Our client is a mission driven social impact organization proving that business and real estate can be powerful engines for community transformation. The organization builds, operates, and invests in local businesses and nonprofit initiatives, reinvesting its profits so that an entire region can thrive for all of its residents. Over the past decade, its team has turned former industrial and underutilized buildings into vibrant destinations for hospitality, art, culture, employment, and community gathering. Its work is grounded in integrity, humility, and collaboration. As its residential and commercial portfolio continues to grow, the organization is seeking a Director of Real Estate to build the systems and execution discipline that will let its real estate strategy scale and deepen its community impact.
Position Overview
This is a rare opportunity to serve as the senior operator across an active, intentionally lean real estate platform spanning development, adaptive reuse, hospitality, property management, small project construction, and acquisitions. You will work in close partnership with executive leadership and own how the real estate strategy is built and executed, which gives you direct influence over capital priorities and high visibility across the organization. You will step in during an exciting period, helping guide several hospitality projects to opening in your first months. From there, you will shape the systems, reporting, and team that carry a growing portfolio forward. This role is ideal for a hands on systems builder with low ego and high accountability who is comfortable with ambiguity and wants to see their work become lasting benefit for a community. As the platform scales, so will the scope of your leadership and the team you build.
Position Responsibilities
- Partner with executive leadership to turn the real estate strategy and capital priorities into clear quarterly and annual execution plans, and explore new ways to use the portfolio for community benefit, such as mixed income housing strategies.
- Guide several hospitality projects through their final stretch toward opening by clarifying ownership of the remaining construction, permitting, procurement, furnishings, and operational readiness milestones, and keep every team aligned around the plan.
- Build and continuously improve the development operating system, including project intake, stage gates, reporting standards, decision rights, risk escalation, and handoff into operations.
- Oversee residential and commercial development and redevelopment, keeping the pipeline sized to organizational capacity and making sure each project has the right brief, resources, schedule, budget framework, and decision path.
- Lead the acquisition process from first look through closing by screening opportunities against investment and community impact criteria and building initial acquisition models and underwriting in partnership with finance.
- Coordinate legal, environmental, zoning, title, financing, and physical condition diligence, and develop hold, reposition, and disposition analysis to support recommendations and carry out approved transactions.
- Strengthen property management standards for preventive maintenance, work orders, leasing, tenant relations, inspections, vendor management, collections, and capital planning, and recommend the staffing needed to support portfolio growth.
- Build and oversee a small internal construction management capability for select renovation projects, with clear criteria for when to manage a project internally or bring in a general contractor and a reliable network of vendors and subcontractors.
- Create a portfolio dashboard and reporting rhythm that gives leadership clear visibility into schedules, budgets, operating performance, occupancy, capital needs, the acquisition pipeline, and key risks.
- Lead, coach, and develop the Project Manager and Property Manager, building a culture of ownership, clear accountability, and collaboration across hospitality, finance, design, marketing, and community partners.
Position Qualifications
Required:
- A proven track record of helping lead complex development or redevelopment projects through multiple phases of the lifecycle, and of building systems, processes, and team capacity that outlast any one person.
- Approximately 8 to 12 years of progressive real estate experience with meaningful exposure to development or redevelopment, along with experience in acquisitions, construction management, property management, asset management, or owner representation.
- Strong command of development budgets, schedules, construction documents, contracts, procurement, change orders, and risk management.
- Solid real estate financial acumen, including the ability to build and interpret acquisition models, development pro formas, operating statements, and return metrics, plus experience coordinating transaction diligence.
- Experience managing or improving commercial or residential property management functions, with strong leadership, communication, and staff development skills and the ability to work well with architects, contractors, attorneys, brokers, lenders, municipal officials, and community stakeholders.
- Able to commute 2-3 days a week to South Chester County, PA – this is a hybrid role and candidates outside of the area of commutable distance will not be considered
Preferred:
- Experience with adaptive reuse, hospitality, mixed use, historic properties, or community oriented development.
- A background in a lean, entrepreneurial owner, developer, or real estate organization.
- Experience with residential development and familiarity with affordable housing finance or subsidy programs.
If you’re ready to make a lasting impact and take your career to the next level, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now, and a member of Talentfoot’s recruitment team will be in touch if your track record of success, experience, skills, and qualifications match our client’s requirements.