Development Manager

Development Manager - London

A new Development Manager position has become available, to join a pioneering property company that is all about sustainability, with a “retrofit first” attitude. This role will involve a blend of development management and asset management work, ensuring both the successful delivery of new projects and the optimisation of existing assets.

Operating across offices, residential, and retail assets, they are now looking to grow their team with a senior hire to help drive forward their development and asset management offering following further capital from their investors.

The Development Manager will work on deals throughout the development lifecycle from assisting with planning applications, through the CAPEX phase, and post practical completion follow-up. You will also have the opportunity to drive further development opportunities from within your network.

Every development project has challenges and issues that need to be overcome, and you will need to deploy strong leadership and problem-solving skills in order to lead the process so that budgets and timeframes are met and outcomes are consistent with their values and expectations.

In addition to development work, there will also be a blend of asset management responsibilities, ensuring the long-term value of the company’s property portfolio is maximized. This will include optimizing existing assets, managing tenant relationships, and exploring value-add strategies to enhance income and asset performance.

The role will have a strong focus on:

• Strategic planning, project management, and financial oversight
• Lead and manage a large team of professional consultants including architects, cost consultants, contractors to ensure effective project delivery.
• Develop and manage budgets for development projects together with the rest of the team during the site acquisition phase. Appraise and profile the associated risks for development.
• Manage the site due diligence process in order to ensure that all development risks are identified and quantified.
• Manage the approval and permitting phase of the development process. Maintain positive relationships with jurisdictions and planning authorities.
• Manage the detailed design phase of the projects, ensuring strict adherence to our strategic objectives and attention to cost management.
• Managing the bidding, negotiation, and construction contract process
• Monitor general contractor and vendor performance during the construction phase.
• Ensure that the projects are effectively handed over from the contract with completed documentation and in a “right first time” manner.
• Ensure that the projected expenditure is under constant review and any anticipated deviations are highlighted and controlled.
• Produce regular reporting for internal and external use with lenders and investors.

The successful candidate will possess:

• Strong technical experience, with exposure to UK and/or European commercial real estate
• Top abilities in analytical thinking, with the demonstrable ability to quickly see through complex and often conflicting facts to distil problems down to their essential, critical elements.
• Ability to manage teams of technical consultants, and work to deadlines.
• A demonstrable level of sophistication in environmental sustainability and social value.
• A perfectionist’s eye for detail and the ability to deliver high-quality work the first time around.
• A willingness to work in a self-directed way at times, but equally able to excel collaboratively.

Please get in touch with Christopher Mackenzie at MRG to find out more about this opportunity.