, construction, purchasing, starts, and accounting as well as communication with (external) municipalities, utility purveyors, land sellers, engineers contractors, homeowners, and HOA’s. Finally, maintaining relationships with field personnel, engineers, subcontractors, inspectors, utility companies, government agencies/officials, and all levels of employees in multiple departments.
• Land Committee Approved Budgets - Oversee both the preliminary feasibility budget process and then establish and maintain final budgets based on city approved civil plans and take-offs. It is also important to identify risks and minimize interest expense by proper scheduling of land development allocation assets.
• Business Plan – Director of Land Development will coordinate with all disciplines to ensure we meet all sales, starts, and closings per business plan. Land department ensures all homeowner issues are resolved expediently. Land Development department supports all disciplines to resolve any issue during production.
• Managing Personnel - Hire, train, and oversee Land Development Managers, Land Construction Managers, and Land Development Coordinators. Director will also ensure Meritage Policies and Procedures are followed per audit standards as well as monitor compliance with established safety procedures, quality standards, and work schedules through regular site inspections, determine reasons for any deviation, and develop and oversee plans for corrective action.
• Value Engineering - Minimize cost by utilizing all value engineering methods in civil design, lot layout, and utility company designs. Review and approve all contractor bids, review survey/title issues and other reports to determine liabilities of potential acquisitions.
• Site construction and budget - Assist in plot plan review on “Special Lot Conditions”. Coordinate house plotting for lot fit and utility locations. Assist with the phasing to determine model location and production starts. Coordinates with VP/Director of Construction on maintaining site condition budgets. Coordinates on the scheduling of site condition construction.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Landscape Architecture and/or Construction Management strongly preferred.
• Ten (10) years experience in homebuilding and land development. A portion of this experience can be accumulated as a subcontractor but must have strong supervisory experience in that trade.
• Five (5) years of management/supervisory experience in land development, in the homebuilding industry

Technical Skills:

• Knowledge of site work construction including dirt work/grading, street construction, sanitary sewer, water, clearing, and retaining walls.
• Knowledge of foundation home design, lot grading, and construction
• Strong Computer skills; proficient in Excel, Word and Outlook
• Ability to create/implement work plans, prepare written materials and articulate goals and action plans
• Ability to read and interpret civil engineering plans, lot grading plans, plats, and plot plans
• Knowledge of Project Management/Scheduling software, preferred

Communication/Interpersonal Skills:

• Strong Oral/Written Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• High degree of professionalism; ability to communicate with confidence and tact
• Ability to handle the stress of dealing with trades and changing circumstances
• Position requires the ability to manage conflict and resolve problems professionally
• Strong leadership skills; must be a good manager of people and company assets
• Effective negotiation skills; ability to influence others in a positive manner

Judgment/Mental Abilities:

• Accurate; with attention to detail while staying clearly focused on the big picture
• Self directed; takes initiative, proactively addresses problems; can work with minimal oversight
• Analytical; with the ability to give, receive, analyze information, and interpret complex issues in order to determine the root problem and make effective decisions to bring the issue to a successful conclusion
• Highly organized and flexible; with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and meet deadlines, often with frequent interruptions and changing circumstances, in a high-volume fast-paced work environment
• Sound judgment with a high level of integrity to make good decisions; often under time pressures

Work Environment:

• Work is generally performed in an office environment; however, the position does require frequent visits to communities under development.
• Work requires the ability to operate an automobile, a valid state Drivers License, a personal vehicle, and liability Insurance coverage to meet the standard set by Meritage Homes
• Position has minimal travel requirements, however, from time to time may be required to travel for meetings, training, and visits to other office locations.
• Work is generally performed during what is considered to be normal business hours, however the job may require extended hours and weekends to deliver on time results
• Must be able to walk construction sites with frequent exposure to all weather conditions and potential construction site hazards.