Head of Development

A well-established and growing property development business with interests spanning retail, commercial, residential, and care, is seeking a Head of Development to take ownership of delivery as the business enters its next phase of growth. This is a succession-driven appointment: the current leadership is stepping into more strategic roles, creating a genuine gap for a hands-on "doer" who can own project delivery end-to-end across a diversified asset base. It's a platform role - get it right, and it's expected to open the door to further senior hires as the team scales.

The role involves:

• Taking responsibility for driving schemes from planning and design through to practical completion across the group's asset classes, working closely with the Managing Director and land/acquisitions team.
• Owning delivery of live development projects across retail, commercial, residential, and care-led schemes, from pre-commencement through to completion.
• Leading the front-end process - planning strategy, design development, consultant appointments, and pre-construction - while maintaining oversight of the full project lifecycle.
• Bringing PLC-grade process, governance, and reporting discipline to a smaller, entrepreneurial business, without over-engineering it.
• Managing multiple live sites and workstreams concurrently, balancing programme, cost, and quality across differing asset types.
• Representing development at weekly project meetings, informal land meetings, and formal monthly land meetings.
• Building and maintaining relationships with local authorities, planning consultants, architects, contractors, and other delivery partners across asset classes.
• Supporting the acquisitions team with development appraisals and feasibility input on new sites across the group's target sectors.
• Acting as a key point of continuity and knowledge as the business transitions leadership responsibilities, with a view to building out a wider delivery team over time.

What you'll bring:

• A strong track record delivering development projects on time and on budget - sector-specific experience (retail/commercial/residential/care) is less important than proven delivery discipline and the right attitude.
• A background trained within a corporate PLC environment (structured systems, process, and governance), who has since moved into - or is actively seeking to move into - a smaller, more entrepreneurial private business.
• Deep pre-commencement expertise: planning strategy, design coordination, and front-end delivery.
• Working knowledge of the full development lifecycle through to practical completion, even where your core strength sits at the front end.
• Comfort operating across multiple asset classes, or a genuine appetite to broaden from a single-sector background into a multi-asset environment.
• A flexible, hands-on approach - not precious about role boundaries, and willing to get into the detail wherever the business needs it.
• Currently operating at Associate Director or Senior Project Manager level, and looking for a role offering genuine ownership, growth, and long-term upside rather than simply the next pay rise.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the commercial awareness to manage risk and value across differing scheme types and consultees.
• Full UK driving licence, with the flexibility to travel to sites as required.