Director, Land Acquisition and Development

Responsibilities

• Identifies, evaluates, and advances land acquisition opportunities through market research, financial analysis, feasibility modeling, and relationship-based sourcing
• Leads due diligence efforts, including zoning, entitlements, engineering considerations, environmental factors, costs, and jurisdictional requirements
• Prepares and presents acquisition recommendations by compiling financial, market, and risk data for executive and committee review
• Negotiates purchase agreements, contracts, and related documentation to secure strategic land positions
• Oversees entitlement and permitting processes, coordinating with municipal agencies, consultants, developers, and HOAs to ensure regulatory alignment
• Manages the full land development lifecycle, including budgets, schedules, forecasting, consultant oversight, trade partner selection, and cost reconciliation
• Proactively addresses project risks, schedule impacts, and budget variances to support successful project delivery
• Leads and develops a local team through clear expectations, coaching, performance feedback, and continuous improvement
• Promotes consistent processes, best practices, and collaboration across acquisition, development, and internal partner teams

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required
• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business, Finance, Economics, Commerce or Construction Management preferred
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in land acquisition, land development, land sales, or related real estate or construction disciplines, including contract negotiation and relationship management required
• Three (3) years of people leadership experience managing and developing direct reports required
• Background in residential development, homebuilding, or comparable real-estate-focused environments preferred
• Familiarity with financial analysis, pro formas, budgeting, forecasting, and market evaluation
• Working knowledge of entitlements, permitting, environmental regulations, and development compliance frameworks
• Strong communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills across diverse audiences
• Comfortable prioritizing multiple initiatives, adapting to evolving market conditions, and exercising sound professional judgment
• Proficiency with business productivity tools such as Microsoft Office Suite; experience with CRM systems is preferred
• A valid driver’s license and capacity to travel locally as needed for site visits and municipal coordination
• Willingness to obtain market-specific certifications or licenses (e.g., real estate license, FAA drone certification, OSHA 30) as applicable

Pay

The anticipated pay range/scale for this position is $134,609.00 - $188,451.00 Annually. Actual starting base pay within this range will depend on factors including geographic location, education, training, skills, and relevant experience.

Perks and Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible spending accounts and/or health savings accounts
• Dependent savings accounts
• 401(k) with company matching contributions
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Tuition reimbursement program
• 9 paid holidays per year
• Accrued paid time off (PTO) at a rate of 0.0577 hours of PTO per hour worked, up to a maximum of 120 hours per year

CA Privacy Notice

To learn more about what information we collect when you apply for a job, and how we use that information, please see our CA Job Applicant Privacy Notice found at https://www.amh.com/ca-privacy-notice.