Summary:
Based out of White Lodging's headquarters in Merrillville, IN, this position plays a key role in executing the company's strategic growth plan and will report directly to the Investments & Development division's CEO.
The successful candidate will facilitate cross-departmental collaboration and require an ability to lead the pre-development/development process including but not limited to: identifying sub-markets that meet/exceed strategic growth requirements, underwriting and related market/project feasibility, brand selection, site acquisition/entitlements, and working in conjunction with other team members to bring committed development projects to fruition on time and on budget.
Responsibilities
•Execute development and pre-construction activities with particular focus on achieving committed construction commencement dates.
-Secure and coordinate (with consultants and WLS PM team) local zoning entitlements/approvals
-Prepare financial operating projections/investment analysis for internally owned projects
-Franchise and site approvals
-Establish working development budgets; work with PM/Purchasing team toward securing owner approved development budget
•Lead and coordinate site selection/project due diligence process
-In conjunction with in-house and/or 3rd party counsel, facilitate execution and compliance of all purchase agreements
-Serve as liaison between PM department and legal to ensure time-bound contractual requirements are achieved
-Soils
-Environmental (standardize)
-Survey/Title
-Site Plan (must work for ownership, local jurisdiction, and franchisor)
•Maintain broad market operating knowledge and trends and work with team members to execute annual strategic growth plan
-Identify data driven market and site opportunities and facilitate due diligence, purchasing and entitlements of same
•Establish networking and relationship building with key franchisor development contacts, investor partners, brokers, and hotel consultant/appraisers.
Attend periodic industry functions/conferences as appropriate.
•Establish and maintain constructive working relationships with partner and team leaders
•Coordinate and establish owner meeting agendas in conjunction with CEO and other team members
•Provide support to CFO and VP Financial Management for lender-required project packages (proformas, market data, maps, underwriting assistance) and market studies/appraisals
•Coordinate completion of periodic hotel RFP's for public/private hotel projects
•Work, in conjunction with legal counsel to submit and execute franchise and management agreements
•Provide periodic miscellaneous analysis/recommendations relating to value enhancement opportunities for internally owned assets
-Work with Hospitality Management Division's Asset Management team to implement revenue and expense optimization initiatives and ROI driven capital investments
-Provide Ownership/Operations communications as appropriate
-Obtain Pre-opening, operating, and CAPEX budges/unbudgeted approvals
-Administration of CAM's, licenses, leases
-Collect and direct ongoing measurement/benchmarking of costs/returns and various others
Other Information
COMPETENCIES
An integral member of the Investment & Development team, the candidate must be a mature, experienced leader that is considered a detail-oriented person who can tackle numerous projects simultaneously.
A strategic thinker who is able to establish credibility and lead various team members toward a common goal.
Ability to work collaboratively with ownership, partners, franchisors, consultants and other team members of varying levels is a clear requirement.
Ability to solve problems, exercise solid judgement and discretion and maintain a keen understanding of the overall development process required to bring proposed projects from "paper" to operational.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
REQUIREMENTS
•The candidate must have an undergraduate degree and a minimum of 5-7 years of relevant experience in addition to extensive knowledge and experience of the broader real estate, development and hospitality industry.
•Ability to travel up to 50% of the time is required
•Knowledge of market, feasibility, underwriting and financial analysis
•Possess excellent communication skills; both oral and written
•Maintain compliance requirements with each development project asset including, but not limited to, zoning matters, permits, entitlements,
•Self-motivated, well organized results driven professional who leads by example
Location Code: A75