tdm recruitment
Head of Development
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A well-established and growing property development business with interests spanning retail, commercial, residential, and care, is seeking a Head of Development to take ownership of delivery as the business enters its next phase of growth.
This is a succession-driven appointment: the current leadership is stepping into more strategic roles, creating a genuine gap for a hands-on "doer" who can own project delivery end-to-end across a diversified asset base. It's a platform role — get it right, and it's expected to open the door to further senior hires as the team scales.
The Role
- Take responsibility for driving schemes from planning and design through to practical completion across the group's asset classes, working closely with the Managing Director and land/acquisitions team.
- Bring structure and process rigour to a business that has grown organically, while staying hands-on enough to get into the detail on individual sites.
- Own delivery of live development projects across retail, commercial, residential, and care-led schemes, from pre-commencement through to completion.
- Lead the front-end process — planning strategy, design development, consultant appointments, and pre-construction — while maintaining oversight of the full project lifecycle.
- Bring PLC-grade process, governance, and reporting discipline to a smaller, entrepreneurial business, without over-engineering it.
- Manage multiple live sites and workstreams concurrently, balancing programme, cost, and quality across differing asset types.
- Represent development at weekly project meetings, informal land meetings, and formal monthly land meetings.
- Build and maintain relationships with local authorities, planning consultants, architects, contractors, and other delivery partners across asset classes.
- Support the acquisitions team with development appraisals and feasibility input on new sites across the group's target sectors.
- Act as a key point of continuity and knowledge as the business transitions leadership responsibilities, with a view to building out a wider delivery team over time.
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What You'll Bring
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- A strong track record delivering development projects on time and on budget — sector-specific experience (retail/commercial/residential/care) is less important than proven delivery discipline and the right attitude.
- A background trained within a corporate PLC environment (structured systems, process, and governance), who has since moved into — or is actively seeking to move into — a smaller, more entrepreneurial private business.
- Deep pre-commencement expertise: planning strategy, design coordination, and front-end delivery.
- Working knowledge of the full development lifecycle through to practical completion, even where your core strength sits at the front end.
- Comfort operating across multiple asset classes, or a genuine appetite to broaden from a single-sector background into a multi-asset environment.
- A flexible, hands-on approach — not precious about role boundaries, and willing to get into the detail wherever the business needs it.
- Currently operating at Associate Director or Senior Project Manager level, and looking for a role offering genuine ownership, growth, and long-term upside rather than simply the next pay rise.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the commercial awareness to manage risk and value across differing scheme types and consultees.
- Full UK driving licence, with the flexibility to travel to sites as required.
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