Vice President of Land Acquisition Job Opening in Indianapolis, IN
Residential Construction / Homebuilding Career Opportunity
We are teaming with a fast-growing homebuilder searching for a Vice President of Land Acquisition in the Indianapolis, IN market.
The Vice President of Land Acquisition supports the Division President with coordinating and managing all aspects of land acquisition and approvals in multiple proposed communities. The position is critical to developing municipal relations, developing nearby community support, and reading and understanding local municipal zoning.
You’ll assist in developing sketch plans with engineers and land planners, helping to manage due diligence activities, value engineering site plans, and assisting the land development team with preparing preliminary and final land development budgets as needed.
Vice President of Land Acquisition Responsibilities
Land Acquisition
- Analyze markets and current land positions to identify gaps and concentrations for future land acquisitions
- Maintain knowledge of market activities and trends
- Generate prospective acquisitions through land brokers, local contacts, developers, etc.
- Review and present market data and analysis in evaluation of the feasibility of a potential project
- Initiate projects by identifying parcels, negotiating with sellers, performing due diligence, preparing letters of intent with the legal department, and determining viability for development
- Lead entitlement and annexation process associated with obtaining final approval
- Present before municipal bodies, homeowners associations, and landowners
- Negotiate, prepare with the legal department, and present contracts, amendments, and easements to existing land contracts as necessary
Land Feasibility and Due Diligence
- Review and examine proposed sites for development feasibility
- Research and understand local municipal zoning and subdivision ordinance requirements
- Work with engineering consultants to develop a preliminary sketch plan once we know site constraints and applicable development codes and ordinances
- Prepare thorough due diligence and site feasibility analysis based on regulatory requirements, entitlements, and cost-effective design for new land acquisition/development projects
- Develop approval schedules and preliminary site development budget estimates
- Work with the regional management team and design consultants to review technical aspects of the project and value engineer proposed design elements from an owner’s perspective to minimize cost and maximize overall project market value
- Facilitate final due diligence report and executive summary; make recommendations on whether or not to proceed with the proposed land deal based on the land feasibility results
- Assist the LDM with the preparation of preliminary and bank land development budgets as needed
Land Approvals
- Lead approvals of real estate development projects from site identification through final approvals and permits to develop the sites
- Coordinate with the regional management team, adjacent property owners, HOA’s, and jurisdictional authorities to support proposed projects
- Create and maintain approval tracking logs (actual versus proposed) and resolve critical issues during all phases of the entitlement process to keep projects on or ahead of schedule.
- Work with consultants to create necessary rezoning exhibits and preliminary and final plats.
- Track and update project expenses and anticipated milestone deliveries throughout the progression of entitlement
- Coordinate the preparation of site design criteria for site plan engineering; contract with, and manage third-party consulting engineers in the preparation of site improvement plans; coordinate the municipal review and approval of site plans with the consulting engineers.
- Coordinate with Land Development Manager on all work from outside consultants to reduce excess development costs through value engineering and by incorporating sensible land development design/best field practices that comply with the company’s design standards
- Work with the construction team and design consultants to review technical aspects of the project and value engineer proposed design elements from an owner’s perspective to minimize cost and maximize overall project value.
- Develop and review all contract documents with design professionals and other direct vendors/consultants
- Establish and administer regular meetings as necessary with the project team, consultants, and municipalities throughout the entitlement process
- Facilitate projects through the entitlements process (concept sketch plan, preliminary plat, Â final plat, etc.)
- Manage all required rezoning requests, zoning variances, notable exceptions, master  planning, landscape planning, concept plans, preliminary subdivision plans, mixed-use site plans, and marketing exhibits as required
- Proactively engage municipalities on the benefits of age-restricted communities, if necessary, and work with them on amending ordinances to allow the company’s products without requesting rezoning or special conditions.
- Establish rapport with the governmental staff to minimize comments on rezonings, plats, and engineering plans
- Anticipate possible challenges for each particular project and recommend strategies to overcome potential objections throughout the entitlement process
Vice President of Land Acquisition Qualifications
- 7+ years of experience in land acquisition/divestiture and development required
- Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field is highly preferred
- Demonstrated ability to design and negotiate deal structures that facilitate projects’ conformance with applicable underwriting hurdles
- Excellent oral and written communication skills while maintaining a focus on human relations
- Experience with contract negotiation and terms agreement
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Industry-Leading Homebuilding Benefits:
- Competitive compensation
- Health care – medical/dental/vision/prescription Drug Coverage
- 401(k) with company matching contributions
- Employee and dependent life insurance
- Vacation and company holidays
