Director of Land Acquisition - Houston

The Director of Land Acquisition is responsible for identifying, analyzing, negotiating and acquiring new land and lots for the division in accordance with the organizational strategy and business plan. Additionally, the Director of Land Acquisition will collaborate with the Division leadership to ensure all underwriting assumptions for land acquisition including, but no limited to: phases of zoning approval, municipal approvals, entitlements, permitting, platting, design and construction necessary for the land and lots to be used for residential construction are reasonable. In addition to maintaining and fostering relationships with key players in the market, incumbent is responsible for providing and maintaining up to date data on current and prospective land deals, related market and sub-market data, proformas, deal status, and for maintaining budgets and the staff necessary to accomplish the responsibilities of the function.

FUNDAMENTAL JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Create a vision and provide leadership to the Land Acquisition Department, including department operations and budgets and projections of new projects to Division President and Director of Finance.
• Recruit, hire, evaluate, train, develop and retain productive and highly engaged land acquisition department team members.
• Create an annual strategic land plan defining geographic, product and pricing goals to guide acquisition efforts and support the Company's overall strategic plan.
• Analyze markets and sub-markets and the division's current land positions in order to identify gaps and strategic areas for concentrating future land acquisitions and evaluating the overall technical and financial feasibility of a potential project.
• Maintain knowledge of market activities, trends and opportunities and generate prospective land deals through networking with industry and local contacts, brokers, title companies, developers, other builders, land sellers, and others.
• Oversee all potential new projects for the division including aggressively searching for new land parcels, negotiation with sellers, due diligence, and preparation of Corporate Approval Package.
• Prepare letters of intent and respond to requests for qualifications in a competitive bid situation.
• Assist Land Development with project "pro-forma" creation and refinement, including determining current agency fees, construction costs, site development costs, development and construction durations, absorption rates for home sales, and proposed land cost.
• Responsible for land purchases within the division. Responsible for real estate closings and financings, including negotiating, reviewing and/or drafting land banking documents.
• Oversee contract review with in-house and outside counsel, manage all contract negotiations, and contract execution.
• Review survey/title issues and other reports to determine liabilities of potential acquisitions.
• Assist in the presentations before municipal decision-making bodies and other government entities.
• Responsible for the preparation of deal summaries and land tracking report for corporate management and Division President.
• Create and foster relationships with land owners, land brokers, title companies, lenders, municipalities, other homebuilders, and lot developers.
• Manage the Lot Takedown Summaries for accurate reporting of lot purchase activity.
• Assist Division President / Homebuilding in developer related issues after Initial Closing.
• Work with Division President on Balance Sheet Management by selling or renegotiating real estate assets.

• Bachelor's degree in Economics, Finance, Civil Engineering, Urban Planning, Real Estate Development, or Construction Management required. MBA strongly preferred
• Minimum seven (7) years of real estate acquisition and negotiation experience, preferably in the homebuilding industry
• Minimum two years of proven management capabilities with experience in managing people, department operations, budgets and pro-formas, and a track record of managing and growing a strong team
• Strong background with financial models/analysis
• Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to adapt, adjust, and negotiate under changing circumstances and in stressful situations
• Ability to establish and maintain key relationships necessary for the successful navigation of the entitlement/forward planning process
• Excellent leadership skills; must be able to work successfully in a team environment and provide mentoring to less experienced individuals in the department

Are you looking for an incredible career opportunity? Then Meritage Homes is the place for you! From the homes we build to the careers we offer, we are focused on delivering a Life.Built.Better.. Meritage is committed to building energy-efficient and affordable entry-level and first move-up homes across the US. We are looking for candidates who are excited about furthering their careers, as well as bringing their authentic self every day to be part of an inclusive organization. Meritage was certified a Great Place To Work for a second year in a row, and is currently ranked on Fortune's Best Workplaces listings in the categories of Construction, Women and Parents. As a top 5 public homebuilder with over 180,000 homes delivered in its 38-year history, Meritage is looking for professionals who are self-starters and want to help our organization grow by providing new and innovative ideas.

When joining Meritage Homes, you and your career can benefit in several ways, including:

• A work environment that encourages creativity and innovative ideas from every level
• An organization that lives by its core values everyday
• Team atmosphere where every individual is considered a vital asset
• State of the art technology to provide an optimal working environment
• A competitive pay structure
• Strong benefits
• Flexibility in work-life integration
• Team-oriented environment where all individuals play an integral role in the company
• Opportunity to further your career in a growing national organization
• Maintain a competitive drive to be the best

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