Director of Pre-Construction - Atlanta, GA

At Cortland, we operate with a forward-thinking approach that challenges conventional norms and actively seeks insights beyond traditional industry boundaries. As a recognized leader in the multifamily sector, our focus on performance, innovation, and disciplined execution continues to drive strong growth and market leadership. We are committed to building a best-in-class organization by empowering top talent with the resources, autonomy, and support needed to deliver results and advance their careers in a high-performance environment.

Role Overview

As the Director of Pre‑Construction, you will lead all upfront planning, budgeting, estimating, design coordination, scheduling, and risk analysis across a large multifamily development portfolio. You will drive the work‑acquisition process, oversee pre‑construction strategy from concept through GMP, and serve as a key partner to senior leadership, ownership groups, and cross‑functional teams. This role requires exceptional financial acumen, deep technical expertise, strong leadership presence, and the ability to influence project outcomes well before construction begins.

Financial Strategy, Estimating & Budget Leadership

• Lead the entire estimating process—conceptual, schematic, design‑development, and pre‑GMP—ensuring accuracy, completeness, and alignment with project intent.
• Oversee development, refinement, and maintenance of all pre‑construction budgets, including general conditions, allowances, and value‑engineering opportunities.
• Build and manage rigorous cost‑control systems that ensure transparent, credible, and data‑driven budget decisions.
• Develop and present detailed variance reports outlining scope changes, pricing shifts, and cost impacts.
• Provide monthly cost analysis and executive‑level financial reporting for all active pre‑construction projects.
• Support contract strategy, including bid leveling, scope alignment, procurement recommendations, and early subcontractor engagement.

Executive Communication, Client Interface & Cross‑Functional Alignment

• Represent the organization in owner interviews, project pursuits, and acquisition‑phase discussions.
• Partner with senior leadership to shape division strategy, organizational standards, and annual business plans.
• Lead communication with Development, Design, Operations, Finance, consultants, and external partners to ensure alignment on scope, schedule, risks, and budget.
• Guide teams through design reviews, constructability analysis, logistics planning, and technical solution development.
• Ensure early identification and escalation of risks related to entitlement, site constraints, design gaps, pricing volatility, or schedule impacts.

Technical Oversight, Design Coordination & Risk Management

• Lead high‑level design reviews to ensure constructability, cost alignment, clarity of scope, and compliance with brand, code, and performance standards.
• Manage external consultants—including ADA, envelope, geotechnical, MEP, and other specialists—to ensure quality and technical accuracy.
• Oversee technical due diligence, including site logistics, phasing strategies, geotechnical reports, and utility coordination.
• Provide guidance on early procurement strategies, market pricing conditions, escalation factors, and subcontractor engagement.
• Ensure all pre‑construction deliverables—estimates, schedules, narratives, design comments, and risk logs—are complete, accurate, and aligned with project goals.

Qualifications 

• 7–10+ years of pre‑construction and new‑construction leadership experience; multifamily or hospitality sector experience strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Building Science, Business Management, or related field.
• Advanced expertise in estimating, cost control, scheduling, procurement, design coordination, and conceptual planning.
• Strong knowledge of contract law, project accounting, and development lifecycle.
• Highly proficient in estimating and construction software (e.g., Timberline, On‑Screen Takeoff, Bluebeam, Procore, MS Office).
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across departments and influence decision‑
• Excellent communication skills—written, verbal, and presentation—capable of interfacing directly with owners and senior executives.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and strategic focus.
• Willingness to travel as needed.

About Cortland

Founded in 2005, Cortland is an international, vertically integrated multifamily real estate investment, development, and management firm with a resident-centric approach to living experiences. Recognized as one of the top 10 multifamily owners and operators in the US, Cortland combines in-house design, construction, and operations to deliver value and innovation across its portfolio.

Join us as we reimagine apartment living and drive outsized returns through purpose, performance, and people.

Cortland is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud to support and celebrate diversity in the workplace. We are committed to equal consideration for all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you have a disability and need an accommodation or assistance with the application process and/or using our website, please email Careers@cortland.com

Cortland is a drug-free workplace.

Cortland participates in e-verify to verify the employment status of all persons hired to work in the United States.

California Applicant Privacy Notice
We collect personal information from all job applicants, including identifiers (e.g., name, contact details), professional or employment information (e.g., résumé, work history, qualifications), and education information. This information is used for recruiting, evaluating your candidacy, conducting interviews, and managing the application process.

California residents may request access to or deletion of their personal information by contacting us at careers@cortland.com

GDPR Statement

When you apply to a job on this site, the personal data contained in your application will be collected by Cortland (“Controller”), which is located at 3424 Peachtree RD NE Suite 300 Atlanta, GA and can be contacted by emailing careers@cortland.com because Controller wishes to evaluate your candidacy for employment at Controller. Your personal data was either obtained from publicly available sources (e.g. LinkedIn) or provided to Controller by someone who referred you for potential employment. Controller’s data protection officer is Greg Shultz, who can be contacted at Greg.Shultz@cortland.com. Your personal data will be processed for the purposes of managing Controller’s recruitment related activities, which include setting up and conducting interviews and tests for applicants, evaluating and assessing the results thereto, and as is otherwise needed in the recruitment and hiring processes. Such processing is legally permissible under Art. 6(1)(f) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation) as necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the Controller, which are the solicitation, evaluation, and selection of applicants for employment.

Your personal data has been shared with Greenhouse Software, Inc., a cloud services provider located in the United States of America and engaged by Controller to help manage its recruitment and hiring process on Controller’s behalf. Accordingly, if you are located outside of the United States, your personal data has been transferred to the United States. Because the European Union Commission has determined that United States data privacy laws do not ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data collected from EU data subjects, the transfer was subject to appropriate additional safeguards under [either the standard contractual clauses or the Privacy Shield]. You can obtain a copy of the standard contractual clauses by contacting us at careers@cortland.com

Your personal data will be retained by Controller as long as Controller determines it is necessary to evaluate your application for employment. Under the GDPR, you have the right to request access to your personal data, to request that your personal data be rectified or erased, and to request that processing of your personal data be restricted. You also have to right to data portability. In addition, you may lodge a complaint with an EU supervisory authority.