About Optima Living
Founded in 2007 by two friends inspired by their families’ dementia journeys, Optima Living was created to provide a more home-like experience in seniors housing and care. What began as a personal mission has grown into one of Western Canada’s leading senior living and continuing care providers.
Today, Optima Living offers Independent Living, Assisted Living, Supportive Living, Long-Term Care, Brain Health, and Memory Care across Alberta and British Columbia. Our innovative approach includes Spark, Your Wellness, Your Way; our proprietary brain health and care model. As the only Top 10 Canadian senior living and care provider focused exclusively on Western Canada, we proudly serve more than 4,300 residents.
Guided by our North Star, Let us welcome you home™, we are committed to People, Place, and Community. With a resident-first philosophy and a focus on innovation, we are redefining aging with purpose creating communities where seniors live with dignity, connection, and joy.
Position Summary
The Director of Development is a senior leadership role overseeing Optima Living’s active development portfolio across Western Canada. With several newly awarded government funded contracts and multiple major seniors housing, healthcare, and continuing care developments scheduled to break ground within the next 12 months, this position offers a unique opportunity to lead and shape transformative projects from inception through operational handover.
Joining at a pivotal stage of organizational growth, the successful candidate will become part of an active and expanding development platform with multiple projects already in the design phase. This role offers the opportunity to make an immediate impact by helping shape projects in their early stages, while also building and leading the development team structure required to support Optima Living’s long-term growth strategy.
Reporting directly to the Principal, the Director of Development serves as the operational lead representing ownership interests across multiple concurrent projects. This role is responsible for driving alignment between consultants, contractors, operations, finance, investors, municipalities, health authorities, and regulatory stakeholders while ensuring projects are delivered with a high standard of execution, accountability, and operational readiness.
The Director of Development will oversee projects through the full development lifecycle, including pre-development, planning, permitting, design coordination, construction oversight, commissioning, occupancy, and operational transition. The ideal candidate is a highly organized, entrepreneurial, and solutions-oriented development leader with strong expertise in large-scale project execution, permitting strategy, stakeholder management, and development operations within a fast-paced growth environment.
Key Responsibilities
Development Leadership and Project Oversight
- Lead the day-to-day execution of multiple development projects across Western Canada
- Oversee projects through the full development lifecycle, including pre-development, design, permitting, construction, commissioning, occupancy, and operational turnover
- Own and maintain integrated master project schedules across all active developments
- Ensure projects are delivered on schedule, within budget, and aligned with strategic and operational objectives
- Coordinate internal and external stakeholders throughout all phases of development
- Identify project risks proactively and implement mitigation strategies to minimize delays and financial impacts
- Support long-term capital planning, portfolio growth initiatives, and development pipeline strategy
- Contribute to scalable development processes, governance standards, and operational best practices
- Participate in project feasibility analysis, strategic planning, and investment-related discussions
Consultant and Contractor Management
- Lead and manage architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, and development partners
- Chair design meetings, project coordination meetings, and development review sessions
- Oversee design development milestones, including 30%, 60%, and 90% design reviews
- Ensure accountability, performance management, and timely deliverables from project partners
- Coordinate construction and operational integration activities alongside Operations leadership
- Participate in procurement processes, consultant selection, contract negotiations, and development partnerships
- Foster collaborative relationships while maintaining strong project accountability and execution standards
Permitting, Regulatory, and Government Relations
- Lead permitting strategies across all active development projects
- Oversee and ensure successful approval of all required municipal, provincial, health authority, and regulatory permits
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with municipalities, governing bodies, healthcare authorities, and regulatory agencies
- Anticipate permitting and regulatory risks and proactively implement mitigation strategies to avoid project delays
- Coordinate approvals, submissions, and compliance requirements across all jurisdictions
- Support government-funded project compliance, reporting, funding coordination, and draw administration in partnership with Finance and Project Accounting
- Monitor evolving regulatory requirements impacting seniors housing, healthcare, and continuing care developments
Construction Safety and Compliance Oversight
- Monitor General Contractor (GC) safety program compliance across all active development and construction sites
- Ensure General Contractors maintain COR-certified or equivalent safety programs and verify that safety protocols are being actively implemented and followed
- Review safety documentation, including site-specific safety plans, hazard assessments, incident reports, and near-miss reporting
- Ensure construction contracts include appropriate safety compliance obligations and hold General Contractors contractually accountable for Occupational
Health and Safety (OHS) legislation, site safety performance, and regulatory compliance
- Escalate significant safety incidents and ensure all required reporting obligations to provincial governments, health authorities, and regulatory bodies are completed in accordance with applicable legislation and funding requirements
- Conduct regular site visits to validate reported site conditions, monitor compliance with safety standards, and support proactive risk mitigation
- Partner with contractors, consultants, and project stakeholders to promote a culture of safety, accountability, and operational excellence across all projects
Financial and Reporting Accountability
- Prepare executive-level project reporting, dashboards, investment committee materials, and stakeholder updates
- Partner with Finance and Project Accounting teams to monitor budgets, forecasts, contingencies, and cost controls
- Review and approve project expenditures and change orders within delegated authority
- Escalate significant financial, schedule, or scope risks to the Principal and Steering Committee as required
- Support capital planning, project feasibility analysis, and investor reporting activities
- Monitor project performance metrics and ensure reporting accuracy across the development portfolio
Operational Integration and Handover
- Collaborate closely with Operations leadership to ensure developments align with operational standards and resident care requirements
- Support operational commissioning, furniture, fixture and equipment planning, occupancy readiness, and transition activities
- Develop structured handover and transition plans between Development and Operations teams
- Ensure developments support long-term operational efficiency, resident experience, and regulatory compliance
Leadership and Team Development
- Lead and mentor internal development team members, including Project Managers, Project Coordinators, and Project Accountants
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and execution excellence
- Support recruitment, onboarding, and development of future development team members
- Contribute to long-term development strategy and organizational growth planning
- Serve as a key leadership partner across the organization for all development-related initiatives
Qualifications and Experience
- Minimum 7–10 years of progressive experience in real estate development, construction, infrastructure, or project management leadership
- Demonstrated experience leading multiple large-scale development projects through the full development lifecycle, from pre-development through occupancy and operational turnover
- Experience managing healthcare, seniors housing, continuing care, hospitality, mixed-use, or large multi-residential developments is strongly preferred
- Strong understanding of development processes, permitting, budgeting, construction management, project delivery methodologies, and capital project governance
- Experience working with investors, consultants, municipalities, healthcare authorities, and senior operational stakeholders
- Experience with government-funded infrastructure, healthcare, or publicly funded development projects is considered a strong asset
- Degree or diploma in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Urban Land Economics, Real Estate Development, Business, or a related discipline
- PMP, P.Eng., architectural, construction management, or related professional designation is considered an asset
Skills and Competencies
- Strategic leadership and decision-making
- Strong project execution and organizational discipline
- Stakeholder and relationship management
- Financial and business acumen
- Negotiation and conflict resolution
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- High attention to detail and accountability
- Ability to manage multiple large-scale projects simultaneously
- Strong leadership presence and operational mindset
- Entrepreneurial, proactive, and solutions-oriented approach
