HIRE TALENT  /  OWNER-SIDE & DEVELOPMENT  /  DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Construction Recruiting

Hire Directors of Development

Hire Directors of Development who own portfolio-scale development leadership — multi-project pipeline, capital-partner communication, Development Manager bench discipline, and entitlement portfolio governance. Sector-anchored across industrial, data center, healthcare, life sciences, and multifamily.

Hire Directors of Development → How it works
Photo of a Vetted Director of DevelopmentExample profile
Connor D.
Vetted Specialist
Owner-side & Development
Director of Development
NAIOP · ULI · Build-to-Suit
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 Directors of Development in 3 steps

A structured process for the hire that anchors portfolio-scale development delivery — where getting the Director wrong doesn’t just cost a deal, it costs the Development Manager bench and the pipeline they were supposed to build.

Step 01

Talk to our team

30-minute call. Align on asset class, portfolio scale, capital-partner structure, Development Manager bench, entitlement portfolio, and start date.

Step 02

Review hand-selected talent

Within 2 weeks we introduce 3–5 Directors of Development with delivered portfolio-scale history. References from prior CDOs, capital partners, and Development Managers 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 Director of Development Hires

What makes our Director of Development shortlist different

Directors of Development sit between Development Manager execution and CDO strategy. Portfolio-scale delivery, capital-partner-facing composure, and Dev Manager mentor track separate a Director who compounds the platform’s pipeline from one who becomes the reason the platform loses talent.

01

Portfolio-scale delivery verified

Every Director on the shortlist has delivered portfolio-scale development history — multi-project, multi-year pipeline. Reference-verified from prior CDOs and capital partners.

02

Capital-partner-facing composure

Reference-verified from prior equity, JV, and lender principals on communication discipline and relationship durability.

03

Development Manager mentor track

Reference-verified retention, promotion, and culture built across Development Manager bench.

Meet Vetted Directors of Development

The caliber of Director of Development you’ll interview

Every candidate is credential-verified, capital-partner-referenced, and matched to your platform. Anonymized examples below reflect real placement profiles.

Vetted SpecialistMale DoD - industrial platformExample profile

Gregory S.

Industrial Developer Director of Development
  • $2.4B delivered industrial park + logistics portfolio
  • Led 4 Development Managers across 3 metros
  • Institutional-tenant relationship durability
NAIOPULIBuild-to-Suit
Vetted SpecialistFemale DoD - life sciencesExample profile

Alexis R.

Life Sciences Director of Development
  • Led 4 life-sciences campus programs across cluster markets
  • Owned biopharma-tenant relationship structure
  • Structured 3 JV deals with institutional life-sciences capital
ULIISPE-awareJV Structuring
Vetted SpecialistMale DoD - hyperscale developerExample profile

Paul D.

Hyperscale Data Center Director of Dev
  • Led 3 hyperscale campus developments across 2 fund cycles
  • Utility interconnect + municipal entitlement portfolio
  • Capital-partner relationships across 2 fund cycles
ULINAIOPLand-to-CO
Director of Development Specializations

Match the Director of Development specialty to your platform

“Director of Development” means different things across asset classes. Below are the specializations we recruit for:

Industrial Director of Development
Industrial park, distribution
Hire for this specialty
Data Center Director of Development
Colo / hyperscale developer
Hire for this specialty
Healthcare Director of Development
MOB, ambulatory, medical office
Hire for this specialty
Life Sciences Director of Dev
Life-sciences campus development
Hire for this specialty
Multifamily Director of Development
Multifamily & mixed-use residential
Hire for this specialty
Mixed-Use Director of Development
Mixed-use & master-plan
Hire for this specialty
Office Director of Development
Office / commercial tower dev
Hire for this specialty
Hospitality Director of Development
Hotel & resort development
Hire for this specialty
Entitlement / Land Director
Land, entitlement, utility interconnect
Hire for this specialty
Development Manager (peer)
Individual-project developer
Hire for this specialty
Chief Development Officer
C-suite development leader
Hire for this specialty
Confidential DoD Search
Retained, discreet outreach
Hire for this specialty

Not sure which Director of Development specialty fits?

We’ll help you scope the role on the call — asset class, portfolio scale, and capital-partner structure.

Hire Directors of Development →
Vetting Criteria

What we verify on every Director of Development candidate

Director of Development hires live and die on portfolio-scale delivery, capital-partner composure, and Dev Manager mentor track. Below is what every candidate has documented before you meet them:

Portfolio-scale delivery history

Reference-verified from prior CDOs and CEOs on portfolio-scale development delivery.

Capital-partner composure

Reference-verified from prior equity, JV, and lender principals.

Development Manager mentor track

Reference-verified Dev Manager retention, promotion, and department culture built.

Entitlement portfolio governance

Verified multi-project entitlement portfolio management, municipal-reviewer relationships across metros.

Asset-class fluency

Industrial, data center, healthcare, life sciences, multifamily, mixed-use. Matched to your asset class.

Compensation alignment

Director of Development, VP Development, CDO-track comp bands + promote / carry structure aligned before finalists.

FAQ

Hiring a Director of Development: frequently asked questions

How long does it take to hire a Director of Development?

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 Director of Development?

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

Do you handle confidential incumbent-replacement DoD searches?

Yes. Retained-search discretion, discreet outreach, and market-signal management are standard.

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

Yes. All mission-critical asset classes are core coverage.

How is Director of Development different from Chief Development Officer?

CDO is C-suite — platform-scale, board-facing. Director of Development runs the Dev Manager bench and portfolio-scale execution below CDO. Often a promotion track to CDO.

Do you offer a placement guarantee?

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

Can you build the full development leadership team?

Yes. Team builds (CDO + Director of Development + Sr Dev Managers + entitlement leads) route through executive search plus embedded recruiting.

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

Generalist recruiters treat all development experience as interchangeable. iRecruit.co Director of Development recruiters verify portfolio-scale delivery, capital-partner composure, and Dev Manager mentor track — 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 Director of Development role you need, asset class, portfolio scale, and capital-partner structure — then recommend the right hire path and start sourcing.

Hire Directors of Development →
Related: Development Manager hiring  ·  CDO hiring
Prefer to talk it through?
Book a 30-minute intro call and leave with pricing, timelines, and next steps.
Book a Call →