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

You'll take 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. You'll be expected to bring structure and process rigour to a business that has grown organically, while staying hands-on enough to get into the detail on individual sites.

• Own delivery of live development projects across retail, commercial, residential, and care-led schemes, from pre-commencement through to completion
• Lead the front-end process — planning strategy, design development, consultant appointments, and pre-construction — while maintaining oversight of the full project lifecycle
• Bring PLC-grade process, governance, and reporting discipline to a smaller, entrepreneurial business, without over-engineering it
• Manage multiple live sites and workstreams concurrently, balancing programme, cost, and quality across differing asset types
• Represent development at weekly project meetings, informal land meetings, and formal monthly land meetings
• Build and maintain relationships with local authorities, planning consultants, architects, contractors, and other delivery partners across asset classes
• Support the acquisitions team with development appraisals and feasibility input on new sites across the group's target sectors
• Act 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