VP of Development

Samara•Redwood City, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role is a VP of Development responsible for overseeing land acquisitions, deal origination, home sales, sellout strategy, business development, market expansion, P&L ownership, financial accountability, and team leadership within the real estate development sector. The position requires a strategic leader with a proven track record in scaling acquisition pipelines, navigating California's entitlement processes, and building high-performing teams. The ideal candidate will have deep financial acumen, excellent communication skills, and experience in a fast-paced, venture-backed environment. The role involves end-to-end ownership of the acquisition pipeline, developing off-market channels, preparing financial analyses, managing relationships with various stakeholders, and driving sales and marketing strategies for new home communities. Additionally, the VP of Development will identify new market opportunities, influence product development, and represent the company as a category leader in modular housing. A key aspect of the role is P&L ownership from land basis through sellout, ensuring revenue, gross margin, and capital efficiency targets are met. The leader will also be responsible for building and mentoring a team, fostering a data-driven culture, and presenting performance updates to the executive team and Board.

Requirements

10+ years in real estate, land acquisition, residential development, or homebuilding with increasing P&L responsibility
Proven track record scaling an acquisition or development pipeline from $50M to $500M+ in transaction volume, ideally in capital-intensive or design-driven industries (homebuilding, prop tech, modular, renewables)
Deep experience with California entitlement and permitting processes, including SB684, SB1123 and other by-right pathways
Strong financial acumen: ability to underwrite land deals, build proformas, and partner with Finance on margins, pricing, and capital deployment
Demonstrated success building predictable, metrics-driven revenue organizations from the ground up
Strategic thinker with the willingness to execute and build (no task too small)
Excellent communicator and storyteller who can position Samara’s mission to audiences ranging from homebuyers to institutional investors to city councils
Demonstrated success recruiting, developing, and retaining high-performing teams

Nice To Haves

Experience working within a vertically integrated builder or manufacturer (design through construction through sale)
Familiarity with modular or prefabricated construction methods
Existing broker and landowner network in the San Francisco Peninsula, South Bay, and/or Los Angeles markets
Experience interfacing with fund structures, LP communications, or investment committees
Comfort operating in a fast-paced, venture-backed environment with the ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders simultaneously

Responsibilities

Own the acquisition pipeline end-to-end: sourcing, underwriting, due diligence, entitlements assessment, negotiation, and closing of infill land and lot opportunities across California target markets.
Build and scale proprietary off-market acquisition channels including skip tracing, direct mail, and broker relationship networks to maintain a minimum 12-month buildable backlog.
Prepare market analysis, proforma underwriting, and deal summaries for presentation to the Investment Committee, with data-driven recommendations on land value and return scenarios.
Oversee lot/land identification, negotiation, and purchase agreement execution.
Develop and maintain relationships within the brokerage, developer, lender, and landowner communities in target markets.
Navigate zoning, permitting, and entitlement processes across target municipalities, including SB 9, SB 684, and AB 1123 pathways.
Act as a strategy leader with city officials, utilities, and community stakeholders on development approvals.
Drive the team’s understanding of macroeconomic trends to inform acquisition strategy and pricing in real-time.
Interface with Samara’s PropCo capital structure as needed.
Own sellout velocity and absorption rate targets for all active and planned communities.
Develop and execute pricing strategy by community, product type, and market.
Build an in-house real estate sales capability over time, beginning with broker/agent partnerships and ecosystem relationships to ensure absorption.
Create sales enablement tools, model home strategy, and collateral to drive conversions.
Partner with Marketing on performance marketing (SEM, SEO), content marketing (thought leadership, campaigns), and brand positioning for the homes vertical.
Own the product marketing lifecycle for new home products: market research, competitive analysis, positioning, messaging, and launch campaigns.
Identify new market opportunities and expansion geographies that fit Samara’s kit-of-parts product strategy.
Collaborate closely with Product to provide market insights, influence the product roadmap, and ensure offerings align with emerging customer needs, policy changes, and market demands.
Elevate Samara as the category leader in modular housing and infill communities through external representation, industry events, and thought leadership.
Develop channel partnerships with brokers, developers, and institutional buyers to create repeatable deal flow.
Own the vertical P&L from land basis through sellout, with responsibility for revenue, gross margin, and capital efficiency targets.
Partner with Finance on deal-level proforma accuracy, project-level margin tracking, and portfolio-level return analysis.
Partner with Project Management and estimating to optimize project timelines and operating budgets for development projects.
Present monthly performance, pipeline status, and forward outlook to the executive team and Board.
Build and lead a high-performing team across acquisitions, sales, and market development to consistently achieve and exceed revenue and margin goals.
Evaluate team performance, identify skill gaps, and implement training and development programs.
Foster a data-driven, accountable culture where decisions are grounded in metrics and financial discipline.
Serve as a visible leader internally and externally, representing Samara with customers, investors, policymakers, and the broader real estate community.