Job Description

Overview

The Development Manager is an integral part of WS and will report to leadership on the Development team. This role will work within assigned teams, providing overall project support and ensuring project success.

The Development Manager will be responsible for a portfolio of projects and will assist in completion of deliverables that will help manage the day-to-day aspects of these projects and drive them to completion.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage large-scale national retail development projects from site selection through construction completion.

• Work closely with internal teams, including investments, leasing, finance, construction, and legal, to ensure seamless project execution.

• Conduct feasibility analysis, due diligence, and financial modeling for new development opportunities.

• Secure necessary entitlements, zoning approvals, and permits by coordinating with municipalities and regulatory agencies.

• Compiling comprehensive documentation of critical project information, providing detailed planning of project activities and team priorities, providing general project management support, and making project recommendations to senior leadership.

• Manage relationships with third-party consultants, including architects, engineers, contractors, and environmental specialists.

• Oversee project budgets and schedules, ensuring developments are completed on time and within financial parameters.

• Collaborate with leasing teams to align development plans with tenant requirements and market demand.

• Monitor market trends, industry regulations, and competitive landscapes to identify potential risks and opportunities.

• Address and resolve project-related issues, including design modifications, site constraints, and construction challenges.

• Prepare and present development reports to senior leadership, investors, and stakeholders.

What We Are Looking For

Team Player: WS is a vertically integrated firm and the Development Manager will work in support of the Vice President of Development, and alongside Construction, Leasing, Asset Management, Design, Marketing, and Finance in solutions to each challenge throughout the project. We are looking for candidates who excel at organizing, communicating, and managing complex details while preserving an awareness of big-picture project goals, and who are strong collaborators and thrive working in a team-oriented environment.

Passion: We are looking for an individual who is passionate about this industry and our projects. The ideal candidate will be ambitious and intellectually curious in the business and have an appreciation for the scale and impact of all the projects WS owns and develops.

Ownership: Understanding the sense of urgency surrounding project deadlines and responding to project tasks and deadlines in a timely manner. An ideal candidate is someone who will treat each project as their own, caring about the quality and outcome in driving each project to completion.

An ideal candidate will thrive working in a team-oriented environment and will work collaboratively to deliver solutions. We are seeking people who have demonstrated the ability to deliver quality work and consistently meet deadlines.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business, Finance, Urban Planning, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in commercial real estate development, with a focus on large-scale retail projects.
• Strong knowledge of land acquisition, entitlements, zoning, permitting, and construction processes.
• Experience managing complex, multi-site national projects and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, budgeting, and project proformas.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to navigate complex regulatory environments and work with government agencies.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to adapt to evolving project demands.
• Proficiency in real estate development software, Microsoft Office Suite, and project management tools.
• Preferred Skills & Certifications:
• Professional certifications such as PMP, CCIM, or LEED accreditation.
• Experience with mixed-use or experiential retail developments.
• Knowledge of national retail trends and consumer behavior insights.

About WS Development

Massachusetts-based WS Development is a mixed-use developer with a singular mission: creating places people want to be. With an approach that values art, science, innovation and, above all else, people, WS strives to engage each community it serves with best-in-class experiences, designed with our customers, tenants and partners in mind. Established in 1990, WS is one of few vertically-integrated real estate companies that conceptualizes, owns, operates and leases more than 100 properties that range from cutting-edge urban spaces to lifestyle and community centers. With over 22 million square feet of existing space and an additional nine million square feet under development, it is one of the largest privately-owned development firms in the country.

WS is where great ideas and great people come together to design, build, and operate some of the best loved real estate projects in the country. We live at the intersection of entrepreneurship and establishment. We have the infrastructure of decades supporting a culture of free-thinking excellence.

We expect every WS employee to feel welcomed and valued irrespective of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, and life experiences. Or for any other reason.

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