Finance role
Director of Development Finance Recruiters
Financial Headhunters: Managing debt and equity draws while maintaining compliance with construction budgets for multiple concurrent projects.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
Executive-search discipline at every level, with conversations shaped around the work.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
Does the candidate directly manage the capital stack and cash flow for multiple active construction projects? You require a director who manages debt and equity draws while maintaining strict compliance with project budgets. How do you verify construction progress reports against financial data submitted to lenders and investors?
They spend their day running cost-to-complete reviews with project managers and finalizing the accounting for complex development cycles. They handle the shift from land acquisition to vertical construction and eventual asset stabilization. Success means keeping the project budget and the general ledger aligned at all times.
We ask candidates these specific questions: Can you walk me through the reconciliation of a specific project cost report to your final construction draw? How do you manage the cash flow impact when a major change order occurs mid-project? What is your process for verifying that subcontractor lien waivers are fully processed before releasing the next round of capital?
Before you interview, you must verify the specific scope of their financial control. Ask for the largest capital stack they managed. If they name a single project, dig deeper into whether they handled concurrent draws for multiple sites. You need to identify if they managed the entire debt and equity relationship independently or if they simply entered data prepared by a separate controller. Ask for evidence of how they handle a shortfall in a construction loan draw. A solid candidate explains the specific steps taken to reconcile the general ledger against the field progress reports. If they cannot explain how they track hard and soft costs within Sage 300 CRE or Viewpoint during a mid-project audit, do not move forward. You are looking for a director who forces project managers to clarify cost codes before the draw hits your desk. They should have concrete examples of rejecting invoices that lacked proper lien waivers or documentation.
- 01What we check before you see anyone: Verifiable experience in managing construction project accounting through the entire lifecycle from land acquisition to project closeout.
- 02Direct experience with ASC 606 revenue recognition standards as they apply to percentage-of-completion accounting in real estate development.
- 03Ability to produce precise development draw requests that satisfy strict requirements from external lenders and private equity partners.
- 04Technical proficiency in software such as Sage 300 CRE or Viewpoint for accurate tracking of hard and soft costs.
- 05Prior oversight of project accountants to confirm they follow firm-wide procedures for job cost coding and insurance compliance.
- 06Review junior accountant work to verify pay applications align with field observations of construction progress.
02
Where do we find them?
We recruit from established commercial real estate developers, large-scale general contractors with substantial internal development arms, and sophisticated property management firms. We look for individuals currently in regional roles who seek a move to a national platform for greater deal complexity.
Candidates move when their current project portfolio hits a plateau or when their internal software environment fails to support their growth. We also identify those seeking to leave firms where financial authority is too centralized to allow for effective management of individual project budgets.
We avoid firms that lack rigid internal controls or those that rely on disconnected manual spreadsheets for development finance.
Before you review any candidate we conduct a deep dive into their past experience with project audits. We ask them to detail a time they identified an overpayment caused by a disconnect between construction logs and accounting records. You must determine if they prioritize keeping accounting books clean or if they actively challenge project managers on budget overruns. We look for individuals who treat every draw as an audit event rather than a routine filing. If a candidate cannot describe the specific sequence of approvals required for a lien waiver verification under state law then they lack the foundational control required for this seat.
- 01Mistakes we seeHiring someone who only understands property accounting but lacks experience with the unique pressures of the construction development cycle.
- 02Prioritizing general ledger accounting experience without checking for specific knowledge of debt and equity draw compliance for commercial projects.
- 03Overlooking the need for direct field interaction, leading to a candidate who can manage numbers but cannot communicate effectively with project managers.
03
The search in three steps
We start by mapping the local and regional developer pool to identify active projects that match your firm's asset class and budget size.
We move to a technical screening process where we test their knowledge of project cost reporting and construction lien law requirements.
We present final candidates for your review once we verify their ability to manage complex project data and communicate with your leadership.
- 01Initial identification and vetting of professional backgrounds.
- 02Validation of technical skills and accounting practices.
- 03Final selection and interview scheduling for stakeholders.
How your Director of Development Finance search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
Research, direct conversations and professional judgment, with follow-through through the offer.
Search Calibration
We establish what this person must own: reporting demands, systems responsibilities, team, decision authority and first-year needs. We ask what would make an otherwise good candidate wrong for this job.
You get: An agreed search brief and a clear basis for judging fit.
Market Mapping
We research relevant operating environments, not just matching titles. An owner-led business, a portfolio company and a regulated lender can need different experience from someone with the same job title.
You get: A reasoned research direction, with scope differences made explicit.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We research professional ways to contact the people identified. Finding a name is a starting point; it does not establish availability, interest or fit.
You get: A route to a professional conversation, not simply a candidate list.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We contact people directly about the actual work and follow through on the conversation. We explain the remit and discuss whether a move could make sense. Not everyone will answer or want to move.
You get: A candid view of interest, objections and the tradeoffs in your opportunity.
Live Candidate Qualification
We discuss what each person actually owned, the complexity involved, their reasons for considering a move, compensation expectations and practical constraints. The questions fit the assignment, from a staff accounting seat to CFO.
You get: A candidate account of relevant ownership, with gaps left visible.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
Written recruiter context explains relevant experience, strengths and remaining questions. After introduction, we gather feedback, resolve questions, discuss changed requirements and support interviews and offer decisions. You retain the hiring decision and technical assessment.
You get: Continuity through the offer, rather than a handoff that ends at an introduction.
Questions people ask
When do I pay for finding someone to control debt and equity draws for projects?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
How do you distinguish between property and development finance candidates?
Development finance candidates manage project budgets and capital draws, while property accountants focus on monthly operational expenses and lease accounting.
Are your candidates comfortable with complex software requirements?
We source candidates familiar with industry-standard tools like Sage 300 CRE or Viewpoint, confirming they can work within your existing ecosystem.
Can you fill interim executive roles for this function?
Yes, we handle interim and fractional executive needs through our specialized team. We will align the terms to your specific engagement duration.
What is the fee for a Director of Development Finance search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a Director of Development Finance shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Director of Development Finance hire?
We ask every Director of Development Finance candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Director of Development Finance job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
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No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
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What does the published pay data show?
$166,570 national annual median. SOC 11-3031: Financial Managers.
BLS reports Director of Development Finance within a broader occupation. It does not publish separate wages for this exact title, credentials, seniority or industry. Compare the listed SOC duties with your actual role before using this range.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released 2026-05-15. This is not a separately measured salary for this exact title.
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