Director, Planning and Development

Job Posting Title

Director, Planning and Development

Employee Type

Regular

Recruiting Start Date

06-19-2026

Job Exempt?

Yes

Recruiting End Date

Open Until Filled

Aloha mai!  Mahalo for your interest in Kamehameha Schools.  If you are looking for an opportunity to utilize your skills and talents and grow in your profession, while serving and strengthening our Native Hawaiian community, we would love to have you join our ʻohana!

Kamehameha Schools is seeking a Director, Planning & Development who will lead the strategic vision and execution of KS’ real estate portfolio across diverse regions, driving long-term value through innovative planning and development. This leadership role combines a strong commercial mindset with a deep commitment to community impact, ensuring alignment with cultural stewardship, economic growth, and sustainability. Building on the current focus on the neighbor islands, we are especially interested in candidates who can continue to advance this work—ideally bringing prior neighbor island experience and/or strong ties to those communities. While the position may be based on Oahu or in one of our neighbor island offices, familiarity with and connection to neighbor island contexts will be highly valued.

Job Summary

The Director is responsible for providing high-level leadership, strategic oversight, and direction for KS’ real estate portfolio planning and development activities across multiple geographic regions. This role uses a commercial mindset to drive the vision and execution of KS’ real estate portfolio strategy, ensuring alignment with community, cultural, and broader economic objectives. The Director will lead a team of Planning and Development Senior Managers and Managers (Level I/II) while fostering cross-functional collaboration and managing relationships with key internal and industry stakeholders. They will ensure that KS’ planning, development, and community engagement efforts generate long-term value and economic returns. This role is responsible for ensuring that the real estate portfolio upholds KS’ commitment to Hawaiian cultural stewardship while advocating for education sustainability, and responsible real estate development.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Oversight

• Uses commercial strategies and activities to lead and oversee the development and execution of master plans, sub-market strategies, and property-level plans across multiple regions, ensuring alignment with KS’ broader business objectives, brand identity, cultural values, and sustainability goals.

• Lead comprehensive due diligence and develops robust business cases for development initiatives, including market analysis, financial modeling, return analysis, valuation, capital structuring, and transaction strategy.

• Champion the integration of industry trends and best practices into the strategic development and planning process, ensuring that KS maintains a competitive edge in the real estate and land economic markets.

• Provide strategic direction for large-scale projects, leading cross-functional teams and setting goals and targets that align with KS’ vision and economic objectives.

• Directly manage Senior Managers and Managers (Level I/II) fostering professional development and ensuring alignment with KS’ strategic goals.

Industry & Economic Development

• Assesses and determines broader economic and social impacts resulting from development and planning activities and leverages support for feasibility and public acceptance. Could include economic returns, industry/job creation, market competitiveness, and community impact.

• Directs entitlement efforts and leads financial forecasting for proposed development and redevelopment projects. Collaborates with cross-functional partners throughout all planning and development phases, with a strategic focus on analyzing regulatory and legislative impacts to optimize project outcomes.

• Actively participate in public-private partnerships (PPPs), working with government agencies, industry leaders, and other key stakeholders to advance KS’ development and strategic economic initiatives.

• Oversee market intelligence gathering, including economic impact assessments, and use this data to guide portfolio strategy, identify opportunities, and mitigate risks.

• Determines execution strategy and transaction structure, including self-development, fee development, joint ventures, ground leases, and other complex arrangements.  Leads negotiations to secure favorable agre