Homes England
Assistant Director - Infrastructure
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Cambridge, East of England, CB2 8DU
Job Summary
Job Purpose
Cambridge has become a major incubator of successful tech start-ups contributing significantly to the UK economy. However, Cambridgeshire and its surrounding areas face significant infrastructure challenges. Power, water, and transport issues all impact business and housing growth and affect the quality of life for Cambridgeshire’s residents and potentially limit future economic growth.
On 23 July, the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) established the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation (GCDC). The Development Corporation will be responsible for the stewardship and deployment of very significant public capital investment, with capital projects typically measured in multiples of £100 million, and overall programme value measured at over £100bn, delivered over long-time horizons and through complex commercial, land, and infrastructure arrangements involving leveraging significant private sector investment.
This pivotal role is responsible for the development and delivery of a programme of de-risking and infrastructure works. Leading the delivery of integrated engineering solutions to support an infrastructure-led approach that enables the acceleration of economic and housing growth across Greater Cambridge.
Lead a team of technical specialists working closely with other teams across the Development Corporation and with external partners, providing expert direction and support on technical due diligence and engineering solutions to unlock and deliver key infrastructure and strategic sites. Reporting regularly on financial and delivery performance to the Technical Director, appropriate Committees, and Board as required.
This role is responsible for providing leadership and senior management to ensure successful delivery of a programme of de-risking, enabling, and infrastructure works contracts and technical support.
Lead on providing in-depth understanding of technical, geotechnical, utilities requirements, engineering, and infrastructure issues affecting the development potential and viability of residential/mixed-use sites; lead on assessing the developability and viability of land from a technical perspective, ensuring due diligence/abnormal issues are comprehensively understood. The role will also lead on utilities planning and connection, including water and electricity supply.
Lead and manage a team of technical experts to scope, commission, and manage external advisors and Capital Works contracts to support the delivery of economic growth and new housing. This will include managing the design and construction of highways and structures, utility services, drainage, and integrated water management features and landscaping, demolition, site clearance, land remediation, and other de-risking activities as part of a programme to support an infrastructure-led approach to site delivery.
Lead on procurement of external advisors and contractors.
Job Description
This role is being recruited by Homes England to support the establishment and operation of the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation. The successful candidate will initially be employed by Homes England and will work predominantly on matters relating to the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation and its activities.
Key Relationships
Internal
- Assistant Directors, Heads, and other members of the Technical Team.
- Directors and Heads and teams across the Development Corporation, senior leaders, and Boards.
External
- Senior leaders at MHCLG and other government departments, utility providers, and other public sector organizations.
- Maintain positive relationship management with senior contacts with private sector partners, consultants, contractors, and sector stakeholders.
Key Accountabilities And Responsibilities
Provide leadership for all development-related technical advice and capital works, with responsibility for developing a positive challenge-focused culture while ensuring a solution-driven service on projects:
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- Assessing development/site constraints and resolving pre-construction issues on a full range of ground, remediation, demolition, highways, drainage, and utilities issues.
- Management/ownership of the direct delivery of infrastructure works, structures, demolition, remediation, and other construction activities.
- Be responsible for the procurement, management, and safe delivery, working with H&S, of the capital works programme to agreed quality, time, and cost outcomes, with regular monitoring and reporting on progress.
- Ensure technical policies, guidance, procedures, and systems are fit for purpose and provide technical advice to internal teams as required, including managing the introduction of new regulations as they arise and are peer reviewed across technical disciplines to ensure a continued comprehensive Technical Services delivery.
- Ensuring a constructive collaborative approach in working with delivery teams and project consultants, providing technical input and due diligence services to enable the acquisition and delivery of residential/mixed-use development sites, including timely Peer Review input to project approvals.
- Bring a consistency of approach in providing guidance, when requested, on the negotiation and appointment of technical consultants and works or services contracts, ensuring compliance with statutory guidance, policy, risk appetite, and approved budget.
- Identifying the development potential of residential/mixed-use development sites and regeneration projects, e.g., contamination remediation, demolition, highway matters, drainage, historic environment, utilities, noise, etc., and resolving on request with project delivery teams.
- Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team ensuring training is actively completed in line with professional development objectives, including engagement and working with professional networks.
- Build strategic relationships with government, local authorities, private sector partners, utility companies, consultants, and contractors to influence outcomes.
- Collaborate across directorates to integrate technical expertise into development strategy and operational delivery.
Employees are expected to be flexible in undertaking duties and responsibilities commensurate with the general character of the role and level of responsibility.
Person Specification
Key Skills, Knowledge, And Experience
- Degree or equivalent and/or appropriate professional qualifications/membership in a relevant property, design, built environment, construction, engineering, surveying, or other technical discipline or demonstration of significant relevant experience.
- Experienced manager/leader with considerable knowledge and expertise in all aspects of residential/mixed-use development, building, residential development, infrastructure delivery, and construction, particularly the technical approach to pre-construction, site-related preparation, de-risking, infrastructure works, and development. Similar knowledge and experience of strategic site development and regeneration projects is desirable.
- Legal, commercial/procurement, and contractual experience, with the ability to read/interpret and inform consultant/contractor programmes. Demonstrable track record in these areas essential.
- Excellent communicator and negotiator with the skills to explain the impact of technical issues on deliverability and viability of projects.
- Detailed understanding of the range of technical issues related to regeneration, development, and infrastructure delivery with experience of application of these in site acquisition, scheme planning, direct construction works, and all project delivery phases. Similar understanding of technical issues relating to commercial and regeneration projects is desirable.
- Thorough understanding of the regulatory regime for new residential/mixed-use, built environment, and infrastructure with experience of developing internal policies and responses to policy changes.
- Procedures to deliver robust technical assessments of projects together with strategies for overcoming technical issues.
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Key Competences
- Ability to lead and motivate a multi-disciplinary team and work collaboratively with colleagues at all levels, valuing everybody as an individual.
- Ability to influence and develop robust relationships with key external stakeholders in Government and the development sector to ensure Homes England has an input into relevant areas.
- An excellent communicator who is comfortable presenting and able to deliver messages in a clear, concise, and confident manner which engages audiences and achieves the desired outcomes.
Key Performance Measures
- Drive and improve a development technical service offering, covering policies, procedures, and systems that are fit for purpose and provide relevant advice to external/internal teams as required.
- Develop motivated, engaged, and high-performing multi-disciplinary team(s), ensuring a fair and transparent approach to talent management and resourcing decisions that promotes diversity and inclusion.
- Establish and maintain senior-level strategic partnerships across Whitehall and with internal stakeholders to support the Agency’s strategic priorities, influence policies, and promote financial flexibilities.
- Taking accountability for key relationships, corporate, finance & performance, people, standards, governance, and compliance and organizational reputation.
- Incorporate strategic messages being used to promote the Development Directorate business plan objectives, representing the key interface between policy and operational delivery.
Homes England
Homes England is an executive non-departmental public body with its own terms and conditions, benefits, and pension scheme. We are a government agency working in partnership with the private sector and want to employ and retain great people. In return, we offer a range of excellent benefits, some of the key benefits include:
- Holiday - Homes England offers all staff 33 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 statutory bank holidays.
- Working Flexibly - At Homes England, we have a strong culture of flexible working and encourage all employees to have a healthy work/life balance. We offer a wide range of potential working patterns, including part-time, job share, and compressed hours.
- Health and Wellbeing - We offer health screening with Nuffield Proactive Health Clinics, a free Employee Assistance Programme which offers confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as well as access to Occupational Health.
- Professional Development - At Homes England, we are committed to your continued professional and personal development with learning as one of our core values. We pay for one job-related professional membership subscription per year for our employees.
- Family Friendly Benefits - We also offer an excellent range of family-friendly benefits, for example, maternity, paternity, shared parental leave.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application; however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate, and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn, and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection Process Details
To apply, please follow the links to our careers page.
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
For more information on the role,
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