National VP of Forward Planning and Entitlements

At K. Hovnanian, we believe in building homes that uplift souls and in building a company where people feel empowered to do their best work together. For more than 65 years, we have been a leader in homebuilding and community development, delivering hundreds of thousands of homes where families build their most important memories and milestones.

Today, we operate across more than a dozen states and support a diverse portfolio of communities serving first-time buyers, move-up buyers, luxury customers, and active lifestyle homeowners. As we continue to transform how we operate as a company, we are committed to creating an environment where collaboration, accountability, and empowerment are at the core of how we work.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This strategic and execution-focused leader will act as the national subject matter expert and change agent, transforming how the organization approaches land entitlements, master planning, and long-range development strategies.

Responsible for owning and deploying a standardized national entitlements playbook across all homebuilding operations. The successful candidate will drive consistency, speed, and risk mitigation in the forward planning and entitlement processes, ensuring the company secures development approvals efficiently and predictably at scale. This is a high-impact leadership position that bridges corporate strategy and divisional execution.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Playbook Deployment & Standardization: Lead the national rollout and continuous improvement of the company's Entitlements Playbook. Ensure consistent processes, templates, deliverables, and timelines are adopted across all divisions and regions.
• Forward Planning Leadership: Oversee national forward planning strategies, including land pipeline development, entitlement forecasting, and long-term growth planning.
• Process Optimization: Identify and eliminate bottlenecks in the entitlement process. Implement best practices in due diligence, zoning/rezoning, environmental approvals, public hearings, and intergovernmental coordination.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Division Presidents, Land Acquisition, Development, Legal, and Operations teams to align entitlement strategies with overall business objectives and production goals.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify entitlement risks and develop mitigation strategies. Maintain visibility on key entitlement milestones and potential delays impacting the land pipeline.
• Travel & Field Execution: Regularly travel to division offices and project sites to support local teams, conduct playbook training, perform entitlement audits, and drive accountability for national standards.
• Performance Tracking: Establish and monitor national KPIs for entitlement cycle times, approval success rates, cost predictability, and playbook compliance.
• Vendor & Consultant Management: Build and manage relationships with national and regional consultants, legal counsel, and lobbyists to support consistent quality and cost efficiency.
• Regulatory & Market Intelligence: Stay ahead of evolving regulatory trends, political landscapes, and entitlement best practices across key markets.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor''''s degree from four-year college or university with a background in Urban Planning, Real Estate Development, Civil Engineering, Business, or related field. At least ten years of progressive experience in land entitlements and forward planning within the homebuilding or master-planned community industry; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Successful candidate must maintain a valid driver''''s license. Required travel 30% - 50%.

K. Hovnanian Companies, LLC, a subsidiary of Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc., a well-respected publicly traded company, is committed to providing an environment and programs that help our associates flourish. You can look forward to professional support and extensive benefits-including medical/dental/vision coverage, discounts on mortgages and home appliances, and a 401(k) plan with company match.

Note to Search Firms

K. Hovnanian Companies, LLC is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any associate at K. Hovnanian via email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of K. Hovnanian. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by K. Hovnanian as a result of the referral or through other means.