Director of Real Estate Development & Construction Management

Job Description

Job Description

About Us :

Lighthouse MI is a growing non-profit, established in 2019 when Lighthouse of Oakland County and South Oakland Shelter joined forces to offer a stronger collective response to poverty in our Metro Detroit community. With over 80 years of combined experience, Lighthouse serves as a beacon of hope to our neighbors who need it most by offering assistance with basic emergency needs alongside housing programs and supportive services designed to support long-term economic stability. Lighthouse owns and operates Spero Housing Group, a subsidiary non-profit dedicated specifically to developing and operating high-quality affordable, supportive housing for persons of low and moderate-income, and HandUp, a community and crowdfunding platform serving 100+ homeless service agencies and their clients across the United States.

Position Summary :

We are seeking an experienced, multidisciplinary leader to join our team as the Director of Real Estate Development & Construction Management (RED & CM). This role serves as a subject matter expert, strategic advisor, and assists the Chief Real Estate & Community Development Officer as needed. Working closely with a team of internal Lighthouse professionals, outside development partners, consultants, financiers, contractors, and others; under the direction of Chief Real Estate & Community Development Officer; the Director of RED & CM will serve as the organization’s primary on-the-ground point of contact throughout all phases of the development process—from feasibility and acquisition through design, construction, and closeout.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned real estate development, construction, engineering, finance, or project management professional committed to community development. They bring experience working with not-for-profit organizations, a background in risk management, and fluency in complex real estate financial structures. They are a proactive problem-solver who thrives in collaborative environments, with a strong commitment to delivering quality projects that serve Lighthouse’s mission focused communities.

Desirable professional experience includes : structured project funding including federal tax credits such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC); Tax Incremental Financing (TIF); knowledge of review processes such as feasibility, zoning, design, value engineering, and constructability; due diligence management; public private partnerships; some ability to read and interpret construction drawings, comfort with legal language review such as loan documents and contracts; and knowledge of construction administration procedures such as reviewing pay applications and change order requests.

Breakdown of Responsibilities : Pipeline management

Manage and maintain relationships under the direction of the Chief Real Estate & Community Development Officer. Stay aware of potential development opportunities. Includes continual review of public and private RFPs, news releases from development agencies and government affiliated groups, strategic funding initiatives, and requests from established partners and other known lead generators.

Support early phase financial modeling, pro forma creation, scenario analysis, and predevelopment planning in concert with potential development partners and financiers.

Exhibit some ability to underwrite the acquisition, renovation, or new construction of affordable housing or other mission serving assets commensurate with mid-career professionals. In this context “underwriting” broadly refers to both qualitative and quantitative methods, feasibility or go / no-go decision processes, some knowledge of broad asset valuation methods, knowledge of available subsidies and entitlements, and consideration of internal staff capacity.

Lead efforts to secure desired properties for acquisition or development and manage related compliance requirements.

Predevelopment

Work with Lighthouse real estate development team under the direction of the Chief Real Estate & Community Development Officer to identify project programming needs and expectations after approval of the executive team during preliminary feasibility stages. Assist in procuring : property, development partnerships, financial commitments, future lease agreements, or other arrangements as needed to progress a potential real estate development project.

Provide early input on project expectations.

Assist executive team in appraising early project needs assumptions, and negotiating commitments from outside parties as required to progress the project.

Advise the team on best possible project delivery methods based on the unique factors and expected deliverables. Assist in the procurement of architects, engineers, other consultants, and potentially construction managers / general consultants as needed for future success based on outlined preferred project delivery method. Negotiate beneficial contract terms for all design and pre-construction parties under the Chief Real Estate & Community Development Officer.

Assist executive team in securing a wide variety of financial commitments needed to proceed on the project. Prepare and / or update project pro forma(s) as required.

Reply to formal requests for proposals and requests for qualifications (RFP / RFQ) as required. Ensure the Lighthouse team has proper information and talking points as needed to progress desirable deals towards closing.

Act as the primary technical liaison between architect, engineers, other designers, and consultants engaged prior to completion of bidding documents. The candidate is not expected to be a professional designer or familiar with all aspects of governing building codes, but, when possible, they should be prepared to speak and advocate on the behalf of Lighthouse and the communities they serve.

Closing and Procurement

Director of RED & CM will be an active and vital participant in due diligence and closing process. Depending on the project the Director of RED & CM may be responsible for leading the process, assisting their Lighthouse team, or assisting other development partners while navigating complex financial closings.

Review and advise the Lighthouse executive team on all construction contract documents and legal loan documents prior to official signings.

The Director of RED & CM will work independently under the Chief Real Estate & Community Development Officer; as part of a larger Lighthouse team; and / or with other development partners, architects, contractors, and other consultants to ensure all zoning, permits, and other municipal approvals are granted and recorded prior to closings.

Independently understand the project financing, involved parties, deal specific requirements and covenants fluently enough to discuss and advise Lighthouse and development partners as needed. Apply comprehension of financial stack and project requirements to help the team effectively close on all required financing arrangements.

Ensure title insurance is in place, property ownership is clear and in order.

Maintain a shortlist of qualified general contractors and construction management firms to bid on projects. Manage the underwriting of additional contractors as needed, including reviewing standard qualification documents and bond ratings.

The Director of RED & CM will work independently under the Chief Real Estate & Community Development Officer; and / or with others development partners to oversee the completion and circulation of the construction documents, the coordination with other due diligence documents required for definition of construction activities such as ESAs and Geotechnical reports, and the bidding, negotiating, and contract execution with the selected GC. Review of general contracts, general conditions, schedule of values, exclusions, and some subcontractor bids should be expected.

Maintain awareness of all stakeholders and help facilitate their needs, expectations, and reliable communication between all parties.

Construction

Monitor construction progress using earned value analysis and other predetermined KPI to identify issues with cost variance, schedule variance, project quality issues, and safety issues. The primary progress monitoring responsibilities fall on the general contractor, architect, insurance professionals, municipalities, and bank inspectors; but the Director of RED & CM is responsible for ensuring the other parties are contractually accountable for various oversight responsibilities; for understanding those responsibilities in the larger risk management environment; for making sure those responsibilities are carried out, recorded, and communicated properly.

Attend Owner-Architect-Contractor (OAC) meetings and other site visits for active construction projects as needed under the direction of the Chief Real Estate & Community Development Officer. This responsibility includes additional time required to review and familiarize oneself with meeting agendas and addendum in advance, additional time required to review the meeting minutes for quality and accuracy, and to follow up on action items as needed. Site visits may include reviewing new work for quality, discussing potential changes in the scope, and identifying “punch list” items requiring additional attention from the contractor.

Oversee construction administration performed by the architect or other responsible parties as defined by the general conditions and / or loan documents. Stay informed with the current status of their work and review it as needed to ensure quality project delivery with minimal risk to the developer.

Review draw documentation for each project monthly prior to internal approval and submission to lenders—including all pay applications, change orders, hard cost backup documentation, and soft cost backup. Report all discrepancies to responsible parties for correction and maintain standardized accounting and reporting within projects.

Act as a subject matter expert for the Lighthouse team, advocating for the organization’s best interests during the course of the project, and supporting team members as needed.

Projects may involve occupied properties, and vulnerable communities. The Director of RED & CM must be sensitive to their needs, and work with capable team members to make sure they are cared for during renovation and / or rehousing projects.

Closeout and Stabilization

Confirm that responsible parties such as contractors, architects, etc. are providing all construction closeout documentation required to satisfy municipalities, lenders, and other interested stakeholders. Collect and store all pertinent documentation in a manner that is easy to find and access by others Lighthouse team members as needed.

Collaborate with internal and external teams as needed when an approved, completed construction or renovation project is turned over to a third-party property management group, or occupied by tenants directly under Lighthouse’s purview.

Manage the completion and closeout of development partnerships as stipulated by the guiding contractual agreements.

Requirements :

Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred

6+ required and 10+ years preferred documented experience as described above

Comparable combination of education and experience

Relevant professional certifications can be considered

Experience working in or closely with non-profits

Experience with mission driven development and complex financial structures

Experience in LIHTC and other federal tax credit financing is heavily favored

Professional credentials in architecture, engineering, construction management, commercial real estate, finance, property management, project management, or risk management

Some ability to read and interpret construction drawings and engineering reports

Experience negotiating contract and procurement terms

Ability to read and interpret legal loan documents

Ability to read and interpret common financial documents such as budgets, pro forma, balance sheets, income statements, schedules of value, and construction pay applications

Excellent benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life, matching 401(k), and more.

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. It should not be construed as an exhaustive list of all required duties, responsibilities, and skills. Lighthouse is an equal opportunity employer, and does not discriminate against any qualified individual based on race, creed, religion, national origin, color, status as a veteran, gender or gender identity, sex, age, sexual preference or orientation, marital status, disability, income, weight, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume online via JobScore.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, until the position is filled.

No phone or e-mail inquiries, please.