Land Acquisition + Development Manager

Full Time - Salaried - EOE

Typical Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4pm, with evening public meetings and zoning hearings as required

Affordable homeownership for hardworking families begins with the land we develop at Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio. The Land Acquisition + Development Manager owns the front end of every home we build and preserve, from site identification and due diligence through acquisition, entitlements, and predevelopment. In this role, you build and maintain a multi-year land pipeline that matches our production goals across five counties, from single infill lots to multi-lot developments. You will spend as much time with county recorders, land banks, zoning boards, and title companies as with colleagues. The sites you secure are where families across east central Ohio build and buy their homes with affordable zero-interest mortgages.

This position reports to: the Chief Executive Officer and works closely with the construction team on site readiness and handoff, and with the Grants Manager and Accounting + Business Manager on funding alignment and acquisition budgets. The Land Acquisition + Development Manager represents Habitat with public agencies, landowners, and community partners across the service area.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Property Acquisition + Due Diligence

• Research, evaluate, and recommend property acquisition opportunities across our geographic service area, including infill lots, scattered-site parcels, and multi-lot developments
• Conduct proactive outreach to landowners, county land banks, municipalities, faith communities, and other partners to identify purchase and donation opportunities
• Perform due diligence, coordinating title work, surveys, environmental reviews, utility availability, and site assessments with consultants and engineers
• Prepare due diligence reports, acquisition budgets, project pro formas, and feasibility analyses for leadership review
• Manage zoning, variances, lot splits and combinations, and other entitlements with local jurisdictions
• Negotiate purchase, donation, and option agreements in coordination with leadership and legal counsel
• Coordinate closings with title companies and counsel, and confirm recorded deeds, easements, and restrictions match the agreed terms
• Maintain a current inventory of Habitat-owned property, including acquisition status, holding costs, maintenance needs, and disposition plans
• Oversee disposition of parcels not suited for construction
• Coordinate lot selection with homeowner services to match sites to partner families' needs and timelines
• Track tax abatement, Community Reinvestment Area, and other development incentives available in each jurisdiction and manage related applications

Predevelopment + Project Setup

• Conduct site assessment and preliminary estimating with construction leadership
• Develop preliminary project budgets and schedules for new homeownership projects, including site work and infrastructure
• Support bid solicitation, contractor selection, and procurement for site work and infrastructure
• Secure permits, utility connections, and approvals required before construction begins
• Set up each project in Habitat's project management and construction systems with complete documentation
• Lead the handoff of each site from predevelopment to the construction team

Public Agency + Funding Coordination

• Represent Habitat with planning commissions, zoning boards, land banks, and county and municipal officials
• Prepare and present materials for zoning hearings and public meetings
• Collaborate with the Grants Manager and Finance to align acquisitions with funding requirements and timelines, including environmental review, site eligibility, and documentation rules attached to public funding
• Support leadership on land pipeline planning tied to Habitat's annual and multi-year production goals

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, real estate, engineering, urban planning, business administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Minimum of three years of experience in real estate acquisition, land development, construction management, urban planning, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience with due diligence, title review, zoning and entitlement processes, and purchase agreement negotiation
• Experience preparing development budgets, pro formas, or feasibility analyses
• Working knowledge of Ohio real estate transactions and local zoning and land use regulations
• Strong computer skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office 365, particularly Excel, with the ability to learn and effectively use construction and project management software
• Experience with affordable housing development or nonprofit real estate preferred
• Familiarity with county land bank programs and public funding sources for affordable housing, including federal environmental review requirements, preferred
• Ohio real estate license or notary commission preferred
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for regular travel across the five-county service area
• Have and maintain a clear criminal record

Key Skills Needed to Succeed in this Position

• Meticulous attention to detail in legal descriptions, deal terms, deadlines, and documentation
• S trong project management and budgeting skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent sites and deadlines
• Confident negotiator and clear communicator with landowners, public officials, consultants, and community partners
• Ability to read a survey, a title commitment, and a zoning code and explain what each means for a project
• Sound judgment in weighing site risks, holding costs, and timeline against production goals
• Comfortable working independently in the field and keeping colleagues informed without being asked

Physical and Other Requirements:

Work is split between an office environment and field visits to prospective and active sites. Site visits involve walking uneven terrain and exposure to weather. Must be able to lift and move up to 25 pounds on an as-needed basis.

Habitat for Humanity builds homes and hope. Serving Stark, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Harrison, and Jefferson Counties, Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio is driven by the vision that everyone needs a safe, affordable place to call home. People partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and purchase their homes with an affordable 0% interest mortgage. Through new construction, preservation construction, critical home repair, and neighborhood revitalization efforts, we partner with hardworking families as they build generational wealth and opportunity through affordable homeownership. To learn more, visit