How to hire a land development manager

How to hire a land development manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step land development manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a land development manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new land development manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a land development manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your land development manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a land development manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a land development manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a land development manager that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of land development manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Land Development Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Land Development Manager	Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish.	$32-60
   Director Of Construction	A Director Of Construction is responsible for supervision of all construction-related projects. They review project progress, address issues, and adjust schedules and budgets.	$46-96
   General Contractor	The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement... Show more	$19-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Civil Engineering
   • Project Management
   • Construction Management
   • Development Projects
   • Due Diligence
   • Site Development
   • Engineering Design
   • Value Engineering
   • Real Estate
   • Construction Process
   • HOA
   • Autocad
   • Site Inspections
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage HOA's from inception to assigning management control to resident board.
   • Lead development efforts with aggressive time-lines on many web-base java projects in a dynamic environment concluding in successful on-time deliveries.
   • Handle payroll for staff and workers.
   • Collaborate with CPA for year-end tax reporting.
   • Assist company CPA on tax planning for all partners.
   • Operate and maintain skid steer, trailers, and mowing equipment.

   More land development manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your land development manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A land development manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a land development manager in Alabama may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level land development manager usually earns less than a senior-level land development manager. Additionally, a land development manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average land development manager salary

   $92,079yearly

   $44.27 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level land development manager salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average land development manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$117,259	$56
   2	New Jersey	$109,709	$53
   3	Washington	$106,720	$51
   4	Maryland	$105,588	$51
   5	Michigan	$103,455	$50
   6	Idaho	$101,068	$49
   7	Pennsylvania	$94,786	$46
   8	Arizona	$94,241	$45
   9	Ohio	$90,684	$44
   10	South Carolina	$90,325	$43
   11	Texas	$89,070	$43
   12	Georgia	$88,811	$43
   13	Florida	$85,384	$41
   14	Colorado	$83,628	$40
   15	Virginia	$83,501	$40
   16	North Carolina	$73,899	$36

   Average land development manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$123,681	$59.46	179
   2	Brookfield Properties	$108,069	$51.96	2
   3	GPAC	$91,642	$44.06
   4	IBM	$91,394	$43.94	52
   5	ManpowerGroup	$91,351	$43.92	17
   6	Bedrock Manufacturing	$90,555	$43.54
   7	Edgewood Properties	$89,915	$43.23	1
   8	CleanChoice Energy	$89,480	$43.02
   9	LVI Holding Corporation	$89,480	$43.02
   10	NRP Holding Company Inc	$89,480	$43.02
   11	Vintage Glen Senior Apartments	$89,480	$43.02
   12	K Hovnanian Companies Of New York Inc	$89,265	$42.92	1
   13	Goodwin Recruiting	$88,552	$42.57
   14	PulteGroup	$87,873	$42.25	8
   15	Heavy Equipment Co LLC	$87,477	$42.06	1
   16	Lennar	$87,288	$41.97	26
   17	Timmons Group	$86,823	$41.74	45
   18	David Weekley Homes	$86,566	$41.62	12
   19	Taylor Morrison	$86,529	$41.60
   20	American Homes 4 Rent	$86,372	$41.52	1

4. Writing a land development manager job description

   A job description for a land development manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a land development manager job description:

   Land development manager job description example

   Welcome to Mill Creek! We're glad you're here! At Mill Creek Residential we are committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where our associates can grow and bring their whole selves to work. This starts with our recruiting and hiring process. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We want you to know that we encourage you to apply if this job excites you, even if you don't meet 100% of the requirements. You may just be the right candidate for this role, or another role and make your mark at Mill Creek.
   
   The primary responsibility of the Land Development Manager is to manage the daily field and office operations of the land development function. As part of those responsibilities, the Land Development Manager oversees daily Land construction operations in the field and also helps the Land Acquisition Team to determine any potential issues on any sites in consideration.
   Essential Functions/Responsibilities
   Management of project-specific land development from planning and entitlements through the completion of infrastructure including off-site and on-site work and amenities.Conducts daily builder activities, including design review, permits applications and submissions, and other functions to ensure continuity from planning through community completion.Responsible for schedules and insuring the workmanship of all work by inspecting and approving subcontractor's work.Ensures all contracted vendors meet the proper insurance requirements and manages pay hold reporting to accounting for the land operations.Ensures that the work complies with City or County requirements and applicable codes.Works directly with the Division Vice President / Land Development Director to Manage control functions including cost/budget controls, budget reconciliation, cash flow projections, and activity/program scheduling and monitoring compliance and obligations of tract map conditions, exactions and bond processing.In coordination with the Division Vice President / Land Development Director and Development Director, Administration of any and all consulting teams in preparation and processing of land use documents and related infrastructure design/improvement plans & project budgets.Conducts inter agency discussions in conjunction with the Director of Development by serving as a liaison/processing for all levels of required entitlements-to-use, site development plans/documents and related merchant builder approvals.Maintains records of all changes on the Community projects, such as change order and/or purchase orders.Responsible for inspections and corresponding paperwork.Responsible for SWPPP management and compliance.Continue to foster previous relationships with industry contacts for the market to facilitate the Land Development Construction Operations.Preparation and processing of contracts, change orders, check requests and invoices, and bonds as necessary.Approves all subcontractor invoices with regard to work completion and quality.All other duties as assigned
   
   Education and/or Experience
   Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, Construction and/or related fields
   
   About the Benefits of joining the Mill Creek Team
   Competitive compensation, with bonus opportunity Comprehensive medical, dental and vision Employer sponsored short and long term disability, Life and ADD insurance 401k with employer matching Paid time off benefits: Vacation, Sick, Holidays
   
   Mill Creek is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   Are you ready to contribute to the success of Mill Creek Residential? If so, apply today and become part of an organization that believes in uncompromising integrity, celebrating successes, continuous improvement, and working hard, smart and together!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right land development manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with land development managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit land development managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your land development manager job on Zippia to find and recruit land development manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit land development managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new land development manager

   Once you've found the land development manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new land development manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a land development manager?