SBR Jobs recruits the development and construction leadership that owner-developers run their pipelines on: VPs of Development and Construction, Development Directors, owner-side Project Managers and Construction Managers, and the entitlement and preconstruction talent that gets a deal from a term sheet to a certificate of occupancy. Multifamily, mixed use, affordable, build-to-rent and master-planned communities across California. Direct hire only, since 1997.
Building for an owner is a different job, and it takes a different person
A Senior Project Manager at a general contractor manages the contract. A Senior Project Manager at an owner-developer manages the deal: the pro forma, the draw schedule, the lender’s inspector, the city, the GC’s change orders, and the lease-up date that the whole capital stack was underwritten on. Plenty of good GC people want that seat. Far fewer have actually done it, and the ones who have are running a project for one of your competitors right now.
SBR has recruited development and construction leadership in California for almost three decades. We know who has delivered wrap and podium product in the East Bay, who has taken a tax credit deal through a hostile entitlement, and who has run a build-to-rent program from dirt to stabilization. We approach those people one at a time with a real story about your pipeline, and we score them on whether they will actually thrive on the owner side, not just whether they can.
GC leader or owner-side leader? We recruit for the difference.
What we screen for on the owner side
Comfort owning a number rather than a contract. Fluency with lenders, equity partners and city staff. Experience running a GC rather than being one. The judgment to know when a change order is real and when it is a negotiation. A track record of delivering the product type you build, in the submarkets you build it in.
Where the candidates come from
Owner-developers and merchant builders, homebuilder land and construction teams, construction management firms, and the best GC project leaders who are ready to cross the table. We map all four populations for every search and tell you which one your seat should draw from.
The developer seats we fill most often
Three tracks, one search discipline: we map development, construction and preconstruction talent together because the best owner-side leaders move between them.
- VP of Development
- VP of Construction
- Development Director
- Development Manager
- Director of Construction
- Senior Project Manager, owner side
- Project Manager, owner side
- Construction Manager
- Owner’s Representative
- Director of Preconstruction
- Entitlement Manager
- VP of Land Development
- Superintendent, self-perform
- Asset and Project Controls
Product types we recruit for
- Wrap and podium multifamily
- Garden and walk-up
- Affordable and tax credit
- Mixed use and TOD
- Build-to-rent
- Master-planned communities
- Senior and active adult
- Student housing
- Commercial and industrial development
- Adaptive reuse
Reference compensation for owner-side seats, California 2026
Owner-side compensation moves with the capital stack, the size of the pipeline and how much equity participation is on the table, so we benchmark every developer search individually. The closest published ranges, annual base salary from SBR’s 2026 California Construction Salary Guide, are below.
| Position | Low | High | Source table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Executive | $214,240 | $284,550 | General contractor |
| VP of Land Development | $204,750 | $234,360 | Homebuilder |
| VP of Construction | $197,600 | $216,300 | Homebuilder |
| Owner’s Representative | $170,560 | $212,100 | General contractor |
| Senior Project Manager | $156,000 | $208,950 | General contractor |
| Construction Manager | $142,480 | $213,150 | General contractor |
| Director / Manager of Land Development | $148,050 | $176,040 | Homebuilder |
| Senior Superintendent | $140,000 | $198,550 | General contractor |
| Land / Entitlement Project Manager | $136,500 | $155,800 | Homebuilder |
Full homebuilder, general contractor and data center tables are in the 2026 California Construction Salary Guide. For a role-specific read on an owner-side seat, call us; we benchmark against our own placements.
How an SBR developer search runs
Intake with the principal or hiring executive
The seat, the pipeline it will carry, the product types, the capital partners the person will face, and the culture they have to fit. We push back where the brief and the market disagree.Market map across four populations
Owner-developers, homebuilder land and construction teams, construction managers, and the GC leaders ready to cross the table. We calibrate which population your seat should draw from before outreach starts.Direct, confidential outreach
One at a time, peer to peer, with specifics about your projects and your team. Your company name never appears on a posting or a mass email.Owner-side fit scoring
Whether the person will thrive owning a number, managing a GC and answering to a lender, alongside the technical fit. You see the scoring, not just a resume.Weekly reporting through the offer
You always know who is in process, who declined and why, and what the market is telling us about the seat. We stay through offer, resignation and start date.
Why developers work with SBR
We speak product
Wrap, podium, Texas donut, tax credit, TOD, BTR. The people we call can tell within a minute that we understand the work, which is why they answer.
Passive candidate reach
The development and construction leaders you want are employed and not applying anywhere. We reach them directly with a real story about your pipeline.
Owner-side judgment
We screen for people who want to build for the owner, not the GC, so you are not retraining a contractor’s instincts on your pro forma.
Direct hire only
Permanent placement is all we do. No temp, contract or staffing, and your search is confidential from the first call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What developer and multifamily roles does SBR recruit?
VPs of Development and Construction, Development Directors and Managers, Directors of Construction, owner-side Senior Project Managers and Project Managers, Construction Managers, Owner’s Representatives, Directors of Preconstruction, Entitlement Managers, VPs of Land Development and self-perform Superintendents for California owner-developers and merchant builders.
Do you recruit owner-side construction managers and project managers for multifamily?
Yes, and it is the seat we are asked for most by developers. We map owner-developers, homebuilder construction teams, construction managers and the GC project leaders ready to move to the owner side, then screen for the judgment the owner seat actually requires.
Which product types do you cover?
Wrap and podium multifamily, garden and walk-up, affordable and tax credit, mixed use and transit oriented development, build-to-rent, master-planned communities, senior and active adult, student housing, commercial and industrial development, and adaptive reuse.
Which California markets do you cover?
Sacramento, the Bay Area and East Bay, the Central Valley, and statewide for executive seats. We also recruit development and construction leaders relocating into California from other markets.
What does an owner-side project manager earn in California?
Owner-side compensation depends on the capital stack and the pipeline, so we benchmark each search. The closest published references are Senior Project Manager at $156,000 to $208,950 base and Owner’s Representative at $170,560 to $212,100 base in California for 2026, per SBR’s salary guide, with development and construction VPs above $197,000 base.
Is this direct hire only?
Yes. Permanent, direct-hire placement is all we do. We do not provide temp, contract or staffing.
How do we start a search?
Call 424-352-6241 or use the Start Hiring page. We run an intake call, confirm the scope and the market, and start outreach with a calibrated target list, reporting to you weekly until the offer is accepted.
Hiring on the owner side?
Tell us the seat, the product and the pipeline. We will tell you what the talent pool really looks like and what it will take to win in it, before you commit to anything.
Call 424-352-6241 Start a searchSBR Jobs · Silicon Beach Recruiter · 2100 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95818 · 424-352-6241
