About Frolic

We are a small team of pragmatic dreamers working to shift the existing real estate development paradigm towards community ownership. Building on the research of our founders from the MIT Center for Real Estate, we are creating pocket-communities of 6-20 homes. Each community is owned collectively via the Frolic Community cooperative housing model - designed to make buying a home within reach for generational renters and first time home buyers. We build our projects in partnership with single family homeowners that have greater development potential on their land and who want to age-in-place, house their communities, and shape the future of their neighborhoods. We have 5 projects in development and over 30 in our pipeline.

Learn more about our work here: https://www.frolic.community/who-we-are

About the Role

We are seeking a Head of Development Services to lead and project manage all of Frolic’s work on each of our development projects. You will be responsible for stewarding each project from early-stage design and planning through construction and ultimately to the sale of each unit to new co-op members. We are seeking an experienced project manager with well-honed entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills, high emotional intelligence to navigate complex projects with diverse stakeholders, and a proven track record of real estate development experience. 

Frolic partners with homeowners to co-develop projects, and the Head of Development Services represents Frolic by ensuring that projects stay on schedule, are within budget, and meet all quality and design parameters. In this role, you will lead the execution of equitable, thoughtful, and affordable multifamily cooperative housing projects that challenge convention and drive positive change.

The Head of Development Services could be responsible for building out a team of project managers and other individual contributors under them as Frolic scales, and will work in close collaboration with the Head of Finance, Head of Design and other team leaders that will be responsible for key pieces of each development project. The Head of Development Services will be the glue and project management oversight to ensure that each project is efficiently moved through each phase of development.

In this role, you will initially hold full responsibility for building Frolic's real estate development capabilities and managing all aspects of the project lifecycle. This is a critical leadership role that requires excellent communication, project management, and problem-solving skills. 

Once here, you will:

• Project Development: Lead and manage the development process of real estate projects from conception through completion, from acquisition through design, construction, and final sale/lease.
• Team Leadership: Lead and manage project teams, including internal staff and external consultants, ensuring effective collaboration and communication across all stakeholders. Develop and manage reporting systems to communicate project status, risks, and progress to senior leadership and stakeholders. Provide training and support to internal teams to foster an understanding of streamlined development processes and best practices.
• Budgeting & Cost Management: Evaluate sites for development, working with finance and strategy teams on financial modeling and risk assessment to determine project feasibility, with a focus on affordability. Develop project budgets, track expenses, and ensure that the project stays within financial constraints. Identify inefficiencies within current systems and propose data-driven solutions to enhance speed and reduce costs.
• Regulatory Compliance: Work with local officials and community partners to ensure that all projects comply with local zoning laws, building codes, environmental regulations, and other applicable regulations, and oversee the process of obtaining municipal approvals for zoning, site plan, development plans, and permits.
• Development Operations: Develop, implement, and optimize standardized operational procedures and workflows to streamline the development process. Implement project management tools and software to track development milestones, budgets, and timelines. Maintain and update a central repository for project documentation, contracts, permits, and other critical information for easy access and tracking. 
• Vendor Management: Help source and collaborate with external vendors, contractors, and consultants who truly understand and are committed to our mission of creating affordable, liveable spaces for communities, and ensure compliance with project timelines, quality standards, and budget parameters.
• Risk Management and Best Practices: Identify potential risks and challenges, implement strategies to mitigate them, and proactively address issues as they arise during the course of the project. Drive continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring that best practices are adhered to across all real estate projects. Analyze market trends and competitor practices to identify opportunities for operational improvements and innovation.

About You

We’re looking for someone who has a strong sense of focus and drive while also working respectfully in a highly collaborative environment. This role would be great for someone that can balance the high-pressure needs of project management with the softer human side of building communities and trust.

The key traits and expected qualifications for successful candidates include: 

• Ability to work with individuals and institutions to think and act differently, using a keen understanding of their needs and perspectives - to not villainize standard practices in the industry and instead work within them to expand what is possible
• Continually find ways to refine and improve systems and processes as our startup continues to rapidly scale
• Ability to work independently as well as multitask while maintaining excellent attention to detail
• Kindness and general intuition to make hard decisions when needed
• Project management skills, staying organized and following up with each partner 
• Exceptional relationship building across diverse sets of stakeholders 
• A comprehension of and dedication to engaging in conversations regarding historical racial and zoning inequities and a commitment to expanding communal ownership models and housing equity
• At least 5+ years of development or related experience, with core project and stakeholder management experience and a proven track record of managing projects from inception to completion
• Subject matter knowledge across real estate development field including financing, partnerships, design, legal, and construction
• Leadership and team management experience

Other aspects of your experience that would be a plus:

• Lived experience in the ways the current housing system is failing, and/or experience working with communities currently marginalized by existing systems
• Mixed-use and/or co-op housing experience
• Licensed real estate agent and/or broker
• Existing relationships with contractors, investors, foundations, or lenders in target markets

What We Offer

This position will be full-time, and employee must be based in the Seattle metro area (or willing to relocate).

Employee must be in the Frolic offices in Capitol Hill, Seattle at least 2 days / week and will likely be traveling between project sites and stakeholder meetings the rest of the week.

Base salary commensurate with experience. 80% company contribution to robust medical, dental and vision benefits, up to 3.5% employer match on sponsored 401(k) plan, unlimited PTO, and opportunities for equity participation.

Additionally, you will experience:

• Mission-Driven Impact: Join a startup with an authentic social impact imperative, doing work that is creating systemic change in an industry that has been stagnant for decades. This both means making a difference in the lives of people you will get to know personally and also comes with the accolades of the spaces and institutions paying attention to our work at this moment, including the Terner Center, H.U.D., and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. 
• Collaborative and Inclusive Culture: We live by our values and model the communities we are building within the culture of our organization. This means that we bring our full selves to work and take care of each other as whole people. We see each part of our team as a critical voice in the evolution of Frolic Community, and work hard to craft roles for each of us that reflect what each of us wants to bring to the world in our work. 
• Growth and Learning: Be part of a rapidly scaling startup where you can take on new challenges, get exposure to multiple aspects of entrepreneurship and leadership, and distinguish your career by doing complex, meaningful, bad-ass work in the field of Real Estate

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume/CV and a one-page cover letter expressing why you want to work with us and highlighting how your skills and experience align with what you see this role being. 

Frolic is deeply committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging both in our workplace and in the communities we serve. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. Frolic is built on the principles of equity, transparency and the power of human experience. Your work will improve the daily lives of real people and their future generations, and we need people with and without disabilities from diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and skill sets to live out our mission. We strongly encourage people who have felt the impacts of the nation’s housing crisis to apply. This includes but is not limited to people most impacted by racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, classism, and other forms of oppression.