Director, Development & Construction; Seniors Housing

Director, Development & Construction (Seniors Housing)
Job Description

Posted Friday, May 15, 2026 at 7:00 AM

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…