Head of Engineering and Land Development (executive role)

Job Description

Job Description

About EYA
EYA is a premier developer and builder of thoughtfully designed, urban, walkable communities in the Washington, DC metro area. For more than 30 years, we have specialized in complex infill residential development—transforming constrained, entitlement-intensive sites into distinctive townhome and mixed-use neighborhoods.
Our projects often involve intricate jurisdictional requirements, structured parking, shared infrastructure, phased delivery, finished pad transfers, and coordination with third-party builders. We operate in some of the region’s most demanding entitlement environments—and we do so successfully because of disciplined planning, technical expertise, and strong execution leadership.

As our portfolio continues to grow in scale and complexity, we are seeking a Head of Engineering and Land Development to lead and evolve our land development platform.

The Opportunity
The Head of Engineering and Land Development is a senior executive responsible for the strategy, structure, and execution of horizontal development across EYA’s portfolio—from early feasibility input during land pursuit through infrastructure delivery, bond release, parcel transfers, and HOA turnover.

While EYA’s real estate acquisitions and development team leads entitlement strategy and jurisdictional approvals, the Head of Engineering and Land Development ensures that engineering oversight, infrastructure planning, budgeting, contractor engagement, and field execution are aligned with the realities of delivering complex urban communities.
This leader evaluates risk, determines delivery structure, safeguards capital, and ensures disciplined execution in environments where precision matters.

Leadership Scope
The Head of Engineering and Land Development leads:

• EYA’s internal engineering group (which oversees civil engineering consultants)
• The land development preconstruction and estimating function
• Land development buyout and contractor procurement
• Field land development execution
• Bond release and HOA turnover processes

This role reports to the COO and works closely with acquisitions, real estate development, construction, finance, and legal.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership in Land Pursuit

• Partner with acquisitions and development during feasibility and underwriting to assess infrastructure complexity, grading constraints, utility capacity, off-site obligations, and sequencing risk.
• Develop and validate horizontal budgets and schedules that accurately reflect urban infill conditions and jurisdictional requirements.
• Identify capital exposure and infrastructure risk early in the deal lifecycle.
• Advise on land development structuring considerations, including factors that may impact phased delivery and third-party parcel strategies.

Engineering Oversight & Execution Readiness

• Provide executive oversight to EYA’s internal engineering team, which manages external civil engineering consultants.
• Ensure that site design and infrastructure planning align with cost discipline, constructability, and horizontal sequencing strategy.
• Coordinate closely with the acquisition & development team as entitlement plans evolve, advising on execution implications without leading the entitlement process.
• Drive transition from approved plans to construction-ready documents with clarity, discipline, and accountability.

Infrastructure Delivery Strategy

• Evaluate each project’s complexity, phasing, jurisdictional environment, and risk profile to determine the optimal horizontal delivery approach.
• Oversee engagement of qualified site developers who perform all horizontal construction work.
• On larger or technically complex communities, determine when to engage a horizontal general contractor early—beginning in preconstruction—with EYA serving in an owner’s representative capacity for infrastructure delivery.
• Structure contracts to appropriately allocate risk, protect schedule integrity, and safeguard capital.
• Ensure infrastructure execution strategy supports internal vertical construction and, where applicable, finished pad or parcel delivery to third parties.

Preconstruction, Budget Discipline & Buyout

• Lead detailed estimating, value engineering, and horizontal budget refinement from underwriting through final buyout.
• Oversee contractor procurement and negotiation of major infrastructure agreements.
• Build scalable cost benchmarking and forecasting systems to improve underwriting precision.
• Maintain disciplined cost control across an increasingly complex portfolio.

Field Execution, Parcel Delivery & Community Turnover

• Provide executive oversight of horizontal construction across active communities, including roads, utilities, grading, and off-site improvements.
• Ensure timely and coordinated lot or parcel delivery—whether to EYA’s vertical construction team or to third-party builders.
• Oversee bond management strategy, inspections, jurisdictional closeout, and bond release.
• Lead coordination of infrastructure completion requirements tied to HOA turnover.
• Maintain seamless integration between land delivery schedules and vertical production needs.

The Profile
The successful candidate will bring:

• 15+ years of senior land development leadership experience in residential or mixed-use environments.
• Significant experience delivering complex urban infill projects in entitlement-heavy jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage infrastructure in phased, high-density, and capital-sensitive environments.
• Experience structuring horizontal delivery models, including early engagement of general contractors in preconstruction.
• Strong financial acumen and comfort partnering in underwriting and capital planning.
• Proven leadership of multidisciplinary teams across engineering oversight, preconstruction, and field operations.
• Deep familiarity with the DC metro development and municipal landscape preferred.

What Sets This Role Apart
This is not a traditional subdivision land development role.
At EYA, infrastructure must be delivered within constrained urban sites, under intense jurisdictional oversight, often in coordination with third-party stakeholders. Success requires judgment, foresight, disciplined execution, and a strong understanding of both risk and capital.

The Head of Engineering and Land Development will shape how complex communities are physically realized—protecting the company’s investment while enabling high-quality, enduring neighborhoods.

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