Operations Development Manager Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

KIRCO is seeking an experienced and driven Senior Living Development Manager to lead senior housing development projects from initial opportunity through successful delivery.

This is not a role for someone who simply manages a process—it is for a hands-on real estate development professional who takes ownership, solves problems, and keeps projects moving. The Senior Living Development Manager will oversee the full development lifecycle, including site selection, underwriting, due diligence, entitlements, design, financing coordination, construction, and the transition to operations.

Senior living development sits at the intersection of real estate, healthcare, construction, capital markets, and operations. We are looking for someone who thrives in that complexity and has the tenacity to navigate obstacles, hold teams accountable, and deliver high-quality projects on schedule and on budget.

What You’ll Do

• Lead projects from concept through completion, taking ownership of schedules, budgets, milestones, and overall execution.
• Identify and evaluate new senior living development opportunities through site selection, market analysis, underwriting, and feasibility.
• Develop and stress-test pro formas, development budgets, financial models, and underwriting assumptions.
• Lead due diligence efforts, including environmental, geotechnical, survey, title, zoning, utilities, market analysis, and other project considerations.
• Drive entitlements and municipal approvals, including rezoning, site plans, variances, special-use permits, and other jurisdictional requirements.
• Navigate applicable senior living regulatory requirements, including licensure, Certificate of Need requirements where applicable, ADA, fair housing, and life-safety considerations.
• Lead architects, engineers, interior designers, consultants, and other external partners throughout design and preconstruction.
• Manage development budgets and value-engineering efforts while balancing project returns, quality, operational needs, and resident experience.
• Partner closely with senior living operators to ensure each project supports the intended care model and operational strategy.
• Support debt and equity financing efforts and communicate effectively with lenders, investors, joint-venture partners, brokers, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate with construction teams to monitor progress, change orders, draws, quality, and project delivery through certificate of occupancy.
• Lead the transition from development to operations, including licensing finalization, pre-opening, and lease-up support.
• Provide leadership with clear and timely project reporting, proactively identifying risks and bringing forward solutions.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate is a self-directed, entrepreneurial development professional who is comfortable being accountable for results. You know how to push a project forward when challenges arise and can balance urgency with sound judgment.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in real estate, construction management, finance, architecture, engineering, urban planning, or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressive real estate development experience, including a demonstrated record of delivering ground-up projects from concept through completion.
• Strong experience with development underwriting, pro forma modeling, budgeting, and schedule management.
• Working knowledge of entitlements, zoning, permitting, design, and construction.
• Demonstrated ability to overcome project obstacles and drive complex deals and developments forward.
• Strong negotiation, communication, presentation, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to effectively manage municipalities, consultants, contractors, operators, and capital partners.
• Proficiency with Excel and project management/development tracking tools.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel to project sites and jurisdictions as needed.

Preferred Experience

Experience specifically within senior living, healthcare, multifamily, active adult, or hospitality development is strongly preferred. Additional experience with senior housing licensure, Certificate of Need requirements, joint ventures, institutional capital partners, or senior living operators is a plus. An MBA, MRED, or relevant professional credential such as LEED, CCIM, or PMP is also beneficial.

What Will Make You Successful

We are looking for someone who brings more than technical development expertise. Success in this role requires tenacity, ownership, resourcefulness, accountability, resilience, and leadership.

You are someone who:

• Takes responsibility for outcomes and follows through.
• Doesn't allow obstacles or unanswered questions to stall a project.
• Finds creative solutions when the obvious path forward is blocked.
• Holds consultants, contractors, and partners accountable to commitments.
• Remains composed when timelines tighten and stakes are high.
• Knows when to push aggressively and when to protect the project from unnecessary risk.
• Can bring diverse internal and external teams together around a shared goal and deadline.

As a family business, KIRCO takes great pride in our award-winning heritage, extending back four decades. KIRCO has built a legacy of real estate excellence based on our ability to provide clients with increased value from their real estate holdings. It is all about our associates, working within a framework of business ethics, social and community responsibility, and customer focus that empower our professionals. We work hard to build real estate value every day.