Forward Planning Manager

Meritage Homes Corporation•Charlotte, NC

11d

About The Position

Meritage Homes is seeking a Forward Planning Manager to join their team. This role is crucial for assisting with land acquisition feasibility studies, the due diligence land purchase process, and developing entitlement strategies, submissions, and presentations. The Forward Planning Manager will play a key part in obtaining entitlement and permit approvals, developing financing budgets, coordinating community landscaping and amenities, and processing various project plans. They will also be responsible for preparing project schedules, determining bid feasibility, negotiating for land development labor and materials, overseeing landscaping installations, preparing and monitoring development budgets, and coordinating the activities of engineers, architects, and other consultants. Additionally, this role involves coordinating with homeowner’s associations, managing entitlement processes for multiple projects, contributing to community planning, developing relationships with municipal officials, vetting and engaging consultants, providing due diligence for land acquisitions, serving as a liaison, ensuring compliance with corporate policies, managing consultant scopes of work, and resolving entitlement issues. The Forward Planning Manager will collaborate with the Land Acquisition team during the feasibility and due diligence phases.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning or related field required.
Minimum 3 years of associated homebuilding industry experience or a combined 5 years of education and experience directly related to land planning, land use, policy planning, or government.
Minimum of 1 year related experience in managing entitlement of new communities.
Familiarity with reading and understanding civil engineering plans.
Proficient in Microsoft applications including Outlook, Word, Project and Excel.
Ptrong project management skills.
Ability to oversee numerous professional consultants efficiently and effectively.

Responsibilities

Assist with the land acquisition feasibility studies, the due diligence land purchase process and with developing entitlement strategies, submissions and presentations.
Assist with obtaining entitlement and permit approvals for projects.
Assist with the development financing budgets/packages for designated projects.
Coordinate the design of community landscaping, amenities and entrances.
Assist with the processing of all site improvement, sales office and model plans/permits and architectural plans.
Prepare project schedules through the permitting process and ensure schedule compliance.
Determine the feasibility of all bids and negotiate the best value for land development labor and materials (if applicable).
Oversee the installation of all landscaping, amenities and entrances.
Prepare and monitor development budgets.
Prepare development time lines and weekly reports documenting job status (days ahead of schedule, days behind schedule, etc.).
Coordinate and direct the activities of engineers, architects, and other consultants.
Coordinate with homeowner’s associations to resolve project-related issues through community closeout.
Assist with the entitlement of multiple projects, including zoning/re-zoning approvals, development agreements, architectural approvals, preliminary and final plats, civil construction plans, development permits, landscape plans and utility company designs to align with Division Business Plan.
Contribute to the “community planning” process including site planning, lot layout, landscaping, project theming, monuments, passive and active open space, etc. through collaboration with stakeholders from Division, Region, and Corporate operations.
Develop and maintain positive, professional relationships with officials and employees of municipalities and agencies with jurisdictional control over Division land acquisitions.
Assist with the coordinating the vetting and engagement of all consultants, including management of the RFP process, with Division Land Development Manager.
Provide due diligence relating to the entitlement of all proposed Division land acquisitions.
Serve as a liaison to engineers, consultants, governmental officials and other trade partners in the execution of forward planning tasks.
Ensure that all corporate land development policies, internal control procedures and practices are communicated, understood and complied with.
Manage scopes of work and compliance with schedule for consultants related to forward planning process.
Assist with resolutions of entitlement issues and conditions prior to and during development.
Collaborate with Land Acquisition team during feasibility analysis and due diligence phase.