HIRE TALENT  /  OWNER-SIDE & DEVELOPMENT  /  DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Mission-Critical Construction Recruiting

Hire Development Managers

Hire Development Managers who own the ground-up development lifecycle — site selection, entitlement, capital-partner interface, and GC handoff. Not owner reps re-titled — verified from prior developer principals, capital partners, and municipal reviewers.

Hire Development Managers → How it works
Photo of a Vetted Development ManagerExample profile
Hiroshi Y.
Vetted Specialist
Owner-side & Development
Development Manager
ULI · NAIOP · Land-to-CO
Sector coverage
8 mission-critical sectors
Data center · Healthcare · Life sciences · more
Roles recruited
Every discipline
Project delivery, engineering, Cx, safety, controls, executive
Geography
US + EMEA
Active developer network in both markets
Placement warranty
Replacement guarantee
Every model, every placement
How It Works

Hire Development Managers in 3 steps

A structured process for the hire that anchors the front end of your capital deployment — where a missed entitlement window or a mispriced site kills the deal before construction even starts.

Step 01

Talk to our team

30-minute call. Align on asset class, entitlement complexity, capital-partner structure (equity, JV, mezz), municipal fluency, GC handoff model, and start date.

Step 02

Review hand-selected talent

Within 2 weeks we introduce 3–5 Development Managers with delivered ground-up development history. References from prior developer principals, capital partners, and municipal reviewers included.

Step 03

Hire with confidence

Every placement carries a replacement guarantee. If the hire fails within the warranty window, we run a no-fee replacement search.

Why iRecruit.co for Development Manager Hires

What makes our Development Manager shortlist different

Development Managers own the front end of the capital-deployment lifecycle. Entitlement fluency, capital-partner interface, and municipal-reviewer composure separate a Development Manager who lands the deal at pro forma from one who becomes the reason the deal blows through underwriting.

01

Ground-up development verified

Every Development Manager on the shortlist has delivered ground-up development history — site selection, entitlement, capital-partner interface. Not owner reps re-titled. Reference-verified from prior developer principals.

02

Entitlement & municipal fluency

Reference-verified from prior municipal reviewers, planning departments, and utility interconnect programs. Municipal composure and entitlement-window discipline.

03

Capital-partner interface

Verified capital-partner communication discipline: equity partners, JV partners, mezz lenders. Reference-verified from prior capital-partner principals on communication quality under pressure.

Meet Vetted Development Managers

The caliber of Development Manager you’ll interview

Every candidate is credential-verified, developer-referenced, and matched to your asset class. Anonymized examples below reflect real placement profiles.

Vetted SpecialistMale DM - hyperscale developerExample profile

Andre B.

Hyperscale Data Center Development Mgr
  • Led 3 hyperscale campus developments from land to GC handoff
  • Owned utility interconnect + municipal entitlement window
  • Referenced by capital partner across 2 fund cycles
ULINAIOPLand-to-CO
Vetted SpecialistFemale DM - life sciencesExample profile

Jasmine B.

Life Sciences Development Manager
  • Led 4 life sciences campus developments in cluster markets
  • Owned biopharma-tenant LOI-to-lease-to-delivery cycle
  • Structured 3 JV deals with institutional life-sciences capital
ULIISPE-awareJV Structuring
Vetted SpecialistMale DM - industrial developerExample profile

Ricardo G.

Industrial / Logistics Development Mgr
  • Delivered 8 industrial parks + 2 distribution centers
  • Held municipal-reviewer relationship across 3 metros
  • Structured build-to-suit deals with 4 institutional tenants
NAIOPULIBuild-to-Suit
Development Manager Specializations

Match the Development Manager specialty to your asset class

“Development Manager” means different things across asset classes and capital structures. Below are the specializations we recruit for:

Data Center Development Mgr
Hyperscale, colo, campus development
Hire for this specialty
Healthcare Development Mgr
MOB, ambulatory, medical office
Hire for this specialty
Life Sciences Development Mgr
Life-sciences campus & cluster dev
Hire for this specialty
Industrial / Logistics Dev Mgr
Industrial park, distribution center
Hire for this specialty
Multifamily Development Mgr
Multifamily & mixed-use residential
Hire for this specialty
Mixed-Use Development Mgr
Mixed-use & master-plan development
Hire for this specialty
Office Development Manager
Office / commercial tower development
Hire for this specialty
Hospitality Development Mgr
Hotel & resort development
Hire for this specialty
Entitlement / Land Dev Mgr
Land, entitlement, utility interconnect
Hire for this specialty
Capital Projects Manager
Owner-side capital program lead
Hire for this specialty
Director of Development
Portfolio-scale development leader
Hire for this specialty
Confidential Dev Search
Retained, discreet outreach
Hire for this specialty

Not sure which Development Manager specialty fits?

We’ll help you scope the role on the call — asset class, entitlement complexity, capital structure, and municipal fluency.

Hire Development Managers →
Vetting Criteria

What we verify on every Development Manager candidate

Development Manager hires live and die on ground-up delivery, entitlement fluency, and capital-partner communication. Below is what every candidate has documented before you meet them:

Ground-up development history

Reference-verified from prior developer principals: land selection, entitlement, capital-partner interface, GC handoff, and delivery.

Entitlement & municipal fluency

Reference-verified from prior municipal reviewers, planning departments, and utility interconnect programs.

Capital-partner interface

Reference-verified from prior equity, JV, and lender principals on communication discipline under pressure.

Asset-class fluency

Data center, healthcare, life sciences, industrial, multifamily. Matched to your asset class.

Pro-forma discipline

Verified underwriting-to-delivery consistency: initial pro forma vs. delivered outcome. Referenced from prior CFOs and investment principals.

Compensation alignment

Development Manager, Sr Dev Manager, Director of Dev comp bands aligned before finalist interviews. Promote / bonus / carry expectations reviewed up front.

FAQ

Hiring a Development Manager: frequently asked questions

How long does it take to hire a Development Manager?

Time to shortlist is typically 2 weeks from scoping call. Total time to placement (shortlist through offer acceptance) is typically 3–4 weeks.

What does it cost to hire a Development Manager?

Pricing depends on engagement model. Per-role recruiting is a defined fee. Embedded is a monthly retainer. Executive search (Director of Dev, VP of Dev) is a retained fee, typically 30–35% of first-year cash comp.

Do you place across data center, healthcare, life sciences, and industrial developers?

Yes. All mission-critical asset classes are core coverage. Traditional asset classes (office, multifamily, hospitality) also covered.

How do you distinguish Development Managers from Owner’s Reps?

Development Managers own the front end of the lifecycle — land selection, entitlement, capital-partner interface. Owner’s Reps own the delivery side. Every Development Manager is verified for ground-up developer-side work, not delivery-side rep tenure.

Do you recruit for capital-partner-facing DMs specifically?

Yes. Capital-partner interface fluency is a specific vetting criterion. Reference-verified from prior equity, JV, and lender principals.

Do you offer a placement guarantee?

Yes. Every Development Manager placement carries a replacement guarantee. Guarantee terms are confirmed in writing at engagement start.

Can you build a full development team from scratch?

Yes. Program builds (Director of Dev + Sr DMs + DMs + Entitlement) route through embedded recruiting or RPO.

How is iRecruit.co different from a generalist real-estate recruiter?

Generalist recruiters treat all development experience as interchangeable. iRecruit.co Development Manager recruiters verify ground-up delivery, entitlement fluency, and capital-partner interface — every candidate is matched to your asset class.

Ready to hire

Talk to a mission-critical construction recruiter

30-minute scoping conversation. We’ll review the Development Manager role you need, asset class, entitlement complexity, capital structure, and municipal fluency — then recommend the right hire path and start sourcing.

Hire Development Managers →
Looking for career & salary info instead? Development Manager career guide
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