Chief Development Officer

Industrious•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

Industrious is seeking a Chief Development Officer to lead and scale the engine that brings its physical spaces to life. This role involves end-to-end leadership across Real Estate, Design, and Construction, with the primary goal of unlocking the next phase of growth by addressing current constraints in cost, complexity, and speed. This is a hands-on, accountable executive position requiring active involvement in deconstructing and improving processes, negotiating deals, financial reviews, design critiques, and team mentoring. The role demands difficult conversations, decision-making under uncertainty, and leading teams through change within a culture that values both serious work and a lighthearted approach to itself.

Requirements

Deep hands-on expertise in construction and design.
Strong fluency across commercial real estate.
A track record of owning and scaling a physical development or real estate platform at an executive level.
Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams across geographies, balancing connection with operational excellence.
Strong financial and business acumen, understanding the impact of decisions on unit economics and EBITDA.
Proven ability to drive results in ambiguous, fast-moving conditions.
Experience operating as part of a senior leadership team, partnering with peers to drive company-wide strategy.
A leadership style that is clear, directive, and deeply invested in developing people.
Genuine D&C depth: ability to assess and fix issues within construction or design processes.
Proficiency in building and driving a real estate funnel.
Comfortable engaging with landlords and conducting internal process reviews.
Ability to simplify complex problems into repeatable, scalable systems.
Capacity to transition between big-picture strategy and detailed execution.
Ability to bring harmony to cross-functional teams and inspire individuals beyond their direct organization.
Willingness to be authentic and express individuality in a professional setting.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading a team through a major transition or period of change.

Responsibilities

Deconstruct D&C processes to identify bottlenecks and redesign workflows to reduce cost and time to build without compromising quality.
Lead build-to exercises at scale to determine the optimal product delivery within budget constraints.
Build and maintain strong partnerships with key construction firms, ensuring they meet required standards.
Lead and enhance the design function, collaborating on new product lines and encouraging the team to challenge assumptions across the brand portfolio.
Balance the creation of exceptional physical spaces with product costs that ensure deal viability.
Own the real estate pipeline from sourcing and deal structuring to negotiation and funnel management.
Develop innovative strategies for sourcing and closing deals in a competitive market, creating structures that open new markets and improve returns.
Effectively engage with landlords and manage internal processes with credibility.
Manage a long-term deal funnel to ensure a consistent pipeline for future signings and proactively address any deviations from targets.
Develop strategies to access new markets and foster sustainable growth.
Serve as a key member of the executive team, providing clarity on complex cross-functional decisions.
Act as a visible and inspiring leader across the entire organization.
Foster collaboration and integration among the Real Estate, Design, and Construction teams.
Partner with Sales, Finance, Operations, and Product teams to align priorities and execution.
Conduct necessary difficult conversations with care and consideration.