Land Investment Analyst

Overview

We are seeking a highly analytical and entrepreneurial Land Analyst to join our team, supporting our land investment strategy across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. This individual will play a critical role in underwriting new and existing land development opportunities, data center investments, office park repositioning opportunities, and tracking budgets and proformas throughout project lifecycles. The ideal candidate combines private equity-level financial acumen with a proactive, acquisition focused mindset, thriving in a fast-paced environment to drive value creation.

Responsibilities

Financial Modeling & Underwriting:

• Build and maintain sophisticated financial models and valuation analyses for land acquisitions, data center conversions, and office park repositioning projects.
• Conduct sensitivity and scenario analysis to evaluate risks and returns, assessing impacts of absorption rates, construction costs, interest rates, and sales prices on project performance.
• Support transaction structuring by proposing deal terms and investment strategies, optimizing risk-adjusted returns.
• Deal Sourcing & Market Research:
• Work with our Research department to analyze market data—demographics, economic indicators, and housing/data center demand trends—to identify high-potential submarkets and opportunities.

Due Diligence:

• Lead comprehensive due diligence on acquisitions and development projects, reviewing environmental site assessments (Phase I/II), geotechnical reports, title commitments, and ALTA surveys.
• Assess financial and legal agreements (e.g., LOIs, PSAs, operating agreements) to quantify economic impacts on investment returns, identifying red flags and value-add opportunities.
• Coordinate with legal counsel, engineers, environmental consultants, and other third parties to ensure thorough vetting and risk mitigation.
• Prepare detailed investment memoranda and presentations for the Investment Committee or executive leadership, synthesizing data into compelling narratives with clear recommendations.

Entitlements & Development Oversight:

• Collaborate on the entitlement process, securing rezonings, variances, and permits from local government agencies for mixed-use, residential, or data center projects.
• Collaborate with engineers and consultants to develop site plans, ensuring compliance with zoning codes and optimizing land use
• Track entitlement timelines and costs, maintaining detailed budgets and updating proformas as projects evolve from concept to construction.

Asset Management & Performance Tracking:

• Monitor existing land holdings and development projects, analyzing performance metrics and identifying value-creation opportunities like land swaps, lot sales, or plan adjustments.
• Maintain real-time tracking of budgets and proformas throughout project lifecycles, ensuring adherence to financial targets and flagging variances for corrective action.
• Explore opportunistic exits or repositioning strategies for underperforming assets, maximizing portfolio value.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Real Estate, Business Administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of 1-3 years of experience in land development, commercial real estate, private equity, investment banking, management consulting, or a related field, with a focus on financial analysis or deal execution is required. 
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUP, macros)
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a proven ability to work independently, take initiative, and thrive in ambiguity.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, capable of juggling multiple projects under tight deadlines.
• Team-oriented with strong communication skills, able to collaborate with internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Familiarity with Virginia or North Carolina markets (Northern Virginia, Richmond, Raleigh) and their zoning/entitlement processes.
• Advanced skills in data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI) or GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS) for market analysis