Senior 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 Sr. Director of Pre ‑ Construction, you’ll lead the full pre ‑ construction program across a diverse multifamily development portfolio, with a strategic focus on third ‑ party growth, new development, and market expansion. You’ll set enterprise ‑ wide pre ‑ construction strategy, drive work acquisition, and influence project outcomes from concept through GMP—partnering closely with executive leadership, ownership groups, and cross ‑ functional teams to ensure financial discipline, technical excellence, and scalable growth.

Pre ‑ Construction Strategy, Financial Leadership Estimating Lead the end ‑ to ‑ end pre ‑ construction process across all projects, including conceptual, schematic, design development, and pre ‑ GMP estimating. Establish and oversee pre ‑ construction standards, cost models, and estimating methodologies to support portfolio growth and third ‑ party work. Direct development, refinement, and governance of all pre ‑ construction budgets, including general conditions, allowances, contingencies, and value ‑ engineering strategies.

Implement disciplined cost ‑ control systems that ensure transparent, data ‑ driven, and defensible financial decisions. Review and present executive ‑ level variance analyses highlighting scope changes, market conditions, pricing shifts, and financial impacts. Deliver monthly portfolio ‑ level cost analysis and financial reporting to senior leadership and ownership.

Guide contract and procurement strategy, including bid leveling, scope alignment, subcontractor engagement, and early trade partner involvement. Executive Leadership, Growth Client Engagement Serve as a senior leader in work acquisition efforts, owner interviews, pursuits, and third ‑ party development opportunities. Partner with executive leadership to shape divisional strategy, annual business plans, staffing models, and long ‑ term growth initiatives.

Act as a primary pre ‑ construction liaison to owners, developers, lenders, and investment partners. Drive alignment across Development, Design, Operations, Finance, and external consultants on scope, schedule, risk, and budget. Influence early project decisions to optimize feasibility, returns, constructability, and schedule certainty.

Proactively identify and escalate risks related to entitlement, site conditions, design gaps, procurement, market volatility, or execution strategy. Technical Oversight, Design Leadership Risk Management Lead high ‑ level design and constructability reviews to ensure cost alignment, scope clarity, and compliance with brand, code, and performance standards. Oversee technical due diligence efforts, including site logistics, phasing, geotechnical conditions, utilities, and infrastructure coordination.

Manage and direct external consultants (ADA, envelope, geotechnical, MEP, specialty advisors) to ensure technical accuracy and value alignment. Provide strategic guidance on early procurement, escalation assumptions, labor and material trends, and subcontractor market conditions. Ensure all pre ‑ construction deliverables—estimates, schedules, narratives, design comments, and risk logs—are complete, consistent, and aligned with project objectives.

Qualifications

10+ years of progressive pre ‑ construction and construction leadership experience; multifamily and/or hospitality experience strongly preferred.