What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Development Manager position at Merrimac Ventures?
About Merrimac Ventures
Merrimac Ventures is a family-owned real estate investment and development firm headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with over 40 years of history building communities and advancing cities across South Florida and beyond. The firm specializes in luxury resort, mixed-use, and residential development, with a portfolio that spans iconic projects including Miami Worldcenter, the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Fort Lauderdale, Paramount Fort Lauderdale Beach, The Gale Boutique Hotel and Residences, and the Four Seasons Resort at Telluride. With more than $3 billion in completed projects and an active pipeline in excess of $3.7 billion, Merrimac operates as a highly entrepreneurial, relationship-driven firm where the quality of what we build is taken personally.
The Opportunity
The Senior Development Manager is a senior hire who will serve as the development team's primary financial and strategic engine — a true developer, not a project manager. Reporting to the SVP of Development, this person will carry projects across the full lifecycle from pre-acquisition underwriting through certificate of occupancy, lead complex entitlement and design processes, and represent Merrimac with capital partners, municipalities, and the firm's network of world-class consultants and contractors.
This role is designed for someone who has run deals — who understands pro forma construction, has navigated entitlement risk in competitive Florida markets, and brings the credibility and judgment to operate with significant autonomy. You will also serve as a direct mentor to the firm's Development Associate and provide day-to-day direction to the Development Coordinator.
What You Will Do
Financial Underwriting & Deal Evaluation
- Lead financial modeling on active and prospective projects — pro forma construction, sensitivity analysis, IRR, equity waterfall structures, and construction draw schedules.
- Prepare investment memoranda and present to capital partners and the firm's leadership alongside the SVP.
- Evaluate land acquisition opportunities; provide go/no-go analysis with clear return benchmarks and risk flags.
- Monitor project budgets against approved proforma throughout design and construction; identify variances early and recommend corrective action.
Entitlement & Pre-Development
- Lead entitlement strategy including zoning applications, variances, development agreements, and public/private approvals.
- Manage land use counsel, permitting consultants, civil engineers, and municipal relationships through approvals.
- Oversee design development from schematic design through construction documents, managing architect and consultant teams as owner's representative.
- Coordinate unit mix, program, and product positioning with the SVP and sales/marketing team on for-sale projects.
Construction Oversight & Delivery
- Partner with the Development Manager to oversee active construction, including GC management, OAC meetings, draw review, change order analysis, and schedule tracking.
- Serve as the firm's owner's representative on assigned projects throughout the construction phase.
- Identify and manage risk proactively; escalate material issues with recommended resolution paths.
Team & Pipeline Development
- Mentor and direct the Development Associate and Development Coordinator, assigning work and reviewing deliverables.
- Support pipeline evaluation by preparing feasibility studies and market analyses on new opportunities.
- Maintain and grow relationships with lenders, equity partners, brokers, local officials, and the firm's consultant and contractor network.
What We Are Looking For
Required:
- 5–8 years of direct real estate development experience — land, entitlement, design, and construction — at a developer or owner-builder.
- Demonstrated track record managing ground-up multifamily or for-sale condo projects from predevelopment through delivery.
- Advanced financial modeling skills: Excel-based pro forma, waterfall structures, JV equity, and construction draw analysis.
- Deep working knowledge of Florida entitlement, permitting, and construction processes.
- Experience managing design and consultant teams as the owner's representative.
- Bachelor's degree required; MRED, MBA, or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.
Preferred:
- Experience across both for-sale condo and for-rent multifamily product types.
- Familiarity with City of Miami, City of Fort Lauderdale, and Broward County regulatory environments.
- Existing relationships within the South Florida development, design, capital, and brokerage communities.
- Spanish language proficiency a plus, given the firm's international investor base.
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL (Miami travel required)
Travel: Active project sites across FL and CO