Director of Development

The Director of Development will lead all national development activities, overseeing deal sourcing, entitlements, vendor relations, capital markets, legal coordination, and full development lifecycle execution. This individual will serve as the front-facing ambassador of the organization, driving industrial cold‑storage and food‑logistics development projects from concept through completion while contributing to strategic growth.

Client Details

Company is a real estate investment and development firm specializing in the acquisition and development of food‑logistics assets across the United States. Founded in the 2000s, the company maintains a highly entrepreneurial environment and a privately owned structure.

The current headquarters is located in Cranford, New Jersey, though the company is open to relocating the office closer to NYC/Newark depending on the needs and location of the successful candidate.

The firm is in a period of strategic growth and is looking for a high‑impact, versatile development leader.

Description

The Director of Development will be responsible for the full development life cycle, including:

Deal Sourcing & Evaluation

• Identify and source industrial land opportunities nationally.
• Evaluate entitlement risks, jurisdictional requirements, and project feasibility.
• Ensure all opportunities align with the company's investment thesis and business plan.

Entitlements, Planning & Vendor Management

• Lead entitlement processes, negotiations, and approvals.
• Maintain deep, trusted relationships with consultants, vendors, municipalities, and third‑party partners.
• Oversee and participate in development and planning calls.
• Create, maintain, and manage project development schedules.

Capital Markets & Transaction Execution

• Support and lead capital markets activities, including JV structuring and lender coordination.
• Manage and negotiate loan documents, PSA agreements, and AIA contracts for new developments.
• Work closely with legal teams and external partners to drive transactions to closing.

Leadership, Strategy & Representation

• Demonstrate a strong track record of completed deals and quantifiable transaction contributions.
• Maintain a respected reputation across the industrial development community.
• Serve as a public‑facing representative at conferences, panels, and industry events.
• Oversee one direct report (Development Manager responsible for day‑to‑day construction oversight).

Profile

Experience & Technical Expertise

• 8-10+ years of real estate development experience within an investment or development firm.
• Industrial development experience is mandatory, ideally cold storage or food logistics‑related.
• Proven ability to source, structure, and close deals with full lifecycle ownership.
• Strong educational background from a reputable institution.

Entrepreneurial Mindset

• Demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit-someone who has tried, failed, tried again, and learned from real‑world experience.
• A 'sales‑oriented,' opportunity‑driven thinker who can independently generate value.

Cultural Fit

• Comfortable operating in a small, lean organization, wearing multiple hats and adapting quickly.
• A 'Swiss Army knife' type with broad skill sets across development, capital markets, vendor management, and strategy.
• Strong interpersonal skills, discretion, and a reputation for professionalism and integrity.

Job Offer

• Competitive Base Salary: up to 205K (depending on experience)

• Bonus / Equity: Highly flexible compensation structure; the company is especially interested in candidates who value higher bonus or deal‑level equity participation over a high base.

• Potential for deal participation similar to the Development Manager's structure (who earns ~1% of profit on projects, often exceeding 20% of base salary).

• Ability to shape the future direction, culture, and geographic footprint of a growing national development platform.

• An opportunity to step into a leadership role where impact is immediate and highly visible.

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.