Senior Development Manager

Main Purpose and Function

The Senior Development Manager works closely with the Director, Non-Market Housing Development and plays a critical role in delivering non-market rental housing on City-owned land for individuals and families on low to moderate incomes across Vancouver.

The position leads a team of Development Managers while overseeing non-market housing projects through rezoning, detailed design and construction utilizing non-profit delivery partners in some or all of these stages based on project objectives.

The focus of this position is delivery effectiveness with responsibility for ensuring that projects are kept within scope, forecasted budgets and on track with the expedited timelines targeted for planning and construction.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversees Non-Market Housing Development Projects once assigned by the Director through rezoning and approval in principle detailed design, including obtaining the needed permits, construction and handover to operation, including reporting responsibility to the Director
• Oversees the procurement of necessary design and other professionals required across the City’s pipeline of projects;
• Leads negotiation of major contracts associated with projects, for example; consultant contracts, construction management contracts, lease negotiations
• Oversees Development Manager’s review of key project deliverables produced by delivery partners for quality assurance and adherence to project / contractual requirements
• Approves Non-Profit-Partner construction reporting requirements and oversees the management of key issues that arise during construction with Development Managers and Non-Profit-Partners
• Acts as the primary point of escalation for Development Managers and project partners and is responsible for reporting risks to Director as required to maintain cost and schedule through all development phases of the project;
• Oversees proper project closeout by Development Managers at project completion
• Collaborates with City departments and project partners to find solutions to key issues and expedite the delivery of non-market housing projects
• Writes / presents reports and makes recommendations to Council and other internal oversight committees
• Manages the performance and project assignment of all direct reports
• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with key delivery partners including BC Housing, CMHC, non-profit partners and service providers
• Manages capital and operating Project budgets
• Promotes the activities of NMHD and identifies opportunities for new development, new funding resources or innovative delivery mechanisms.
• Other duties / responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

Education and Experience :

• Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Engineering, Architecture or Urban Land Economics and minimum of eight years related project management experience in real estate / residential development, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Professional certification in Planning, Engineering, Architecture or Urban Land Economics or other related area preferred
• Project Management training or certification preferred
• Experience leading a team of direct reports and consultants in the delivery of complex projects
• Experience representing clients / partners in large scale development projects
• Experience in the design and construction of residential buildings (preferably non market housing) and with utilizing urban planning principles and urban site optimization
• Experience in the financial analysis of large scale residential / mixed use development
• Experience working within a public sector or other multi-objective / multi-stakeholder environment

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities :

• Knowledge of the Vancouver Building Bylaw, preferred
• Knowledge of the City of Vancouver Permit practices and Planning processes
• Knowledge of sustainable building design and construction practices
• Knowledge of MS Office suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
• Ability to analyze complex situations, determine appropriate courses of action and make recommendations to senior management
• Excellent interpersonal, communications, mediation, and conflict resolution skills
• Excellent written communication skills to present clear, concise and complete reports and recommendations
• Results-oriented with the ability to effectively manage multiple projects with tight timelines
• Skill in preparing project specifications, consulting and construction agreements
• Ability to prepare and manage large capital budgets
• Ability to manage large mixed discipline consultant teams, keeping the project on time and on budget
• Ability to prepare requests for proposal and evaluate responses for large developments (preferably in an affordable housing context)
• Ability to negotiate and manage development and lease agreements
• Ability to analyze a variety of cost estimates for building projects, and make recommendations to keep project on budget and schedule
• Ability to deal effectively with architects, engineers, contractors, non-profit partners, City Departments and the general public to establish cooperative working relationships
• Ability to review, analyze and effectively critique building plans, specifications, contract documents and other key project deliverables
• Ability to reconcile differing perspectives, develop consensus, and secure cooperation and support from both partners and team members with and without direct authority.
• Ability to lead, motivate, manage and develop staff.
• Ability to demonstrate high degree of independent judgment.
• Ability to meet transportation requirements
• Thorough knowledge the Vancouver real estate market an asset

Where operationally appropriate and subject to change, the City of Vancouver has a Flexible Work Program. This program allows staff to work remotely 1 4 days a week from locations that are a daily commutable distance from their work at a City worksite.

At this time this position is eligible to be part of the Flexible Work Program.

Business Unit / Department : Office of the City Manager (1010)