Land and Property Area Manager in Milton Keynes

A little bit about us: East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much-needed transport connections for the vibrant communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge. Together these communities contribute around £111 billion to the national economy each year. However, the lack of good East-West transport connections makes it harder for residents to make the most of everything the region has to offer. EWR is also one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, which the government committed to delivering in full in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and again in the 2025 Spending Review as part of its ambition to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.

East West Railway Company was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way. At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple – to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications of all backgrounds and experiences.

EWR is being championed by the Government as a key driver to economic growth leading to a potential £78 Billion boost to the UK economy: supporting new towns, housing, and regeneration.

Role Summary: This is a key role working within the client-side Land & Property Team at EWR Co. reporting to the Head of Land and Property to ensure the successful delivery of the DCO and to secure all the land required for the EWR project. This role will be responsible for leading and managing the acquisition, transfer, management and disposal of land and property to support delivery of the East West Rail Project.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and deliver effective land and property strategies and plans, and to support a successful Development Consent Order (DCO) application and delivery of the project.
• Develop and deliver an engagement and consultation plan to identify those with an interest in land and property, and to facilitate effective communication with landowners and their representatives to secure temporary and permanent land assembly, and manage objection to the project in line with our Company vision and behaviours.
• Provide strategic oversight, coordination and integration assurance to successfully acquire the land and property required to construct, commission and operate the railway.
• Secure and manage agreements for temporary and permanent access to support construction, and operation of the project.
• Manage property costs, risks and opportunities and settlement of property claims including relevant dispute and Tribunal processes.
• Project manage the land and property workstreams, including the land and property supply chain – monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies to address potential issues and drive on-time delivery, to budget.
• Prepare and present programme reports, updates and performance metrics to the Head of Land and Property and other senior managers.
• Provide contract management input including change control for the administration of the Land and Property Supplier contracts.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise:

• You will be degree educated in an appropriate discipline with membership of relevant professional body e.g., Member (or Fellow) of the RICS.
• A comprehensive depth and range of experience of leading land and property workstreams within a client side organisation, ideally with experience in a government related organisation.
• Acquisition of land by compulsory purchase for linear infrastructure projects.
• Development, approval and delivery of land and property policy, strategy and plans for acquisition, management and disposal of land and property.
• Maintaining effective external relationships at senior levels to understand stakeholders’ needs and priorities with appropriate influencing skills to achieve results at pace.
• Developing and managing teams to deliver effective and respectful communication with landowners to secure land assembly.
• Collaborating with internal senior leaders across disciplines to deliver outcomes required for land assembly; working in multi-disciplinary teams to deliver an overall programme of activities to acquire, transfer, manage and dispose of land and property.
• Strategic planning and option analysis, including financial appraisal and forecasting including development and management of property cost estimates.
• Undertaking complex property negotiations and transactions.
• Instructing, managing and integrating a range of suppliers to deliver an overall programme of activities to acquire, transfer, manage and dispose of land and property.
• Explaining property matters and reports to others who may not have a background in property.
• Presenting data and explaining reports to stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrating compliance with Statutory, Regulatory and Professional requirements.

Benefits:

• Competitive base salary
• Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution
• 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a range of benefits on the Perkbox platform
• On-the-spot and annual awards
• Advanced learning and development programmes
• Great work-life balance and flexible working opportunities
• Enhanced family-friendly policies
• Exceptional IT tools

EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work-life balance and style.

Diversity and Inclusion: To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought. That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.