What happens when a California builder or developer hands SBR Jobs a seat that ads and in-house recruiting could not fill. Two recent searches, told the way we report them to clients: the seat, the problem, what we did and what it produced. Client names are withheld by agreement, as they are on most SBR searches, and references are available on request.
Client results
What SBR delivers for California builders and developers
Building multifamily project teams across California for an out-of-state developer
The client
A large multifamily developer, headquartered outside California, with most of its active work here: 10 to 15 multifamily projects across the state, adding up to more than $1 billion in construction.
The challenge
Each project needed its own project engineer, superintendent and general superintendent, and the schedules didn’t leave room to wait. Every hire had to live within about 30 miles of their project, bring exact multifamily experience, and fit a set pay range. The developer ran job ads and put its in-house talent team on it, and neither turned up a qualified candidate. The people who matched were employed and not looking at ads.
How SBR delivered
SBR mapped multifamily field leaders and project engineers around each jobsite, reached them directly and confidentially, then vetted and tested every finalist before the client met them. Each candidate was screened for technical depth, local fit and the way the client’s teams run a job.
The result
- Six placements in the first push: project engineers, superintendents and general superintendents.
- Most seats filled within three weeks; the last within four.
- Every project team in place in under 30 days, after ads and the in-house team had come up empty.
- A partnership that began in 2024 and is still going: SBR fills about one role a month for this developer today.
Why it worked
The right people weren’t answering ads. We knew who they were around every jobsite, reached them first, and matched each one to a project close to home.
Rebuilding a private homebuilder’s land team before its leaders retired
The client
A large private homebuilder in California whose land department had aged without a succession plan. Much of the land team was nearing retirement, and no pipeline of future leaders had been built behind them.
The challenge
The owner called SBR directly to rebuild the department: a vice president of land acquisition, a land acquisition manager, a land analyst and a senior forward planner. The VP seat was the hardest. Only about 25 people in the market could do the job, and nearly all of them were long-tenured and not looking to move. The land acquisition manager pool wasn’t much deeper, at roughly 50 to 75 qualified people.
How SBR delivered
SBR mapped every land leader who could step into the VP seat and approached them confidentially. Five qualified candidates came forward. Two fell out over compensation, and the client hired a long-tenured land executive who was ready for his next chapter. SBR then moved straight to the land acquisition manager seat: identified the right person in two weeks, and had him placed about a week later.
The result
- VP of land acquisition filled in about 30 days, from a market of roughly 25 qualified people.
- Land acquisition manager identified in two weeks and placed about a week after that.
- All four seats (VP, manager, analyst and senior forward planner) filled within 45 days.
- A land department with a new generation of leadership and a pipeline behind it.
Why it worked
In a market this small, every qualified person matters. We knew who they were, reached the ones who weren’t looking, and screened for fit and compensation before the owner spent time with them.
What the record says about working with SBR
Construction only, since 1997
Permanent direct-hire recruiting for California construction and development, project managers to presidents, and nothing else. We know the people before the search starts.
The employed candidate
Both searches above were filled by people who were working and not looking. Ads and in-house teams had already come up empty. That is the normal SBR search, not the exception.
Speed with screening
Three to four weeks per seat and about 30 days for a VP, with every finalist vetted for technical depth, local fit and the way the client’s teams run a job before the client met them.
Relationships that last
The developer in the first story started with SBR in 2024 and still fills about one role a month with us. Repeat work is how most of our client list was built.
How to check us out
Ask us for references in your segment and we will connect you with current clients before you sign anything. Read the 2026 California construction salary guide to see how we read the market. Find SBR Jobs on Google and LinkedIn, and read how we run a search on the Start Hiring page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Silicon Beach Recruiter a good construction recruiting firm?
Judge it by the record. SBR Jobs (Silicon Beach Recruiter) has recruited California construction leadership since 1997 and does nothing else: permanent direct-hire placement, project managers to presidents, for developers, homebuilders, general contractors, construction management firms, data center builders and heavy civil contractors. The results on this page come from recent searches, with client names withheld by agreement. The multifamily developer in the first case study still uses SBR for about one role a month.
Where can I find SBR Jobs reviews from construction clients?
The case studies on this page are the detailed version. Client names are withheld because most SBR searches are confidential, so references are given one to one: ask for them and we will connect you with current clients in your segment before you commit to anything. You can also find SBR Jobs on Google and LinkedIn.
How fast does SBR Jobs fill construction leadership seats?
In the two searches documented here, most field and project seats were filled within three to four weeks and a VP of land acquisition seat in about 30 days. A typical SBR search produces a screened short list in two to three weeks and a hire in four to six, because the candidates are employed and need time to resign and transition.
Why do clients keep using SBR after the first search?
Because the people they want are not answering ads, and SBR knows who they are. Every search maps the employed people around the client’s projects, reaches them directly and confidentially, screens for technical depth and the way the client’s teams run a job, and reports progress every week. That is why the first case study turned into an ongoing relationship.
What kinds of companies does SBR recruit for?
Multifamily and commercial developers, production and master plan homebuilders, general contractors and construction managers, owner’s representative and program management firms, industrial and food processing builders, mission critical and data center builders, and heavy civil and public works contractors, across Northern California first and the rest of the state.
How do we start a search with SBR?
Call 424-352-6241 or use Start a search on this site. Tell us the seat, the projects it will carry and the timeline. We will tell you plainly what the market looks like for that hire before you commit to anything.
Have a seat that ads are not filling?
Tell us the role, the projects and the 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
