Senior Director of Development

CRG is a privately held real estate development and investment firm with deep expertise in industrial, office, student housing, land, and data center assets. Since 1993, we’ve developed over 220 million square feet across 12,500 acres, representing more than $14 billion in value. The firm serves clients and investors from headquarters in Chicago and St. Louis, and regional offices in Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. CRG manages $2.3 billion in real estate assets across institutional joint ventures and four fund vehicles with over $500 million in AUM. As part of Clayco, a nationally recognized, vertically integrated real estate and construction enterprise, CRG combines the strength and scale of an industry leader with the agility of an entrepreneurial platform.

The Role We Want You For

The Senior Director of Development supports the full lifecycle of development projects — from underwriting and Investment Committee approval through due diligence, budgeting, and pre-construction. This role is central to keeping deals financially disciplined, diligence-clean, and on schedule, and serves as the primary point of coordination between the Vice President, outside consultants, and vendors.

The Specifics of the Role

• Draft Investment Committee memos, translating deal economics, market data, and diligence findings into clear, decision-ready materials for senior leadership.
• Maintain and update budget and job cost trackers, flagging variances and keeping cost data current for leadership review.
• Support the creation of budgets by gathering bids, validating assumptions, and tracking revisions.
• Assist with investment materials, approval packages, and presentations to senior leadership.
• Own due diligence coordination end-to-end: reach out to vendors and consultants, solicit and compare quotes, and coordinate scopes of work.
• Review incoming diligence reports (title, survey, environmental, geotechnical, zoning, utilities), flag issues or red flags, and drive resolution with the responsible vendor or consultant.
• Review title commitments, exception documents, easements, and ALTA surveys; recommend mitigation strategies for identified risks.
• Organize and maintain diligence files so materials are complete, current, and easy for the team to reference.
• Maintain and enforce all deal-related timelines tied to PSAs, diligence periods, entitlement milestones, and consultant deliverables.
• Create and maintain project trackers and overall pipeline management tools to keep deals moving on schedule and give leadership visibility into status across the portfolio.
• Coordinate with engineers, architects, designers, and contractors to validate feasibility and ensure cross-functional alignment.
• Manage the flow of drawings, reports, proposals, and RFI documentation among internal teams and external consultants.
• Track project schedules, prepare status reports, and elevate blockers promptly.
• Ensure all activities comply with internal development standards and documentation protocols.

Requirements

• 2–5+ years of experience in real estate development, due diligence, or related fields.
• Strong working knowledge of title and survey review, zoning processes, and standard development feasibility factors.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and coordinating scopes of work, quotes, and deliverables.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and consultant teams simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Excel, project management/tracking tools, and reading technical plans.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable driving accountability across teams.
• Ability to handle multiple projects at various stages of development.

Some Things You Should Know

• No other builder can offer the collaborative design-build approach that Clayco does.
• We work on creative, complex, award-winning, high-profile jobs.
• The pace is fast!

Why Join CRG?

At CRG, you’ll be joining a nationally respected platform with deep institutional relationships, a robust project pipeline, and the financial backing of Clayco. This is a rare opportunity to be part of a nimble, high-performing team where ideas are heard, effort is recognized, and value creation is rewarded. As Vice President of FP&A, you’ll play a critical role in shaping how we measure performance, allocate capital, and communicate results—while gaining exposure across every facet of the real estate investment business.

• Join a mission-driven, entrepreneurial team backed by Clayco’s national platform.
• Gain visibility and impact at the highest levels of leadership.
• Be a part of landmark real estate projects across the U.S.
• Work in an innovative culture that values speed, integrity, and excellence.
• Best Places to Work – St. Louis Business Journal, Los Angeles Business Journal, Phoenix Business Journal.
• ENR – Top Midwest Contractors (#1), Top Design Build Contractors (#4), Top 400 Contractors (#20), ENR – Top Green Builders (#5).
• RE Journals: 2023 Developer of the Year.
• GlobeSt.com: Multifamily Influencer (2023 & 2024).
• Crain’s Chicago Business, NAIOP, GlobeSt.com, Student Housing Business, Law.com, Connect CRE, RE Journals: Award-winning leadership and rising stars across multiple disciplines.
• Discretionary Annual Bonus: Subject to company and individual performance.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package Including: Medical, dental and vision plans, 401k, generous PTO and paid company holidays, employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability coverage, learning & development programs and more!

Compensation

• The salary range for this position considers a wide range of factors in making compensation decisions including but not limited to: Education, qualifications, skills, training, experience, certifications, internal equity, and location. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.