Real Estate Project Manager

Responsibilities

• Lead site acquisition due diligence, including zoning analysis, entitlement feasibility, site conditions, and review of civil, geotechnical, traffic, environmental, utility, drainage, grading, and fuel-system studies.
• Identify material issues, risks, constraints, and cost or schedule impacts; clearly communicate findings and recommended next steps.
• Review surveys, civil drawings, technical reports, title and site information, and conceptual plans for completeness, constructability, and alignment with development objectives.
• Prepare and refine AutoCAD conceptual site layouts and zoning analyses for internal review before contract acquisition.
• Manage due diligence documentation, schedules, milestones, critical-path items, and decision logs across multiple projects.
• Own and advance entitlement processes, including site plan approvals, variances, conditional-use permits, rezonings, and other discretionary approvals.
• Coordinate with municipal planning, zoning, engineering, building, fire, public works, water and sewer, and other reviewing departments.
• Prepare, coordinate, and submit entitlement applications, exhibits, narratives, technical responses, and supporting documentation.
• Prepare for and support public hearings and municipal meetings; track approval conditions and drive timely compliance.
• Lead coordination of civil, building, and trade permitting, including initial submittals, revisions, and responses to review comments.
• Coordinate with DOTs, utilities, health departments, environmental agencies, fuel-system regulators, water and sewer authorities, fire marshals, and other outside agencies.
• Maintain permit logs, approval trackers, agency correspondence, and development status reporting.
• Apply technical knowledge of grading, drainage, utilities, traffic, environmental conditions, and site constraints to support sound development decisions.
• Direct and coordinate architects, civil engineers, landscape architects, traffic engineers, environmental consultants, fuel-system consultants, surveyors, attorneys, and other project partners.
• Review consultant deliverables, drawings, and specifications for consistency with approvals, site requirements, brand standards, budget, and schedule.
• Partner cross-functionally with Real Estate, Construction, Operations, Finance, Legal, and brand teams; communicate risks, decisions, and action items clearly.
• Lead project and agency meetings, document decisions, assign action items, and ensure consistent follow-through.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects, including exposure to project portfolios with revenue streams of $5 million or more.
• Prepare or review quantity takeoffs, estimates, consultant proposals, change orders, and related cost impacts.
• Support budgeting and track site development, entitlement, permitting, and consultant costs.
• Maintain project schedules, entitlement matrices, budget updates, document controls, and concise executive status reports.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Urban Planning, or a related field; or an associate degree in a related field with PMP certification.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in civil engineering, site development, land development, real estate development, architecture, or construction-related project delivery.
• 3+ years of direct project management experience with ownership of schedules, consultants, approvals, risks, and deliverables.
• Demonstrated civil engineering, site development, and site design experience, including the ability to read and interpret civil and architectural drawings.
• Experience with estimating, quantity takeoffs, and change orders.
• Working knowledge of municipal entitlement, public-hearing, permitting, and regulatory approval processes.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD and development of conceptual site layouts.
• Strong analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally.
• Ability to manage multiple projects across jurisdictions and travel to project sites and meetings as business needs require.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working directly for a civil engineering, site development, or land development firm.
• Experience in a small to mid-sized company environment, with the flexibility to work hands-on across functions and project phases.
• Experience with commercial, retail, convenience-store, fuel, quick-service restaurant, or hotel development.
• Familiarity with New York State and local municipal approval and permitting processes.

Core Competencies

• Initiative and ownership
• Sound judgment and decision-making
• Technical and analytical ability
• Risk identification and problem-solving
• Clear cross-functional communication
• Accountability and follow-through
• Organization, prioritization, and attention to detail