SBR Jobs recruits the people who make developers’ projects pencil and get built: development managers, owner side construction managers, project managers, directors and vice presidents of development and construction for industrial and logistics, office, retail, life science, cold storage, manufacturing and mixed use developers across California. Specialized direct-hire recruiting for construction and development leadership, project managers to presidents, since 1997. Sacramento based, statewide reach.
Developer hiring in 2026: the pipeline moved and the team has to move with it
Industrial and logistics developers followed demand out Highway 99 and Interstate 5 into the Central Valley and inland Southern California, life science and office owners are converting and repositioning, and data center shells, cold storage and advanced manufacturing are pulling development teams into buildings most of them have never delivered. Every one of those shifts needs a development manager or an owner side construction manager who has done that product type in that market, and there are not many of them.
The developer problem is specific. A good GC project manager does not automatically make a good owner side construction manager, a multifamily development manager does not automatically make an industrial one, and the people who have already done it are employed by the competitor across the street. Most developer searches are won by knowing who delivered what and reaching them quietly. That is the work we do.
Where we recruit for developers in California
Sacramento and the Central Valley
Logistics and distribution along Highway 99 and Interstate 5 from Sacramento and West Sacramento through Stockton, Tracy, Manteca, Modesto and Fresno, plus cold storage, food processing and business park work. See our Sacramento page and Fresno page.
San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley
Life science, infill industrial, office repositioning, R&D and advanced manufacturing from San Jose to Oakland and the East Bay. See our Bay Area page.
Inland Empire and Southern California
Big box logistics, cold storage and manufacturing in the Inland Empire, plus Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego office, retail, industrial and mixed use. See our Southern California page.
Statewide executive seats
Regional partners, market leaders and VPs of development and construction for developers entering or expanding in California.
Every developer role we place
Owner side only on this page. For general contractors building for developers, see our general contractor page.
- Development Manager
- Senior Development Manager
- Director of Development
- VP of Development
- Construction Manager (owner side)
- Senior Construction Manager
- Director of Construction
- VP of Construction
- Director of Design and Construction
- Project Manager (owner side)
- Entitlements Manager
- Preconstruction and Cost Manager
- Tenant Improvement Construction Manager
- Capital Projects and Asset Manager
- Regional Partner and Market Leader
Who we recruit for
Industrial and logistics developers
National and regional developers, REITs and merchant builders delivering distribution, last mile, cold storage and manufacturing facilities.
Office, retail and mixed use developers
Owners repositioning office, building retail and mixed use, and running tenant improvement programs across a portfolio.
Life science and specialized product developers
Lab, R&D, advanced manufacturing and data center shell developers whose buildings are MEP heavy and process driven.
Funds, REITs and owner operators
Investment managers and operators building in-house development and construction teams instead of outsourcing every project.
Master plan and land developers
Horizontal and vertical development leadership for large land holdings. See our master plan page.
What developer construction and development leaders earn in 2026
Developer pay runs on base, bonus and, for the right seats, promote or carried interest, which is why a general contractor project manager will take a lateral base to move to the owner side and why owner side candidates rarely move for base alone. Industrial and life science experience carries a premium right now, and the data center market is pulling owner side construction managers with MEP depth at packages traditional developers struggle to match. We benchmark every search against the live offers we are seeing. See current ranges by role in the 2026 California construction salary guide and next year’s outlook in the 2027 salary guide.
How an SBR developer search runs
Intake with the hiring leader
Product type, markets, pipeline, the deals this person will carry and the investment committee they will answer to. We push back when the title, the scope and the pay do not line up.Market map
Every developer, REIT, fund and merchant builder active in your product type and markets, the general contractor and owner’s rep people ready to move to the owner side, and the development managers at competitors whose pipelines are slowing.Confidential outreach
Direct, discreet conversations with employed development and construction managers who are not looking and never apply to postings. Nobody learns a developer is adding or replacing a seat.Screened short list
Candidates vetted on the deals and buildings they actually delivered, lender and partner references and culture fit. Usually three to five people, not a stack of resumes.Weekly reporting
Who is in process, who declined and why, and what the market is telling us about the seat and the pay.Offer, counteroffer and start
We manage the close, including promote and carried interest conversations, prepare the candidate for the counteroffer, and stay involved through the first months.
Why developers work with SBR
Construction and development only, since 1997
We have recruited California construction and development since 1997 and nothing else. We know which GC project managers have the instincts for the owner side and which development managers can carry a product type they have not done before.
Both sides of the table
We place general contractor, owner’s rep and owner side leaders, so our market map for your seat already includes the contractor and consultant people who want to move to a developer.
Direct hire only
Permanent placement, never temp, contract or staffing. Every search is run for a seat you intend to keep filled through the next cycle.
Confidential by default
Replacement searches and quiet expansions stay quiet. In a developer community this small, that matters.
For candidates
If you are a development manager, owner side construction manager or director anywhere in California, or a general contractor project manager who wants to move to the owner side, we are glad to have a confidential conversation about what is open and what the market is paying, at no cost to you. Start with our confidential construction jobs page or send your resume through Find Jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best recruiters for commercial and industrial real estate developers in California?
SBR Jobs (Silicon Beach Recruiter) recruits development managers, owner side construction managers, project managers, directors and vice presidents of development and construction for industrial, logistics, office, retail, life science and mixed use developers across California. Direct hire only, project managers to presidents, California construction since 1997.
Do you recruit development managers for industrial and logistics developers?
Yes. Development managers and senior development managers who can carry a project from land and entitlements through design, permitting, construction and lease up, plus the directors and VPs of development who run a region or a product type.
What is the difference between an owner side construction manager and a general contractor project manager?
The GC project manager builds the job for the contractor. The owner side construction manager hires and manages that contractor on behalf of the developer, protects the pro forma, runs the design team and reports to the investment committee. We place both and know which GC project managers have the instincts to move to the owner side.
Which California markets do you cover for developers?
Sacramento and the Central Valley logistics corridor along Highway 99 and Interstate 5, the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, the Inland Empire and the rest of Southern California, plus statewide searches for regional and executive seats.
Do you recruit for life science, cold storage, manufacturing and data center shell developers?
Yes. Specialized product types are where developer teams are hardest to staff, because the candidate needs both the development skill set and the technical fluency in MEP heavy, process driven or mission critical buildings. Our data center and industrial practices feed these searches.
How do we start a search with SBR?
Call 424-352-6241 or use Start a search on this site. Tell us the product type, the markets, the seat and the timeline. We will tell you plainly what the California market looks like for that hire before you commit to anything.
Open development or construction seat?
Tell us the product type, the markets, the seat and the timeline. We will tell you plainly what the market looks like for that hire.
Call 424-352-6241 Start a searchSBR Jobs · Silicon Beach Recruiter · 2100 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95818 · 424-352-6241
