Director of Development

Company OverviewNamed for our Founder and Chairman, Bruce White, White Lodging is a family-owned, multi-brand, multi-segment developer, owner and operator of premium brand, market-leading hotels, scratch-made restaurants, and award-winning rooftops in high-growth urban markets. We are one of the country’s largest privately held hospitality companies focused exclusively on this segment.

Job Summary & ResponsibilitiesGrowth is a cornerstone of White Lodging and in the last decade the company has developed / acquired more than 30 hotels in Austin, Nashville, San Antonio, Denver, Charlotte, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Chicago. This position will play a key role in executing the company’s strategic growth plan to develop / acquire high-quality hotels in urban locations within top markets. The position will touch all phases of the development process and ultimately be responsible for taking projects from paper to tangible assets. This role will report directly to the Vice President of Investments, Development & Asset Management. The position will be primarily based in Merrillville, Indiana. Travel will be required.
* Identify and pursue land / hotel acquisition opportunities in strategic markets.
* Prepare hotel financial operating projections, development budget, debt assumptions and overall investment return analysis in coordination with appropriate stakeholders.
* Establish site control by leading letter of intent negotiation efforts and coordinating with legal to execute purchase & sale agreements.
* Execute site & hotel acquisition due diligence including survey, geotechnical studies, environmental studies etc.
* Establish development budget and overall critical path schedule in conjunction with project management team and track to ensure ownership’s investment objectives are maintained.
* Secure local entitlements, utility agreements, and any other site and/or city related requirements.
* Ensure compliance with key agreements including franchise, purchase & sale agreement, ground lease etc.
* Act as a conduit between multiple stakeholders including investors, consultants, municipalities, operations, designers, architects, project management etc. toward a common goal.
* Build network of key franchisor development contacts, investor partners, landowners, brokers, and hotel consultant / appraisers. Attend periodic industry conferences as appropriate.
* Coordinate and establish owner meeting agendas in conjunction with VP and project management team.
* Provide support for Development Committee, Board of Advisors presentations and annual strategic plan.
* Provide support to the CFO for lender-required project packages.

Core Competencies & RequirementsA successful candidate is an experienced leader that can quickly establish credibility across a wide range of internal disciplines working towards a common goal. It will be critical to lead and multi-task several projects simultaneously, requiring a disciplined and detail-oriented individual. The candidate should have a keen understanding of the development process and will be collaborating with all levels of internal and external stakeholders. The candidate should be entrepreneurial and able to creatively solve problems, while exercising judgement and discretion.oBachelor’s Degree is required.o5-7+ years of commercial real estate development, or investment experience; hotel focus is strongly preferred.oPrior hotel valuation, brokerage or acquisition analyst experience strongly preferred.o1-3 years of direct hospitality operations related work is a plus.oAbility to travel.oExisting relationships with various brand development contacts as well as market specific contacts in Austin, Nashville, San Antonio, Charlotte, Denver is a plus.oSelf-motivated, well-organized, goal-oriented, and results-driven professional who leads by example.oAdvanced level of proficiency in Excel.oSensitivity to and respect for the confidential nature of the subject matter of the job and the department.