Real Estate Development Project Executive

Blue Cardinal Studio

A Blue Cardinal Capital affiliate

Job Description: Project Executive

Project Location: Multiple including Niagara Falls, NY

Status: Full-time employee with benefits

Summary

We are seeking an extraordinary real estate professional with project oversight superpowers who wants to direct them toward the realization of visionary, master-planned communities that make meaningful contributions to the betterment of society.

The Blue Cardinal Family of Companies

The Blue Cardinal enterprise consists of Blue Cardinal Capital as a core business that is vertically integrated with several affiliates. Blue Cardinal Capital is a real estate development firm specializing in innovation-themed, master plan-scaled developments that engender enduring social and economic benefits to its host communities.  Though Blue Cardinal Capital’s first property acquisitions were in Niagara Falls, New York, we consider ourselves to be a North American real estate developer.  Our development pipeline includes multiple mixed-use and transit-oriented community projects in Canada and the United States representing over 6MM gross square feet of to-be-built space. 

The affiliate organizations include Stonebridge Realty, which leads Blue Cardinal’s community engagement initiatives and provides property management services to Blue Cardinal’s portfolio. Another affiliate is Blue Cardinal Innovations which develops tenant recruitment strategies and leads development of innovation programs.  One of the affiliates is Blue Cardinal Studio which is hiring for this Project Executive position.  

Our Program Management Model

Blue Cardinal Studio (BCS) serves as an in-house program manager and development coordinator for Blue Cardinal Capital for all development, design, and construction stages from initial concept development through project completion and placing properties into service.   BCS pre-design phase responsibilities include vetting and selection of architects, designers, engineers, consultants, and contractors as well as leadership and guidance through the budgeting and entitlement processes.  BCS design phase responsibilties include leadership of the project team to arrive at a vision, a design, a budget, and an implementation strategy that will maximize a project’s impact and value.    BCS construction phase responsibilities include oversight of the general contractor and all consultants, building trust among key stakeholders such as municipal officials and tenants, plus monitoring actual costs against budget and connecting with our 3^rd party accounts payable service provider to ensure our financial commitments are honored in a fulsome and timely manner.  As phases of our master planned communities near completion Blue Cardinal Studio guides the transfer of operational and management responsibility to Stonebridge Realty.  The initial development cycle concludes with a reflection on how our decisions affected our success and how to improve for our next project. 

Our Program Management Model

Blue Cardinal Studio (BCS) serves as an in-house program manager,  development coordinator, and construction manager for Blue Cardinal Capital.   BCS has the responsibility for leading the pre-design process including vetting and selection of architects, designers, engineers, consultants, and contractors.  Once a development project has transitioned from pre-design to design BCS will serve as Blue Cardinal Capital’s owner’s representative overseeing the general contractor. This includes design leadership of our master planning firm, building architects, and other designers plus relationship management with our key vendors and consultant partners. As phases of our master planned communities near completion Blue Cardinal Studio’s Project Executive guides the transfer of operational and management responsibility to Stonebridge Realty.

The Project Executive Role

Our Project Executive is critical to Blue Cardinal’s success.  The role is new to Blue Cardinal and will contribute to our success by providing leadership, strategic planning, and financial oversight to the design, construction, and leasing support of our master planned communities. The Project Executive will report directly to the President of Blue Cardinal Studio but will maintain a high degree of independence.  He or she will oversee one or more Project Managers and share administrative staff with other Blue Cardinal colleagues. On certain projects the Project Executive may contribute to site identification, acquisition, and due diligence.  However, the Project Executive’s primary responsibilities commence at the conclusion of pre-design when the development project formally initiates design and construction.  The Project Executive will collaborate with colleagues who are the primary leaders for community engagement, leasing, and development of programs that will activate the communities we are building within.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Managing a team consisting of one or more Project Managers and administrative staff
• Providing executive leadership during the construction process as required to successfully fulfill the project vision
• Collaborating and leading our general contractor to ensure effective project delivery and on-time delivery

• Providing design leadership to planners, architects, landscape architects, and interior designers and managing design changes
• Maintaining established relationships with political, jurisdictional, and community leaders in a savvy, sensitive, and considerate manner to bring about the best shared outcome for all
• Communicating with the full Blue Cardinal team on any risks or issues potentially affecting the project’s goals and objectives
• Managing and monitoring design and construction budget versus actual spend and ensuring that anticipated overages are highlighted and communicated to all stakeholders before they are incurred
• Collecting, documenting, and sharing intelligence on master planned community project management best practices to ensure Blue Cardinal is continually improving
• Supporting our initiatives to ensure the realization of a high-quality development affording an extraordinary experience to end users
• Ensuring our projects are consistently fulfilling health and safety laws
• Leading projects to a successful close out including punch list completion and a reflection on lessons learned

Leadership and Work Experience Requirements

Project Executive candidates should have 20+ years of experience and a bachelor’s degree in any one of these fields: architecture, construction management, engineering, urban planning, or project/program management. Master’s degree preferred.  Related degrees paired with relevant experience will be considered. 

Compensation

Competitive salary, 401K with a matching contribution, plus health, dental, and vision benefits.  Opportunities for equity participation in Blue Cardinal Capital real estate investments are likely.