Cobalt Recruitment
Development Director - Hotels & Living Sectors - Europe
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
European Development Director – Hotels & Living Sectors
Location: London | Pan-European focus
We are representing one of the world’s leading real estate investment platforms in the appointment of a European Development Director – Hotels & Living Sectors.
Based in London with a pan-European remit, this is a senior appointment providing development leadership across a significant portfolio of hotel and living-sector investments - a dynamic and varied portfolio encompassing BTR, PBSA, Housing, and Senior Living. Working closely with the European investment team and senior management teams across a number of portfolio businesses, the successful candidate will provide strategic development oversight across existing assets, new acquisitions, and major capital projects.
This is a highly commercial development role sitting at the intersection of investment, development, and asset management. But first and foremost, the client is seeking a candidate with established Development expertise - an individual who can utilize their technical development skills to compliment the wider team. In return, you will have unparalleled exposure to a diverse European portfolio and the opportunity to influence complex, high-value projects from underwriting and acquisition through planning, construction, and delivery.
The Role:
The European Development Director will take responsibility for assessing, managing, and mitigating development risk across the portfolio, providing senior-level oversight and challenge to portfolio companies, development partners, and external project teams.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Developing and implementing strategies for newly acquired assets and identifying emerging development risks.
- Providing senior oversight of complex development and refurbishment programmes across the hotel and living sectors.
- Working closely with portfolio-company management teams, development directors, project managers, and owners’ representatives.
- Assessing development risk associated with new acquisitions, existing investments, and major capital projects.
- Reviewing development assumptions during underwriting, including costs, contingencies, programmes, phasing, planning strategy, and delivery milestones.
- Leading and overseeing development-related due diligence on potential acquisitions and investment opportunities.
- Evaluating alternative development scenarios and their impact on investment returns.
- Supporting wider investment activity including acquisitions, financing, forecasting, and strategic business planning.
- Providing senior stakeholders with clear recommendations on project strategy, risk, and allocation of resources.
- Travelling across Europe as required to review projects, resolve development challenges, and support delivery.
The Candidate:
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
We are looking for an established development professional with approximately 10+ years’ relevant experience gained within development management, construction management, real estate investment, or a closely related environment.
Candidates should bring:
- A strong track record delivering or overseeing large-scale and complex real estate development projects.
- Experience within (one of or more) hotels, residential, student accommodation, or other living sectors.
- Exposure to projects across the UK and Continental Europe.
- Fluency in a second language, such as Italian, Spanish, or German - could also be advantageous.
- Strong commercial judgement and the ability to assess development opportunities from an investor’s perspective.
- Experience interrogating development appraisals, costs, programmes, and investment assumptions.
- Analytical capabilities, with a well-versed understanding of real estate financial modelling and valuation.
- The credibility to work effectively with investment professionals, portfolio-company leadership teams, development partners, and senior external advisers.
This is an opportunity to join one of the world's leading real estate investment platforms in a senior European role with significant exposure to both investment decision-making and the delivery of complex hotel and living-sector projects.
All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location