Every homebuilder and master plan developer eventually faces the same empty seat: a VP of Land, a director of land acquisition, a forward planning leader. And most try the same first move: give it to the internal recruiter, or hire one. Six months later the pipeline is thin, the entitlement calendar has not waited, and the deals the land team should have sourced went to someone else’s Monday land committee.
That is not a people failure. It is a market structure problem. Land is the smallest world in construction. In any California region there are perhaps a few dozen people who can genuinely run acquisition, entitlements and forward planning at production scale. They all know each other, they sit in competitors’ land committees, and they never apply to anything. A posted req cannot reach that room. A recruiter who has known that room since 1997 can.
Why land roles punish generalist recruiting
The titles mislead. A land acquisition manager who chases infill deals, a director who runs master plan entitlements through a general plan amendment, and a VP of Land who owns underwriting and a division’s lot pipeline are three different animals. Generalists screen for the words; the hiring executive then burns interview rounds discovering the difference. A specialist asks the questions that matter up front: which jurisdictions, which map stages, how many lots controlled versus closed, who were the capital partners.
What the search looks like done right
It starts with names, not ads. Within the first two weeks you should see a short list of people who were not looking, each with a specific story about why this opportunity could move them: geography, product type, a division with real lot supply, a chance to build a team. Expect weekly reporting, straight feedback both directions, and honesty about compensation early, because land executives know their market value precisely and respect clients who do too. Current ranges are published in our California construction salary guide.
The in-house math
An internal executive recruiter is a fixed cost against an occasional need. Builders hire land leadership in bursts: a new division, a big position purchase, a retirement. In between, that salary keeps running. A search partner costs nothing between searches and arrives with the network already built. Our land and master plan practice is described on the master plan and land development recruiters page.
SBR Jobs has placed land acquisition, land development and forward planning leadership for California builders and developers since 1997, from managers to VPs of Land. If the entitlement calendar is moving and the seat is still empty, the search is already late.
Frequently Asked Questions
What roles count as land acquisition and land development leadership?
Land acquisition managers and directors, land development managers, forward planning leaders, and VPs of Land who own underwriting, entitlements and lot pipeline for a builder or master plan developer.
Why is it so hard to fill a VP of Land role?
The qualified pool in any region is a few dozen people, all employed and none applying. They move through relationships, usually mid-entitlement, and only for a specific story: geography, product, lot supply and team.
How long does a land executive search take?
With a specialist network, a shortlist of not-on-the-market candidates inside two to three weeks and a hire inside 90 days is the standard to hold a firm to.
Have a seat that has been open too long?
Tell us the role, the projects and your timeline. We will tell you plainly what the market looks like for that seat.
Call 424-352-6241 Start a searchSBR Jobs · Silicon Beach Recruiter · 2100 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95818 · 424-352-6241
