Development Assistant Jobs in Kennewick, WA (NOW HIRING)

Position Description: Elite Construction & Development is seeking a Development Manager to lead assigned opportunities from initial evaluation through construction contract execution.

The Development Manager coordinates the people, information, decisions, and external relationships needed to move projects through due diligence, design, entitlements, permitting, utilities, budgeting, estimating support, and acquisition. The position serves as the primary connection between clients, consultants, and project management during the initial project phases.

This role strengthens Elite's Project Management function by organizing development opportunities, supporting informed evaluation, maintaining current project information, and coordinating clear transitions into operations with defined expectations and documented commitments.

Reports to: CEO

Supervises: N/A

Essential Duties & Responsibilities*:

Development and Due Diligence

• Establish and maintain a current pipeline of assigned development opportunities.

• Coordinate site evaluation, due diligence, feasibility, design development, entitlements, permitting, utilities, and consultant activities.
• Coordinate owners, clients, architects, engineers, municipalities, utility providers, and other stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain project roadmaps identifying required activities, milestones, decisions, risks, and responsible parties.
• Support the qualification of prospective clients and opportunities before significant company resources are committed.
• Identify missing information, unresolved assumptions, and conditions that may affect project viability, budget, schedule, or execution.
• Ensure proposed systems, products, purchases, and project strategies receive appropriate review before commitments are made.
• Provide leadership with clear project status, risks, recommendations, and decision requirements.

Project Acquisition

• Coordinate the transition of qualified development opportunities into formal construction pursuits.

• Keep Project Management informed of current plans, project requirements, design information, schedule assumptions, and known risks.
• Coordinate preliminary project budgets, including applicable design, consultant, permitting, utility, entitlement, and other development costs.
• Support ROM estimates, construction budgeting, value-engineering discussions, GMP development, proposals, and contract negotiations without performing detailed estimates.
• Maintain pursuit schedules and track required decisions from clients, owners, consultants, project management, and leadership.

• Coordinate subcontractor, supplier, and vendor participation needed to support budgeting and proposal development.
• Track significant assumptions, allowances, exclusions, alternatives, and commitments made during development and acquisition.
• Assist leadership in evaluating whether opportunities should proceed, be modified, paused, or discontinued.

• Lead the turnover of awarded projects from development and acquisition into preconstruction.

• Provide development-related clarification and follow-up after turnover as needed.

Permitting, Entitlements, and Utilities

• Coordinate zoning, entitlement, land-use, permitting, and utility activities.
• Maintain visibility of application requirements, submissions, agency comments, approval status, fees, and anticipated completion dates.
• Coordinate responses to municipal, agency, and utility requirements.
• Escalate issues that may affect project cost, schedule, financing, contract execution, or construction readiness.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, real estate development, architecture, engineering, business, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

• Five or more years of relevant experience in construction development, preconstruction, project management, estimating coordination, real estate development, or owner representation.

• Working knowledge of construction documents, development budgets, project schedules, permitting, entitlements, due diligence, and preconstruction.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating owners, clients, consultants, public agencies, contractors, subcontractors, and internal project teams.
• Strong planning, communication, documentation, problem-solving, and follow-through skills.

• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications and the ability to learn company estimating, project-management, scheduling, accounting, and document-control systems.

• Valid driver's license and ability to travel to project sites and business locations as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in commercial, multifamily, mixed-use, or government construction.
• Prior work with a general contractor, developer, construction manager, or owner's representative.
• Familiarity with permitting, utilities, ROM estimates, GMP development, negotiated contracts, or design-build projects.

• Experience with ProEst, Autodesk Construction Cloud, BuildingConnected, Spectrum, or comparable construction systems.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance - 2 plans to choose from
• Dental Insurance - In and out of network benefits
• Vision Insurance - Employees have the option of 2 vision plans
• Short and Long-Term Disability - 5 plans to choose from
• Health Savings Account with company-added contribution
• Employer-paid Life Insurance with the option to purchase additional life insurance.
• 401(k) with 4% company match
• Accrue 104 hours paid time off (PTO) annually to start
• Nine (9) Paid Holidays

FLSA Status: Full time/Exempt

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage and overtime requirements for employees. Under the FLSA, some employees are exempted from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. The term "exempt" means the position is not eligible for overtime pay while "non-exempt" positions are eligible for overtime pay.

Safety Sensitive Position: This role may require access to active construction jobsites and industrial work environments where safety hazards are present. Employees must comply with all company and site-specific safety requirements, including drug and alcohol policies.

EEOC: Elite Construction & Development is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, disability, sex, age, ethnic or national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or presentation, pregnancy genetics, veteran status, or any other status protected by state or federal law.

Please find out more about us on our website: www.elitecnd.com