Strategic Land Manager - London

Creating and building beautiful award-winning homes is what we do at Dandara. Homes that combine innovative design with only the highest standards of quality. It's something we have been doing for over 30 years and it's part of the reason why we're one of the UK's most respected private housebuilders. We work with local communities to ensure our homes are designed in such a way that they enhance and complement their surroundings beautifully.

The Strategic Land Manager will play a key role in identifying, securing and promoting new and existing strategic land opportunities. Working closely with the Land and Planning Directors and reporting to the Senior Strategic Land Manager, the successful candidate will manage consultant teams, planning budgets and landowner negotiations, while assessing the planning potential of strategic sites. This role requires a proactive, commercially astute individual with experience in strategic land acquisition and promotion.

What you will do:

• Proactively source strategic land opportunities with future development potential, including option, promotion and hybrid agreements, as well as unconditional purchases.
• Lead business development activity to identify new opportunities, including building relationships with agents, landowners and other external stakeholders.
• Conduct due diligence, viability appraisals and site searches to assess suitability for acquisition.
• Support the delivery of opportunities against agreed targets and timeframes, working closely with the wider strategic land team.
• Lead the acquisition negotiation process, engaging with solicitors and professional advisers as required.
• Manage the wider acquisition process, including full due diligence, working with the land and planning teams to appraise site options, understand financial implications, manage risk and ensure acquisitions meet the company's investment criteria.
• Support internal reporting on live projects, including updating internal appraisals to inform board reporting.
• Assist with exercising options and agreeing land pricing with vendors and the wider professional team.
• Manage and co-ordinate external consultants, including architects, planners and agents, to support bids and subsequent planning applications alongside the planning team.
• Work closely with the planning team, relevant consultants and advisers to secure Local Plan allocations or planning permission in the shortest possible timeframe.
• Support the project management of the planning promotion process for each site in line with the agreed planning strategy, liaising closely with landowners and their agents to ensure projects run on time, within budget and in line with agreed objectives.

What you will have:

• A minimum of 4-5 years experience working within the strategic land division of a national housebuilder, land promoter/trader or land agency.
• Proven experience of identifying, negotiating and securing land deals, including options, promotions, hybrids and unconditional purchases.
• A strong understanding of national and local planning policy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Strong knowledge and practical use of development appraisals.
• Strong knowledge of technical design and the planning system.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage with a variety of audiences and build strong relationships.
• Highly motivated, self-driven and entrepreneurial, with the ability to work effectively as part of a wider team.

What we will offer you:

Dandara was established in 1988 from the desire to provide innovative homes and commercial properties, which would offer real value for money without compromising on design, durability, or quality. Today Dandara is one of the UK's largest independent property development companies, with over 10,000 happy customers and more than 100 industry awards for design and quality.

Our benefits include:

• Competitive basic based on experience
• Bonus Scheme
• Car Allowance
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme - EAP
• Health Hero digital doctor - 24 hr virtual help and appointments
• Health Assured Wisdom App
• 3x salary life assurance (paid option to increase to x4)
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employer matched pension scheme of up to 5%
• Flexible benefits including shopping vouchers, airport parking and reduced gym membership