What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Land Entitlements position at Metric Geo?
Director of Land Entitlements
Top Residential Developer / Homebuilder
Gwinnett County, GA
Position Overview
A top national homebuilder is seeking a Director of Land Entitlements to lead the entitlement process for residential communities throughout the Greater Atlanta market, with a focus on Gwinnett County and surrounding areas. This individual will oversee the entitlement strategy for new land acquisitions, manage complex development approvals, and work closely with internal teams, municipalities, consultants, and land sellers to bring projects from acquisition through final approvals.
This is a highly visible leadership role that plays a critical part in growing the company's land pipeline and delivering successful residential communities.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead all entitlement activities for new residential land acquisitions from due diligence through final approvals.
- Develop and execute entitlement strategies for single-family and master-planned communities.
- Manage rezoning, annexation, comprehensive plan amendments, variances, special use permits, and subdivision approvals.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with local municipalities, planning departments, county officials, engineers, attorneys, and consultants throughout Gwinnett County and the Greater Atlanta market.
- Coordinate with Land Acquisition, Land Development, Legal, Finance, and Construction teams to ensure projects progress on schedule.
- Oversee engineering consultants, environmental consultants, surveyors, traffic engineers, and land-use attorneys.
- Present entitlement applications before planning commissions, zoning boards, city councils, and county commissioners.
- Identify entitlement risks early and develop solutions to keep projects moving forward.
- Track project schedules, budgets, and critical milestones throughout the approval process.
- Provide regular updates to executive leadership regarding project status, risks, and timelines.
- Support underwriting efforts by evaluating entitlement feasibility during land acquisition due diligence.
- Ensure all projects comply with local, state, and federal regulations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Urban Planning, Construction Management, Real Estate, or a related field.
- 8 years of residential land entitlement, land development, or land planning experience.
- Experience with a production homebuilder or residential land developer is strongly preferred.
- Proven experience obtaining residential entitlements throughout Georgia, ideally within Gwinnett County or the Greater Atlanta market.
- Strong knowledge of zoning regulations, comprehensive plans, development ordinances, and permitting processes.
- Experience managing consultants, engineers, attorneys, and municipal relationships.
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation abilities.
Preferred Experience
- Residential subdivision development.
- Master-planned community entitlements.
- Due diligence and feasibility analysis.
- Land acquisition support.
- Budget management and entitlement scheduling.
- Experience working with local governments across Metro Atlanta.