Senior Advisor, Development and Portfolio Management

OPPORTUNITY Fengate is seeking an experienced, strategic executive with a passion for real estate development and investments to provide calm, steady, and continuity-focused leadership to their development team on a one-year contract. This individual will act as a stabilizing presence, providing continuity of oversight, practical guidance, and sound strategic direction for ongoing projects by supporting the day-to-day activities of the team while also delivering regular and effective communication to the President of Real Estate and senior leadership team. The development portfolio consists of 30+ projects, including 25,000+ units of residential development over 5M square feet of industrial space. Many of the projects are developed through joint venture partnerships. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Lead Major Development Initiatives: Serve as the primary executive responsible for development portfolio, working closely with joint venture partners and key internal and external stakeholders to drive alignment, continuity, and steady execution rather than major redesign or transformation. Full Project Lifecycle Oversight: Through a high functioning team, oversee all phases of development—from entitlement and design through construction, delivery, and stabilization—ensuring strategic and operational excellence and driving consistent decision making in line with established plans. Portfolio Strategy & Risk Management: Provide oversight of the portfolio’s overall health, including investment strategy, asset performance, portfolio construction, and risk mitigation with a balanced, measured and conservative approach that protects long-term value. Financial Leadership: Direct the preparation, review, and refinement of financial models, budgets, and investment analyses to support sound decision-making and project viability. Regulatory & Compliance Stewardship: Ensure all development activities adhere to applicable regulations, company policies, and industry standards, proactively identifying and mitigating risks throughout the process to help the team avoid long-term missteps. Execution Excellence: Drive timely, on-budget delivery of projects while maintaining the highest standards of quality and stakeholder satisfaction. Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and support a high-performing development team, fostering collaboration, pro-active problem-solving, accountability, and professional growth, and serving as a trusted advisor and sounding board. Organizational Culture & Communication: Promote a transparent and collegial environment through open communication, an encouraging leadership presence, and a commitment to maintaining high morale and engagement during the maternity leave period. Executive Reporting & Coordination: Manage budgets, schedules, and communications across project teams and executive leadership, ensuring clarity, reliability and continuity, and taking work off the President of Real Estate’s plate through proactive coordination, triage, and strategic alignment.PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONS This is a contract hire; the successful candidate will be a seasoned self-starter that enjoys working in a steady, fast-paced and collegial environment. This senior-level role requires someone who can guide, mentor and support the team and provide strategic direction for multiple, projects across the development spectrum. The ideal candidate brings a low-ego, advisory oriented approach, excellent judgment, and a proven ability to keep projects and people moving in a calm, aligned manner.15+ years of leadership experience in real estate development, with a strong track record of delivering large-scale, complex projects across asset classes. Deep technical expertise in real estate development, underwriting, financial analysis, and strategic decision-making, with the ability to assess risk and opportunity across diverse markets and ensure the team avoids long-term pitfalls. Residential experience is required; industrial experience is a valuable asset.Established credibility within the Toronto development community, with a nuanced understanding of development execution within a framework of institutional priorities, governance, and decision-making and a measured, consensus-oriented leadership style. Broad market insight, including fund-level risk exposure, evolving investor requirements, and emerging trends impacting development strategy and execution. U.S. market experience is considered a valuable asset, particularly in navigating regulatory environments and capital structures.Collaborative, steady and mentoring leadership style with the ability to build consensus across cross-functional teams, communicate with clarity, and foster a positive, growth-oriented culture.EDUCATIONBachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or related fieldRelevant post-graduate degree, i.e., MBA, CPA (CA), CFA, or CBV is considered an assetFengate is an equal opportunity employer, we strive to attract and retain a diverse workforce and are committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace. It is a core priority at Fengate to create, operate with, and continuously grow and sustain an inclusive culture that respects and connects the diversity of our team, our clients, our partners, and the communities we work in.We are committed to providing accommodation for persons with disabilities. If you require accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs.We thank all applicants for their interest in this position; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.