Development Project Manager

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY

Denton Floyd Real Estate Group is a vertically integrated real estate firm headquartered in Jeffersonville, Indiana, serving the Louisville metro and surrounding markets. Our platform spans development, capital markets, architecture and engineering, general contracting, and property management — with in-house divisions delivering multifamily, senior living, mixed-use, and industrial assets from site selection through stabilization.

We are seeking a Development Project Manager to bring formal, disciplined project management to the active project portfolio within DF Development. This role is the owner-side project management function for the development team: accountable for schedule, budget, scope, and risk across multiple concurrent projects moving through due diligence, entitlements, design, permitting, construction, and turnover.

This position is deliberately distinct from our Development Manager role, which owns deal-level underwriting and project execution. The Development Project Manager is a credentialed project management professional who establishes and enforces the standards, schedules, controls, and reporting cadence that keep every project in the pipeline on time and on budget — and who serves as the connective tissue between DF Development, Vector Design Group, Forge Construction, Capital Markets, and DF Property Management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Planning & Controls

• Build and maintain the master project schedule for each active development — integrating due diligence, entitlement, design, financing, construction, turnover, and lease-up milestones into a single critical path.

• Develop work breakdown structures, milestone gates, and predecessor logic; monitor float, identify slippage early, and drive documented recovery plans.

• Establish and maintain standardized project artifacts across the portfolio — project charters, RACI matrices, risk registers, decision logs, action item trackers, and change logs.

• Run recurring project team meetings with clear agendas, documented decisions, and owner-assigned action items with due dates.

Budget & Cost Control

• Track development budgets against the approved pro forma across hard costs, soft costs, and contingency; maintain cost-to-complete forecasting and variance reporting.

• Administer a formal change control process — evaluating, documenting, and routing scope changes with their full cost and schedule impact before approval.

• Coordinate with Capital Markets and Accounting on draw schedules, lender requisitions, and funding milestones so capital timing aligns with the construction schedule.

• Review and reconcile consultant and vendor invoices against contracted scope and completed work.

Entitlements, Design & Pre-Development

• Drive the entitlement and permitting critical path — rezoning, variances, site plan approval, and permit issuance — coordinating municipalities, legal counsel, and outside consultants against hard deadlines.

• Manage Vector Design Group and third-party consultants (civil, structural, MEP, landscape, geotechnical, environmental) through schematic design, design development, and construction documents.

• Scope, contract, and track consultant deliverables; hold design milestones accountable to the project schedule and budget.

• Coordinate utility, easement, and jurisdictional approvals that carry long lead times and outsized schedule risk.

Construction Interface & Delivery

• Serve as the owner's representative to Forge Construction from preconstruction and GMP development through construction execution, turnover, and warranty.

• Attend OAC meetings; ensure owner decisions, selections, and approvals are returned within the timeframes the schedule requires.

• Maintain visibility into RFIs, submittals, and change orders for schedule and budget impact, escalating issues that threaten milestones.

• Coordinate turnover to DF Property Management or Triple Crown Senior Living, including certificate of occupancy sequencing, punch list closeout, and lease-up readiness.

Reporting, Risk & Stakeholder Communication

• Maintain an active risk register for each project, with mitigation plans, owners, and escalation thresholds.

• Produce executive-level status reporting and portfolio dashboards for the VP of Development, executive leadership, and capital partners on a defined cadence.

• Serve as the single source of truth for project status — schedule position, budget position, open risks, and pending decisions.

• Lead project closeout, including final documentation, as-built turnover, warranty handoff, and lessons-learned review.

Project Management Discipline & Process

• Apply PMI-aligned methodology and terminology consistently across the development portfolio, adapted to the realities of real estate development.

• Establish, document, and continuously improve repeatable project management standards, templates, and stage-gate processes for the development team.

• Administer and optimize project management tooling (scheduling, document control, and reporting platforms); train team members on adopted standards.

Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification in good standing through the Project Management Institute. This is a core requirement of the role, not a preference.

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Real Estate, Business, or a related field.

• Five or more years of progressive project management experience on complex capital projects — real estate development, commercial construction, or owner's representative work.

• Demonstrated ownership of multi-million-dollar budgets and schedules across multiple concurrent projects.

• Proficiency with scheduling and project controls software (Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, Smartsheet, or equivalent) and construction platforms such as Procore and Bluebeam.

• Working knowledge of the full development lifecycle: due diligence, entitlements, design, permitting, construction, turnover, and lease-up.

• Ability to read and interpret construction documents, specifications, and consultant deliverables.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present project status and recommendations to executive leadership and capital partners.

• Valid driver's license and the ability to travel regularly to project sites within the Louisville MSA and other active markets.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Ground-up multifamily and/or senior living development experience.

• Prior owner-side or owner's representative experience with a developer, rather than exclusively general contractor or subcontractor experience.

• Familiarity with LIHTC, HUD, agency, or other structured and public financing sources and their reporting and compliance requirements.

• Experience within a vertically integrated platform where design, construction, and property management sit under the same roof.

• Experience implementing project management standards, templates, or PMO practices in an organization that previously lacked them.

• Additional credentials such as CCM, PMI-SP, DBIA, or LEED AP.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Process Discipline — Builds structure where none exists and holds the portfolio to a consistent standard.

• Influence Without Authority — Manages consultants, contractors, and internal divisions toward outcomes without direct authority.

• Schedule Rigor — Tracks the details that move milestones and flags variance before it becomes a delay.

• Proactive Risk Management — Anticipates what could derail a project and builds the mitigation plan in advance.

• Executive Communication — Communicates status clearly, escalates early, and never lets bad news travel slowly.

• Accountability — Owns the outcome across division lines and follows through to closeout.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This position is based in our Jeffersonville, Indiana office with regular travel to active project sites and municipal meetings. Site visits require the ability to navigate active construction environments, including uneven terrain, ladders, and stairs, and to wear required personal protective equipment. The role involves periods of extended computer and desk work. Occasional evening meetings are required for public hearings and municipal approvals.

Benefits

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Denton Floyd Real Estate Group offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and credentials, including performance-based bonus eligibility, medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plan participation, paid time off, and professional development support — including continuing education units required to maintain PMP certification.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Denton Floyd Real Estate Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.