Property Development Role Job Description

What a good one includes

• Define the typical asset class, project size, and geographic market the role will manage.
• Specify which phases of the lifecycle—from site acquisition and underwriting to entitlement, construction, and lease-up—the candidate will directly own.
• List measurable key performance indicators, such as IRR targets, project timelines, zoning approval success rates, and budget variances.
• Detail the expectation for managing external relationships with municipal officials, equity partners, joint venture allies, and general contractors.
• List necessary software competencies, such as ARGUS Developer, MS Project, or specialized pro forma modeling tools.
• Require experience with complex capital structures, including construction debt, equity partnerships, and public-private funding sources.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Writing a generic real estate posting that fails to distinguish between a property manager, an acquisition analyst, and a lead development manager.
• Omitting details about the project pipeline and capital backing, which discourages high-performing candidates who want to ensure the firm has active deals to execute.
• Overloading the description with administrative busywork instead of focusing on high-leverage strategic and financial decision-making responsibilities.
• Failing to clarify the level of autonomy the candidate will have over capital expenditures and vendor selection, leading to mismatched expectations during interviews.

Frequently asked questions