Property and Development Director

Property and Development Director

Reports to- Chief Executive

General scope of post 

To be an inspirational leader, who is organised and motivated. To lead the property and development team in supporting the Trust’s Property Strategy, maintaining the 10 year rolling plan and functional objectives, and ensuring the department always has the capability and capacity to deliver its objectives.

Responsible for the implementation and procurement of various Trust capital projects. Providing expert specialist, professional, construction and estates advice to the Property team, Care Homes, Directors and Executive.

Responsible and accountable for the entire department budget. 

Responsible for the whole life-cycle delivery of freehold new build schemes from site acquisition, design and specification process, cost and programme analysis, obtaining planning consent, appointment of contractors, construction management, and defects where they arise. Where required, working with Developers in the invent of leasehold agreements, including being able to work on agreement for leases. Maximising the value of the estate and delivery of the estate’s strategy and capital programme.

To maintain, update and implement the Estates and Facilities Management Strategy to ensure the Trust’s portfolio meets all legislative, statutory, and regulatory compliance requirements, to a cost-effective standard.

To work with the CEO and Finance Director presenting financial performance, budgets, and business cases for funding new care homes, both freehold and leasehold.

Work with Joint Venture partners as required, maximising the benefit for our residents and partners through good estate and relationship management.

Ensure lease agreements are understood and managed, and provide technical advice as required.

Work with the Senior Leadership Team of the Trust and represent Property as a member of the Health & Safety Board. Chair the Water Safety Group.

Key Accountabilities

To ensure the Trust’s estate is managed and maintained in the most cost effective manner, at all times achieving a high level of property and health and safety compliance; and

• To manage and mentor a multi-disciplinary team with responsibilities covering maintenance, capital, and new development projects.
• To be responsible for budgets of c. £12m per annum, plus between £8m to £10m for each new development.
• Deliver the annual budget which also includes the requirements of the Trusts Joint Venture partners, and maintenance e.g. service contracts, day to day maintenance, and capital improvements projects.
• Lead and oversee the delivery of the programme of works in the budget to the agreed quality within the specified timeframes.
• Work with Finance to generate the monthly reports (internally and externally) to illustrate that spend across the estate is delivered in the most efficient way.
• Develop strategies to reduce cost/bed for maintenance.
• Lead in the delivery of the Trust’s Estates Strategy, and improve and progress the strategy nationally working with key stakeholders both internal and external to the Trust.
• Maintain the estates facilities management policy, strategy and operational plan which protects, operates, enhances, and maintains our assets.
• Ensure that the annual maintenance investment in homes is delivered to a high standard, ensuring return on investment and future sustainability, in accordance with the 10 year plan.
• Assess and oversee the delivery of refurbishment projects ensuring efficient and effective outcomes across the portfolio.
• Produce and review monthly reports demonstrating progress against the budgeted maintenance and refurbishments works, updating forecasts of spend, commitments and future requirements, and provide Board reports to our Joint Venture partners.
• Lead and deliver the contractual requirements of the Trust’s lease agreements, from head leases to sub underleases, ensuring full oversight of our contractual obligations and termination rights.
• Undertake commercial negotiations e.g. sublet arrangements; contract re-negotiations; lease terminations; property disputes etc.
• Ensure the Trust remains informed regarding new design innovations.
• Develop and lead the carbon and energy reduction strategy for the Trust.
• Work with the Head of Procurement to deliver the supply chain refresh and lead major supplier performance meetings.
• Ensure business continuity plans are up to date.
• Work with the Company Secretary to ensure the estate is appropriately and adequately insured.
• To be included in the out of hours on call rota.

Development

To be the principal adviser on all land, property, estate and facilities development matters to the Executive; and

• Provide technical oversight on particularly complex projects or surveys.
• Proactively engage with key investors to determine new funding models for new homes.
• Develop business cases including financial appraisals, with the support of Finance, for new developments in line with the approved Estates Strategy, including freehold vs leasehold analysis.
• Present professional and robust business cases to the Executive; Finance Committee and Trustee Board for approval.

Be responsible for all requirements in relation to new freehold developments including:

• Identification of new opportunities.
• Feasibility studies of the supply, demand factors and socio-demographic/health profile of the catchment area. 
• Engagement with internal stakeholders in Finance and Operations to assess the viability of an opportunity.
• Management of the professional team to review the design and specification of the new build.
• Monthly cash-flow forecasting of costs
• Detailed plan and drawings signed off and locked down once they are approved by key internal stakeholders including care-quality and operations.
• Negotiating with landowners/developers and securing contracts for the purchase/leasing of new opportunities.
• Assess designs to ensure they provide best value and are within budget.
• Maintain specification and room data sheets to ensure current operational and efficiency requirements are being met.
• Oversee planning application submissions.
• Design and review technical specifications and support future enhancement.
• Business case approvals.
• Preparation of full tender pack and with support from Procurement overseeing the tender process to appointment of contractor.
• Responsibility for all legal negotiations.
• Consultation with key stakeholders.
• Leading the project during the construction phases, regularly attending site and all design and construction meetings.
• Responsibility for variation and change process recording.
• Working with the Commissioning Manager to ensure the new home is open on programme to the required standard.
• Dealing with all contractual issues and agreeing the Final Account.
• Dealing with snagging and defects to ensure they are appropriately dealt with and the remedial works undertaken to the required standards

Where required, working with Developers with the creation of leasehold agreements, including being able to advise on heads of terms and on agreement for leases.

Health and Safety:

Through the Trust’s Health and Safety Manager, ensure that Health and Safety risk assessments for Trust buildings are carried out in a timely manner, and other risk assessments, for example asbestos survey and legionella audits, are conducted in accordance with legal requirements; and To be the responsible legionella representative for the Trust.

Number of Direct Reports-

This role has six direct reports

Financial Responsibility

The capital programme varies year by year, but the approx. capital spend is c. £50m for the next three years. The revenue budget varies year by year between c. £4 to £5m.

This role holds financial responsibility up to £12m per annum, plus between £8m to £10m for each new development (circa no more than 2-3 running at any one time) funded by the Trust, plus responsibility where the JV’s are building properties for our Local Authority partners.