Development Manager – AR in Wokingham

To lead the progression and delivery of the Council's housing development and capital programme, managing projects from post-feasibility stage through governance approval, mobilisation, delivery, handover and project closure. The postholder is accountable for business case development, governance approvals, programme management, project controls, financial monitoring, funding coordination, stakeholder management, risk management and performance reporting across a portfolio of housing projects. The Development Manager is the Council's Project Lead and is responsible for establishing project governance, delivery structures, work packages, reporting arrangements and programme controls necessary to successfully deliver approved projects. The Development Manager is responsible for overall project governance, programme performance, budget management and delivery outcomes.

Responsibility for management of construction activities and contractor performance during live construction phases sits with the Construction Manager. Responsibility for technical feasibility, technical due diligence, option appraisal, design development, technical assurance and specialist technical advice remains with the Residential Development Surveyor and appointed technical advisers.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Initiation, Business Cases & Governance: Receive and review project proposals following completion of feasibility studies, option appraisals and concept development. Lead preparation and submission of business cases, funding applications, Executive reports and governance papers. Establish project objectives, delivery strategies, work packages and project controls. Coordinate input from Finance, Procurement, Legal, Technical and Operational Stakeholders. Lead projects through governance gateways and secure approvals. Maintain decision logs, approvals registers and audit trails.
• Programme & Project Delivery: Lead delivery of new build, acquisition, refurbishment, remodelling, specialist housing and partnership projects. Establish and maintain project programmes and delivery plans. Monitor performance against programme, budget and approved objectives. Lead the overall delivery strategy and coordinate project workstreams across technical, construction, operational and corporate stakeholders. Identify delivery barriers and drive solutions. Manage the performance of the overall project delivery team, ensuring appropriate accountability is maintained across technical, construction and specialist work packages.
• Financial Management & Funding: Lead development and maintenance of project appraisals and development budgets. Manage project cashflows and expenditure forecasts. Monitor financial performance and identify risks or variances. Coordinate funding strategies and grant management. Lead Homes England and other grant claims, monitoring returns and reporting.
• Programme Controls, Reporting & Assurance: Maintain Business Cases, Cost Plans, Project Programmes, Cashflow Forecasts, RAID Logs and Highlight Reports. Produce programme, financial, risk and performance reports. Provide reporting to governance boards, senior management and funding bodies. Coordinate gateway reviews and assurance activities.
• Risk, Governance & Compliance Management: Lead management of risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies. Maintain RAID logs and mitigation plans. Ensure projects comply with governance and delivery procedures. Support client responsibilities relating to CDM and Building Safety obligations.
• Procurement & Contract Management: Lead procurement of consultants, contractors and delivery partners. Develop procurement strategies and recommendations. Coordinate mobilisation following appointments and contract award. Monitor delivery against agreed outputs.
• Stakeholder Management & Partnership Working: Act as the primary point of coordination for housing development projects. Lead and develop the communication plan and be responsible for delivering against it. Build effective relationships with Council services, Registered Providers, Homes England, consultants, contractors and partners. Facilitate boards, steering groups, gateway reviews and governance meetings. Work closely with the Residential Development Surveyor to ensure projects remain technically deliverable.

Person Specification

Essential Experience: Significant experience in housing development, regeneration, development delivery or capital programme management. Experience of developing business cases and securing approvals. Experience of financial appraisal, budget management and cashflow forecasting. Experience of grant funding administration and monitoring. Experience of procurement and stakeholder management.

Essential Knowledge: Housing development and regeneration delivery. Project and programme management methodologies. Governance, assurance and risk management. Funding and grant administration. Public sector procurement processes.

Essential Skills: Strong project and programme management capability. Excellent business case and report writing skills. Financial appraisal and budget management skills. Strong governance, organisational and stakeholder management capability. Risk management and problem-solving skills.

Qualifications

Essential: Degree or equivalent experience in Housing, Construction, Regeneration, Real Estate, Project Management or related discipline.

Desirable: PRINCE2, MSP, APM PMQ or equivalent; CIH, CIOB, RICS, APM or similar professional membership.

Key Characteristics: Delivery-focused and accountable. Strong project and programme leader. Commercially aware and financially competent. Collaborative and relationship driven. Pragmatic and solutions focused.