Site Development Project Manager in Houston
Job Description
Position Summary:
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We are seeking an experienced Site Development Project Manager to lead the planning, entitlement, permitting, engineering coordination, and development of new commercial retail locations from acquisition through construction. This individual will manage the entire development lifecycle by coordinating civil engineering, geotechnical investigations, permitting, consultant management, project budgeting, scheduling, and regulatory approvals. The Development Project Manager serves as the primary liaison between Real Estate, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and external consultants to ensure projects remain on schedule, within budget, and compliant with all applicable regulations. The ideal candidate has extensive experience managing commercial site development projects and thrives in a fast-paced, multi-project environment.
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Key Responsibilities:
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Development Project Management
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• Lead the development process for new store construction and major site redevelopment projects.
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• Develop and manage project schedules, critical paths, and overall development strategies.
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• Coordinate zoning approvals, entitlements, variances, permits, utility coordination, property closings, and governmental approvals.
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• Drive projects from land acquisition through construction handoff while minimizing project risk and unnecessary development costs.
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• Utilize project management software to track milestones, communicate project status, and maintain project schedules.
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• Develop a thorough understanding of assigned development markets, local regulations, and permitting requirements.
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Civil Engineering & Site Development
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• Manage conceptual, preliminary, and final civil engineering plans through outside engineering consultants.
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• Establish project direction using conceptual site plans that support operational and business objectives.
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• Ensure engineering plans comply with company standards, local development requirements, and permitting regulations.
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• Coordinate grading, drainage, utility, roadway, parking, and site development design.
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• Work with consultants to develop value-engineered solutions that improve constructibility while reducing project costs and schedules.
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• Resolve permitting and engineering challenges by collaborating with municipalities, consultants, and regulatory agencies.
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• Identify engineering alternatives that enhance site functionality and customer experience.
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Consultant Management
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• Manage relationships with civil engineering, geotechnical, utility verification, permitting, and development consultants.
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• Prepare and administer professional service agreements.
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• Evaluate consultant performance, quality, responsiveness, and overall value.
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• Negotiate consultant contracts, scopes of work, and change orders.
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• Provide quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) for consultant deliverables.
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• Review and approve consultant invoices and project expenditures.
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• Determine the appropriate use of internal versus external project resources.
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Cost Estimating & Financial Management
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• Develop and maintain conceptual and final project cost estimates throughout the development process.
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• Prepare project approval packages and financial analyses supporting executive decision-making.
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• Coordinate with Environmental, Construction, Engineering, and Operations teams to identify project risks and potential cost impacts.
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• Evaluate construction alternatives and non-standard site conditions that could affect budgets.
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• Participate in project review meetings while providing technical recommendations and cost analysis.
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Geotechnical & Environmental Coordination
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• Manage geotechnical engineering activities for assigned projects.
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• Review geotechnical reports and validate recommendations for constructibility and cost effectiveness.
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• Coordinate geotechnical and environmental findings with engineering and construction teams.
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• Identify alternative engineering solutions based on subsurface conditions.
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• Communicate project-specific geotechnical risks, recommendations, and budget impacts to internal stakeholders.
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Real Estate & Utility Coordination
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• Coordinate easements, utilities, property boundaries, and development agreements.
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• Partner with Real Estate, legal counsel, surveyors, utility providers, municipalities, and adjacent property owners to facilitate successful project development.
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• Assist with preparation and review of easements, development agreements, and project documentation to protect company interests.
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Cross-Functional Project Leadership
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• Lead project strategy meetings from project handoff through construction.
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• Facilitate design review, permitting review, and pre-construction meetings.
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• Coordinate closely with Real Estate, Construction, Engineering, Operations, Marketing, and other internal departments throughout each project's lifecycle.
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• Support Construction teams during project execution by resolving engineering, permitting, and development issues.
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Risk Management & Regulatory Compliance
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• Evaluate short-term and long-term project risks throughout the development process.
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• Interpret federal, state, and local development regulations and recommend compliant engineering solutions.
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• Coordinate with municipalities, regulatory agencies, utility companies, and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs).
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• Maintain project documentation supporting regulatory compliance.
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• Assist with updating company development standards as regulations evolve.
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• Provide guidance to internal teams regarding permitting requirements, code interpretations, and regulatory compliance.
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Required Qualifications
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Education
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• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
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Experience
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• Minimum of 5 years of experience in commercial site development, civil engineering, construction management, or related project management.
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• Working knowledge of commercial site development and geotechnical engineering principles.
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Skills
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• Proven ability to manage multiple commercial development projects simultaneously.
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• Strong understanding of entitlement, permitting, zoning, and commercial site development.
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• Excellent negotiation, organizational, and project management skills.
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• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
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• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
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• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and AutoCAD.
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• Experience managing consultants, project budgets, schedules, and multidisciplinary teams.
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Qualifications
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• Master's degree in Civil Engineering or related discipline.
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• Five or more years of commercial civil engineering and site development experience.
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• Experience with geotechnical engineering, subsurface design, and commercial construction.
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• Advanced project management experience.
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• Proficiency with AutoCAD Civil 3D.
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Why Join Us?
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This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the expansion of a nationally recognized retail organization. You'll lead high-profile development projects from concept through construction, work alongside cross-functional business leaders, and have a direct impact on the company's long-term growth strategy while