Chief Development Officer
- Job Type Full Time
- Qualification BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA , Professional Certificate
- Experience 15 years
- Location Lagos
- Job Field Construction and Site Engineering 
- We are seeking an accomplished and visionary Chief Development Officer (CDO) to establish and lead our Development Management Office (DMO), a strategic company-wide function responsible for the governance, coordination, technical oversight, and successful execution of our growing portfolio of real estate developments.
- Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the successful candidate will build and institutionalise a world-class Development Management Office that sets the standard for project governance, engineering excellence, contractor accountability, construction technology adoption, quality assurance, and delivery performance across multiple developments.
- This is not a conventional project management position. It is a senior executive appointment for a proven development leader with a distinguished track record of delivering complex, high-value real estate or infrastructure projects and leading multidisciplinary technical teams at scale.
Key Responsibilities
The Chief Development Officer will:
- Establish, lead, and continuously strengthen the Company’s Development Management Office (DMO) as an enterprise-wide delivery and governance function.
- Provide executive oversight for multiple developments simultaneously, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.
- Lead project governance across engineering, quantity surveying, planning, quality assurance, HSE, procurement coordination, contractor management, and project controls.
- Design and implement project governance frameworks, delivery methodologies, reporting systems, technical standards, and operational policies.
- Exercise technical authority over contractor prequalification, project delivery reviews, change management, quality assurance, and payment certification.
- Monitor project performance, budgets, programme schedules, construction risks, and delivery milestones while providing strategic reporting to Executive Management and the Board.
- Drive the implementation of smart infrastructure solutions, including renewable energy systems, digital connectivity, intelligent access control, security technologies, EV infrastructure, and IoT-enabled developments.
- Champion the adoption of digital construction technologies including BIM, GIS, drone monitoring, digital project controls, performance dashboards, and construction analytics.
- Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing multidisciplinary technical organisation capable of supporting an expanding development portfolio.
- Foster a culture of operational excellence, accountability, innovation, safety, and continuous improvement across all projects.
Candidate Profile
The successful candidate must possess:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Project Management, or a related discipline.
- A Master’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
- A minimum of 15 years of progressive post-qualification experience, including at least 8 years in senior leadership or executive management overseeing large-scale real estate, mixed-use, industrial, township, or infrastructure developments.
- Demonstrable experience establishing or transforming project delivery organisations, project governance frameworks, or development management functions.
- Extensive experience managing complex development portfolios from concept through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover.
- Strong commercial and contractual expertise with a deep understanding of FIDIC, procurement strategies, contract administration, cost management, claims management, and risk mitigation.
- Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams comprising engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, planners, HSE professionals, contractors, consultants, and project managers.
- Practical experience implementing digital construction technologies such as BIM, GIS, project controls, ERP systems, digital dashboards, or similar platforms.
- Excellent executive leadership, stakeholder engagement, negotiation, decision-making, and strategic planning capabilities.
- Membership or registration with relevant professional bodies such as COREN, NSE, QSRBN, NIA, PMP, CIOB, RICS, or equivalent professional institutions.
What We Are Looking For
- We seek an executive who has earned credibility through successful project delivery and possesses the technical depth, commercial judgement, and leadership maturity required to build and lead a high-performing Development Management Office.
- The ideal candidate will have a reputation for execution excellence, uncompromising standards, disciplined governance, and the ability to deliver transformational developments while balancing quality, cost, programme, innovation, and stakeholder expectations.
- Candidates without substantial executive-level development leadership experience in complex real estate or infrastructure environments are unlikely to be competitive for this role.
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Method of Application
Key Responsibilities
- Market and promote the company’s land and real estate developments.
- Generate qualified leads and convert prospects into buyers.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with individual and corporate clients.
- Conduct site inspections and client presentations.
- Negotiate transactions and drive deals to successful closure.
- Develop referral channels and strategic partnerships.
- Maintain accurate sales records and provide regular activity updates.
- Consistently achieve agreed sales targets.
Requirements
- Demonstrable experience in real estate, property, or land sales.
- Existing network of prospective buyers, investors, or referral partners will be a strong advantage.
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills.
- Strong business development and prospecting ability.
- Self-driven, target-oriented, and able to work with minimal supervision.
- High level of professionalism, integrity, and resilience.
What We are Looking For
- We are interested in professionals who thrive in a performance-driven environment, take ownership of their results, and are passionate about creating value for clients. If you have a track record of closing deals and enjoy building meaningful business relationships, we’d love to hear from you.
