Director of Planning And Development

Senior Director of PlanningLocation: Houston, TXRelocation Available The OpportunityOur client is a privately held real estate development firm with one of the most ambitious master-planned development projects in the country. We are searching for a visionary Sr. Director of Planning to serve as the internal creative lead — the person responsible for ensuring that every acre, every building, and every public space holds together as one coherent, lasting composition.This is a rare, career-defining opportunity. The scale is extraordinary, the capital commitment is deep, and the mandate is to build something that planners and designers from around the world will come to see. If you are someone who has spent your career waiting for a project worthy of your full ability — this is it.What You’ll DoThis is not a consulting engagement and not a single project. It is a perpetual, executive-level role at the intersection of design vision, development strategy, and civic ambition. You will serve as the internal creative clearinghouse for a large-scale, mixed-use, master-planned development spanning thousands of acres — touching architecture, landscape, interiors, public art, infrastructure, and everything in between.Primary responsibilities include:Regional Planning — Large-scale conceptualization of use and linkage across pedestrian, public, and private networksMunicipal — Capitalizing on opportunities to enhance the design of utilities and infrastructureMaster Planning — Sketch initial concepts, lead design firm selection, coordinate the full design process including renderings for marketing; protect design integrity through drawing, value engineering, and constructionEnvironmental Design — Cohesion across wayfinding, graphics, digital/AR, public art, monumentation, and the overall landscapeBuilding Design — Lead design firm selection and design process from concept through constructionInterior Design — Establish a design viewpoint, select firms, and personally engage on furnishings, fixtures, colors, materials, and equipment through final installationDesign Guidelines — Own and annually update the project’s design standards; publish a new volume each yearLibrary of Precedents — Curate and maintain a physical and digital library of people, places, and buildings worth studyingField Trips — Organize annual study trips to convert the library of precedents into lived experienceColleague Cultivation — Build personal relationships with the best designers in the world; a core belief is that great collaboration starts with knowing each other firstYou will lead and attend weekly design charrettes with consultant teams, provide creative direction and peer review, and represent the organization in public forums, stakeholder meetings, and government engagements. Hands-on ability — freehand sketching, hand-drawn concepts, color studies — is a regular part of the job.The Kind of Person We’re Looking ForWe are not simply looking for a skilled planner. We are looking for someone with insatiable curiosity, a natural aesthetic sensibility, and the passion to raise the bar across architecture, landscape, interior, and urban design — someone who understands that great design is ultimately about how a place makes people feel.A planning background is preferred over pure architecture; planners are wired for perpetual, multi-phase work in a way that architects often are not. Deep knowledge of landscape and building architecture is important, but specialists will be hired — this person directs and challenges them.Three things that are non-negotiable:Presence. You can command a room and advocate clearly for a design decision in front of investors, elected officials, and contractors. You don’t wilt under scrutiny.Taste. You have a portfolio and you’re proud of it. You can speak in depth about the trade-offs behind every choice. You likely make things outside of work — you draw, paint, build, or photograph. Drawing by hand is a regular part of this role.Independence. You are not captured by trends. You maintain enough intellectual distance to distinguish between what is timeless and what is merely popular. You will push back. That is not just acceptable — it is expected.A healthy ego and a genuine point of view on what humanity needs from its built environment are welcome here.Why This RoleUnmatched scale with creative freedom — a multi-thousand-acre, privately owned site with no municipal approval process and deep capital behind the visionAn evergreen mandate — the organization builds to own and steward, not to flip; every design decision you make is a decision for the next four decadesA financial structure that funds excellence — a reinvestment mechanism returns incremental revenue back into the project over time, creating long-term resources for civic and design qualityA team ready for leadership — talented planners on staff and world-class consultants engaged; this person is the ship captainHouston — one of the most dynamic real estate markets in the country, with this project at its frontierBackground & QualificationsDegree in Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, or Architecture; advanced degree or equivalent experience strongly preferredMeaningful experience leading design direction on large-scale, mixed-use, or master-planned developmentsDemonstrated ability to sketch, draw, and communicate design concepts by handPortfolio of work you can speak to in depth — design decisions, trade-offs, and outcomesExperience managing and directing external design consultants across multiple disciplinesStrong communication and presentation skills; comfortable in public-facing and political environmentsRelocation to Houston required; on-site presence is a core part of the role