Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director of Land Acquisition

🎯 Role Definition

The Director of Land Acquisition leads the strategy and execution of sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and closing land and right-of-way transactions that support the organization's growth and development pipeline. This role combines market intelligence, financial analysis, stakeholder negotiation, regulatory navigation, and team leadership to secure high-quality sites at optimal terms while minimizing acquisition risk and aligning land portfolio decisions with corporate objectives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Land Acquisition Manager / Land Acquisition Manager
Real Estate Development Manager / Project Development Manager
Right-of-Way or Entitlements Manager

Advancement To:

Vice President, Land Acquisition or Real Estate
Head of Development / Director of Development
Senior Real Estate Portfolio Executive

Lateral Moves:

Director of Entitlements / Permitting
Real Estate Portfolio Manager
Head of Right-of-Way & Easements

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the end-to-end acquisition lifecycle for strategic land purchases and easements, including deal sourcing, financial underwriting, negotiations, contract execution, closing coordination, and post-close integration to ensure alignment with development schedules and budget targets.
Develop and execute a proactive land acquisition strategy and pipeline management process that identifies priority markets, competitive sites, and off-market opportunities; maintain an active funnel with clear stage gating and conversion metrics.
Underwrite site economics using detailed financial models (IRR, NPV, sensitivity analyses) that incorporate acquisition costs, development entitlements, carrying costs, infrastructure requirements, and market absorption assumptions to recommend go/no-go decisions.
Negotiate complex purchase and sale agreements, option agreements, letters of intent, easement agreements, right-of-way acquisitions, and settlement documents with property owners, brokers, municipalities, and third-party stakeholders to secure favorable commercial and legal terms.
Manage and supervise title, survey, environmental (Phase I/II), cultural resources, utility, geotechnical, and zoning due diligence programs to identify encumbrances, development constraints, remediation needs, and cost contingencies that impact acquisition decisions.
Coordinate entitlement, permitting, and land use approvals with internal development teams, external consultants, municipal planning departments, and community stakeholders to advance sites from acquisition through permitting and shovel-ready status.
Build and maintain high-trust relationships with landowners, brokers, community leaders, public agencies, and industry partners to drive deal flow, resolve disputes, expedite approvals, and position the company as the preferred development partner.
Lead negotiations and coordination for condemnation, eminent domain, and voluntary right-of-way acquisitions when required for infrastructure or public-private partnership projects, ensuring compliance with applicable statutes and fair compensation practices.
Oversee the preparation and review of closing documents, escrow instructions, title insurance commitments, and settlement statements; liaise with legal counsel, escrow/title companies, and finance teams to ensure smooth closings and accurate accounting of acquisition costs.
Implement robust risk management practices for acquisitions, including contract contingencies, insurance arrangements, indemnities, holdbacks, and escrowed remediation funds to protect company interests and limit post-closing liabilities.
Manage interdisciplinary teams and external consultants (legal, surveyors, environmental, appraisers, traffic, and land use experts) across multiple simultaneous transactions to maintain deadlines, budgets, and quality standards.
Prepare and present clear, data-driven acquisition recommendations, board materials, and investment memos to the executive team and investment committees, articulating deal rationale, returns, risks, and exit scenarios.
Oversee landowner outreach and community engagement strategies to build local support, address neighborhood concerns, and align project outcomes with municipal goals and community benefits.
Develop and maintain a competitively benchmarked land valuation and comp database, leveraging market intelligence, GIS mapping, tax records, and proprietary analytics to support sourcing and negotiation strategies.
Establish and manage acquisition budgets, forecasts, and expense tracking; collaborate with finance to ensure accurate capitalization, cost allocation, and reporting across the land portfolio.
Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal land use laws, environmental regulations, historical preservation statutes, and permitting requirements; work with legal counsel to interpret regulatory impacts on acquisitions and entitlements.
Structure creative deal solutions such as land swaps, joint ventures, option agreements, seller financing, performance-based purchase agreements, and installment purchase contracts to close challenging transactions and improve capital efficiency.
Drive continuous improvement in acquisition workflows, playbooks, contract templates, and approval processes; implement best practices, standard operating procedures, and technology tools (CRM, GIS, title management) to scale the acquisition function.
Mentor, hire, and develop a high-performing land acquisition team; set performance goals, conduct regular reviews, and create professional development plans to build bench strength and succession.
Monitor and respond to market cycles, macroeconomic indicators, zoning changes, and infrastructure investments that affect land values and acquisition timing; adapt strategy to optimize timing and selection of purchases.
Collaborate with capital markets, legal, tax, and development operations to structure tax-efficient, finance-ready acquisitions that enable timely project funding and favorable lender underwriting.
Track post-closing obligations and covenant compliance (access agreements, mitigation, conservation easements); manage remediation and fulfillment of seller/permit conditions to avoid project delays.

Secondary Functions

Maintain an organized CRM of landowner and broker contacts and activity logs to support proactive outreach and deal advancement.
Support cross-functional teams with accurate land cost inputs, schedule milestones, and risk registers to integrate acquisition status into development project plans.
Provide ad-hoc market research and competitor intelligence to support senior leadership with strategic expansions, portfolio optimization, and M&A options.
Participate in industry conferences, trade groups, municipal advisory committees, and public hearings to advocate for project interests and expand the company’s market presence.
Champion technology adoption for the land acquisition function (mapping tools, deal-tracking software, data visualizations) to enhance decision-making and operational transparency.
Assist the finance team during audits and capital raises by preparing land-site documentation, title chains, and due diligence deliverables.
Facilitate knowledge transfer and documentation of key decisions, lessons learned, and negotiated precedents to improve future acquisition outcomes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced negotiation and deal-structuring skills for purchase agreements, option contracts, easements, and right-of-way acquisitions.
Financial modeling and underwriting expertise for land economics: IRR, NPV, pro formas, sensitivity analyses, and scenario planning.
Deep knowledge of title processes, chain-of-title review, title insurance, and resolving title exceptions.
Expertise in entitlements, zoning, land-use regulations, municipal approval processes, and permitting workflows.
Proficiency with GIS mapping, parcel analysis, and spatial data to identify site constraints and opportunities.
Strong contract drafting and legal document review skills; ability to work with counsel on complex transactional language.
Experience managing environmental due diligence (Phase I/II, wetlands, remediation) and interpreting environmental reports.
Familiarity with right-of-way acquisition practices, eminent domain procedures, and applicable federal/state statutes.
Practical experience with CRM and deal-tracking software (e.g., Salesforce), project management tools, and Microsoft Excel (advanced functions).
Budgeting and capital planning skills; experience coordinating with finance for capitalization and cost allocation.
Ability to analyze tax and title implications, including working knowledge of tax parcels, assessments, and potential abatements.
Experience running community engagement processes, public hearings, and stakeholder outreach programs.

Soft Skills

Strategic thinker with a bias for execution and ability to translate market intelligence into actionable acquisition plans.
Exceptional influence and persuasion skills; comfortable negotiating with owners, elected officials, and institutional stakeholders.
Strong leadership and people-management capabilities; experience leading multidisciplinary teams and outside consultants.
Excellent written and verbal communication; adept at preparing executive summaries and presenting to boards and committees.
High emotional intelligence and conflict-resolution skills to navigate sensitive owner relations and community opposition.
Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to manage multiple complex transactions under tight timelines.
Problem-solver who is creative and pragmatic when structuring deals to overcome title, entitlement, or financing hurdles.
Results-driven, accountable, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, deadline-driven real estate development environment.
Collaborative mindset with proven ability to work cross-functionally across legal, finance, planning, and construction teams.
Ethical, compliance-focused approach with strong professional integrity and fiduciary responsibility.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business, Finance, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Real Estate Development (MRED), MBA, Urban Planning, or equivalent advanced credential.
Professional certifications such as MAI, MRICS, CCIM, or right-of-way certification (RWA, RWP) are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Real Estate Development
Finance / Business Administration
Urban Planning / Land Use
Civil Engineering / Environmental Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8–15+ years of progressively responsible experience in land acquisition, real estate development, right-of-way, or related areas with a track record of closing complex transactions.

Preferred:

Prior leadership experience managing land acquisition teams and cross-functional portfolios, with direct experience in entitlement coordination, large-scale site acquisitions, public-private partnerships, and multi-million-dollar deal negotiation.