Bowdon Associates Ltd
Construction Director
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Job Title: Construction Director
Location: Manchester
Salary: Up to £80,000 - £100,000
The Client
Our client are a growing residential developer who partner with investors to design, build and create apartments, homes and commercial spaces across Greater Manchester and Cheshire. They are looking to add an experienced Construction Director to their team.
The Role of Construction Director
The Construction Director is a board-level director who builds and leads the contracting arm of the business. The role owns two things: delivering our clients' own schemes to programme and margin and winning external contracts with housing associations, local authorities, and private clients.
This is a founding role, not an inherited department. The person will build the systems, accreditations, bid capability, and team that let the business operate as a credible, bankable main contractor alongside its development business.
They take construction and contracting off the MD's desk entirely, so the MD can focus on acquisitions, funding, and development strategy.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy and growth
- Write and own the contracting business plan: target sectors, clients, contract sizes, and turnover mix (in-house vs external).
- Build relationships with housing associations, Stockport MBC, and other public clients and position the business for frameworks.
- Identify, qualify, and prioritise tender opportunities; decide bid/no-bid.
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Bidding and pre-construction
- Lead PQQs, tenders, and quality submissions end to end.
- Set up estimating, supply chain pricing, and tender review processes.
- Develop the whole-life affordability and energy performance offer as a bid differentiator.
Systems and accreditation
- Deliver Constructionline Gold, CHAS, and ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001.
- Implement a construction management system: H&S, quality, document control, procurement, subcontractor onboarding, and handover.
- Put in place standard contract forms, subcontract orders, and risk registers.
Delivery
- Overall accountability for all live sites, including our clients' own schemes.
- Programme, cost, quality, and safety performance across the portfolio.
- Monthly cost-value reconciliation (CVR) with the QS and finance.
Commercial and people
- Own the contracting arm's P&L, margin, and cash flow forecasting.
- Lead, develop, and grow the construction team, including Joel's apprenticeship.
- Report to the board monthly on pipeline, delivery, and risk.
Candidate Profile
The right person has built or grown a regional contractor, not just run sites for one. They are strategic enough for the board and hands-on enough to write a tender themselves.
Essential
- 15+ years in contracting, including 5+ years at director or senior commercial/operations level with a Tier 2 or Tier 3 main contractor.
- Track record of winning public sector or housing association work, including frameworks.
- Has written and led quality submissions, not just priced them.
- Has implemented or run ISO 9001/14001/45001 management systems.
- Strong commercial grounding: JCT and NEC contracts, CVRs, margin, and cash flow.
- Residential delivery experience, ideally including conversions or refurbishment.
- Comfortable working without large support teams in a growing business.
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Desirable
- Existing relationships with North West housing associations or councils.
- Experience with net zero, Future Homes Standard, or high energy-performance housing.
- Has helped take a contracting business through a growth phase or spin-out.
- Degree or chartership (CIOB, RICS) in construction or a related field.
The ideal candidate will have a successful track record within the residential building industry for a minimum of 10 years. They must be highly organised, familiar with coordinating multiple tasks simultaneously, and thrive on working to deadlines. Excellent communication skills and a high attention to detail are qualities they will possess, in addition to being self-motivated, professional, positive, and a team player. Interested candidates must have previous new-build apartment experience to undertake this opportunity.
Keywords: Construction Director, Frameworks, Housing Associations, Social Housing, Operations Director
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