Senior Living Development Manager – Detroit, MI

A well-established real estate development company in the Detroit, MI area, known for more than 50 years of excellence in building high-quality senior living communities, is looking to add a Senior Living Development Manager to its team. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who owns projects from concept to completion and does not wait around for someone else to solve a problem.

What Makes This Senior Living Development Manager Opportunity Stand Out

This role is built for a doer, not a paper-pusher. Senior living development blends real estate, healthcare compliance, construction, and finance into one fast-moving discipline, and the Senior Living Development Manager we hire will be the go-to person whenever a deal needs momentum. If you take pride in turning raw land into a thriving community for older adults, and you don't back down when a project gets complicated, this Senior Living Development Manager role was built with you in mind.

Core Responsibilities of the Senior Living Development Manager

• Guide entitlement approvals from start to finish, working hands-on with local municipalities, zoning boards, and city planning offices.
• Identify and assess new development sites, weighing market demand, demographic trends, and competitive positioning.
• Build, challenge, and refine development budgets and underwriting models alongside the broader development team.
• Oversee due diligence work streams: environmental review, geotechnical studies, title, survey, and utility coordination.
• Stay current on regulatory requirements specific to senior housing, including applicable licensing, Certificate of Need rules, and life-safety standards.
• Partner with design professionals, architects, and engineers to keep projects on-budget without sacrificing resident experience.
• Act as a trusted contact for lenders and capital partners, supporting the broader financing process.
• Keep construction on track from groundbreaking through certificate of occupancy, managing schedule, budget, and quality control.
• Oversee the transition from construction to operations, including final licensing steps and lease-up ramp-up.

Qualifications We're Looking For

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as real estate, construction management, finance, architecture, engineering, or urban planning.
• At least 7 years of hands-on real estate development experience, including full-cycle delivery of ground-up projects.
• Strong grasp of underwriting, financial modeling, budgeting, and project scheduling.
• Familiarity with the entitlement, zoning, permitting, and design/construction process from start to finish.
• A track record of pushing tough projects across the finish line despite obstacles.
• Strong interpersonal skills for working across municipalities, consultants, contractors, and capital sources.
• A valid driver's license and the flexibility to travel to project sites when needed.

Nice to Have

• Prior development experience specific to senior living, healthcare, or hospitality real estate.
• Exposure to senior housing licensing requirements, Certificate of Need processes, and applicable life-safety codes.
• An advanced degree (MBA, MRED, or similar) or professional designations such as LEED, CCIM, or PMP.
• Background structuring joint ventures with institutional investors.

What You'll Gain

Join a team where your work directly shapes communities that matter, with real visibility to ownership, capital partners, and municipal leadership. If you're a self-starter who thrives on getting things done, we'd like to talk with you about this Senior Living Development Manager opening.

Ready to apply? Submit your application today for this Senior Living Development Manager position based in the Detroit, MI area.