OverviewReporting to the VP of Development & Construction, the Pre-Development Manager prepares development projects for execution - from site identification and feasibility through entitlements, design coordination, and handoff to the assigned Construction Manager. Projects range from village and real estate development to on-mountain terrain and infrastructure. The role serves as the central point of contact for pre-construction planning and carries the legal, entitlement, underwriting, and stakeholder work that precedes construction.
ResponsibilitiesLegal and Documents
- Develop and maintain comprehensive working knowledge of the resort's existing and historic legal frameworks, ownership structures and governing documents - including HOA covenants, easements, entitlements, and jurisdictional agreements
- Serve as the department's primary resource for questions related to association obligations, development rights, and property constraints
- Conduct legal, entitlement, and title research; coordinate all required jurisdictional approvals
- Understand legal relationships with adjacent properties and partnership entities
- Manage the creation and early administration of Homeowner Associations (HOAs) where a project requires one. The role forms the association and administers it through initial turnover to the owners; it does not serve as the ongoing HOA manager.
- Maintain organized records of agreements, approvals, permits, and title documents for handoff to the assigned Construction Manager
Project Underwriting
- Identify potential project sites; assemble property and site summaries for team evaluation
- Evaluate project feasibility, coordinating with Mountain Operations and other resort departments where a project affects operations
- Prepare financial proformas, ROI analyses, and highest-and-best-use analyses
- Conduct market research and competitive set analysis as part of project underwriting
- Support long-term master planning strategies and feasibility/cost studies
Entitlement and Permitting
- Identify all Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), including local, state and federal, and manage the approvals and permitting process
- Manage USFS Special Use Permit requirements and coordinate ongoing compliance
- Understand and strategize entitlement sequencing including subdivision, platting, and use permitting
- Manage the entitlement schedule and the approval dependencies that drive project timing
Project Management
- Develop detailed project plans with clear milestones, deliverables, and Gantt timelines using the department's project management platform
- Lead high-level development design management; coordinate with designers in preparation for construction handoff
- Manage real estate transactions including acquisition and disposition
- Prepare and publish comprehensive project briefs, scopes, and parameters
- Identify potential project risks and develop mitigation strategies
- Lead post-mortem analysis meetings; contribute to best-practices development
Stakeholder Communication and Management
- Coordinate with resort departments (Mountain Operations, Lodging, F&B, Retail, HR, Real Estate) to ensure seamless project integration
- Solicit input and milestone feedback from stakeholders throughout the pre-development process
- Maintain regular communication with partners, investors, and lenders; provide progress updates and address concerns
- Coordinate with sales and marketing on project status, sales materials, and sales summary updates to partners and lenders
Neighbors
- Neighbor and adjacent area owner management, including proactive communication and notification on projects that affect them
- Handle objections and build consensus among neighboring owners, adjacent landowners, permit-holding partners, and affected interests
Market Awareness
- Maintain and expand a library of similar and competing projects, tracking design, pricing, and outcomes
- Maintain awareness of the competitive set to inform project positioning, pricing, and future execution
Working Conditions and Location
- This position is based at Big Sky Resort with regular on-site presence expected. Much of the work is desk-based research, analysis, and coordination; the role also participates in site visits, jurisdictional and agency meetings, and neighbor and stakeholder meetings.
- The Development & Construction department is small and carries active construction and contracting work alongside pre-development. This position supports that work as demands shift, which may include project support outside the pre-development scope described above.
- Work occurs year-round in an operating resort environment, including outdoor conditions and winter access constraints, with periodic work outside standard business hours.
Qualifications- 5+ years of experience in real estate development, land development, or a closely related field
- Strong understanding of the full real estate development lifecycle, from site selection through closing
- Experience with entitlements, platting, subdivision processes, and jurisdictional permitting
- Experience with federal or state land-use permitting (USFS Special Use Permits or similar) preferred
- Familiarity with HOA formation and governance
- Ability to read and interpret title work, easements, plats, and covenants, and to work productively with outside counsel
- Financial acumen; ability to prepare and interpret proformas and ROI analyses
- Strong project management skills: planning, scheduling, budgeting, and risk management
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to coordinate across internal departments, legal counsel, brokers, and investors
- Negotiation skills; ability to manage contracts and resolve conflicts
- Technical familiarity with architectural plans, construction processes, and applicable regulations
- Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Business, Finance, Urban Planning, or related field preferred
Scope of Duties
This description reflects the general nature and scope of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties. The Development & Construction department is small and generalist by design; members of the department are expected to take on related work as project needs, project volume, and the annual capital cycle require. Assignments and priorities are set by the VP of Development & Construction and will change over time.
