Project Director - New Build, Refurbishment and Fit out

Development Director

A leading Real Estate business requires a well-rounded Project Director to take responsibility for the delivery of construction projects across the UK and Europe. This includes supporting the acquisition and underwriting process, working with the design team, and managing the delivery process through to practical completion. The individual will be responsible for budget and programme management of the various projects and will be required to report to the C-Suite and shareholders on a regular basis.

Projects range from “Ground Up” development, Shell and Core refurbishments to CAT A and B deliveries. This can be both the refurbishment of the existing portfolio as well as the delivery of new assets.

Responsibilities:

Development Pipeline

• Management of the Development Pipeline across UK and Europe, ensuring projects have clearly defined briefs, budgets, programmes and processes are adhered to.
• Ensure that each project is adequately resourced by the right level of team and third party consultants.
• Work closely with Internal stakeholders including Design team and C-Suite to develop a clear product brief that meets the customer requirements for the asset, the vision of the wider business and the financial objectives as defined in the underwrite.
• Provide oversight, support and advice to Project Managers on specific issues that occur through the project process. Work with these teams to identify, triage and manage these issues ahead of implications on cost, programme or end product quality.
• Management of the budget process through the underwriting of a project, board approval, design development, main contract procurement and spend through delivery inclusive of all fees (consultants, construction and FF&E)
• Lead the process of assessing and costing refurbishments of existing portfolio buildings as they reach their cyclical refurbishment timing. Utilising strong commercial sense of required works and managed spend to ensure highest levels of customer value but with appropriate spend only.
• Developing and managing strong third party relationships with PM’s, Architects, QS’s and other consultants as required.
• Leading planning and development consents workstreams (including S106, Rights of Light, Party Wall and Neighbourly Matters, Asset Protection Agreements).
• Responsible (working closely with Finance/Legal/Asset as necessary) for ensuring that development control procedures (approvals, drawdown conditions) in Agreements for Leases and/or funding agreements are negotiated and subsequently managed appropriately with Landlords and/or funders.

Acquisition Due Diligence

• Lead the due diligence process on potential pipeline buildings, including building surveys, measured surveys, space planning assessments. Providing commercial input into recommendations on building suitability for the business model, budget and programme requirements.
• Work closely with the Acquisition lead on the structuring, negotiating and documentation of commercial transactions where the delivery of space by the Owner, Landlord or operator is a condition of the transaction. Ensure a balanced, appropriate, market level of mechanism(s) is in place to protect the business through the delivery and operation of the building.

Management Responsibilities

• Team management,  setting objectives, managing performance and developing talent to ensure a best in class development team.
• Ensuring close collaboration across the function – driving a sense of teamwork with a strong culture both within the Development team and across the business.

Target Operating Model

• Participating as a key stakeholder in the design and implementation of a target operating model and processes. This is focussed on implementing best in class processes, governance and decision making across multiple functions.
• Leading the Development Team through this period of change, guiding and managing them to a new set of standards and ensuring adherence and adoption of the new operating model. Documenting this approach to ensure new joiners can understand and navigate the development process.
• Ensuring that appropriate management processes are in place for all internal and external teams, landlord liaison, space planning, commercial management, exterior architectural design, any planning and neighbourly matters, landlord consents, tender process management and contractual management

To discuss the role in confidence please call Ed Hoad on +44 7502 397979.