Development Director

Role Profile – Development Director

Purpose

Working as part of a team and reporting to the Regional Managing Director and Director of Development Management, drive forward and manage Marina Village to bring about delivery in line with the Company business plan requirements. You will need experience in delivering complex, long term and sustainable places.

You will play an important role in ensuring team productivity and supporting a positive working environment. You will lead a team of professionals, providing guidance, mentoring and support to help them achieve their personal and collective goals whilst contributing to the company’s objectives.

High level reporting to Managing Director and Finance Director on key strategic elements at both Muse and Morgan Sindall Group level. Identify, appraise and secure new development opportunities for the Company in line with Company strategy, policy and procedures. Liaise and communicate effectively with key partners and external consultancy teams.

In the context of nationally significant regeneration programmes such as Marina Village, Barrow, this role will also require leadership across complex, multi-agency partnerships (including Government, Homes England, local authorities and strategic delivery vehicles), operating within evolving governance structures and accelerated delivery expectation

Role and Accountabilities

• Manage Development Managers and Senior Development Managers while assuming overall responsibility for the achievement of project milestones throughout the development process. These will include early viability assessments, securing planning and other statutory consents, securing finance, leading negotiations on legal agreements such as development and funding agreements, securing lettings and disposals and establishing long-term estate management arrangements, ensuring projects are viable and deliverable at all times.

• Take a lead role in shaping and navigating complex partnership and governance arrangements, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities and decision-making across multiple public and private sector stakeholders. This will include operating effectively in environments where programme, funding structures and delivery models are evolving in parallel. Provide strategic leadership through periods of significant uncertainty, developing delivery recommendations and making informed decisions where funding, governance, market and viability positions remain fluid

• Lead market creation and place-positioning strategies for emerging residential locations, ensuring product, tenure and phasing strategies respond to both current demand and future economic growth

• Secure approvals where necessary to take a project forward. Ensure expenditure is within given limits approved by the Company by reference to the Company approval system and procedures.

• Lead in the development of key strategic reports and documents to secure necessary approvals from the Muse Board and Morgan Sindall Board as appropriate.

• Act as the senior day-to-day interface with Government departments, Homes England, local authority leadership, funding bodies and strategic delivery partners, ensuring alignment between project delivery, investment objectives and wider Government economic growth ambitions.

• Assume ownership of scheme development appraisals and regularly review inputs and outputs for purposes of informing Company business planning, including managing significant upfront risk, funding uncertainty and evolving viability positions on major regeneration projects. Ensure development proposals support wider economic growth, workforce attraction, skills development and long-term place transformation objectives

• Lead the development and implementation of funding strategies for complex regeneration programmes, including public sector funding, infrastructure investment, viability-gap interventions and institutional capital solutions

• Take primary responsibility for ensuring that all funding and legal agreements attendant to a project are complete and accurate and properly reflect the Company’s understanding of the transaction/risk profile.

• Prepare reports and scheme presentations for presentation to a range of audiences both internally and externally.

• Effectively report and communicate the activities and progress of projects and prepare internal written reports as required by Company timetables. Provide detailed information as requested for forecasts, budgets and board papers as necessary.

• Represent the Company in the marketplace in a professional and quality driven manner promoting the business and encouraging relationships which might deliver new development opportunities for the Company.

• Identify and secure new development opportunities for the Company in line with Company strategy and objectives. Conduct a thorough appraisal of new opportunities taking into consideration market data, current activity and competition, and consultant advice.

• Help promote the importance of Social Value and Sustainability within Company projects and ensure ESG policy and corporate procedures are adhered to during project implementation.

• Work alongside the Director of Project Management in supporting the team to deliver projects in line with the project timeline.

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of Development Managers (at all levels) ensuring they perform at their best and grow professionally.

• Work closely with other teams to align objectives with broader company goals.

• Communicate effectively with senior management on team progress, challenges and achievements.

• Lead the mobilisation and scaling of project resource to match delivery ambition, including establishing delivery structures, recruiting or deploying dedicated teams, and aligning internal and external capability to meet programme requirements

Experience, knowledge and skills

Experience

• Experience in large-scale property development / regeneration / real estate development, with a track record of delivering complex, multi-phased regeneration programmes. Significant experience working with Government departments, Homes England, combined authorities, local authorities and other public sector funding bodies on major regeneration or infrastructure programmes.

• Demonstrable experience preparing and securing approval of complex business cases, funding submissions and investment proposals

• Leading on projects from inception to completion

• Proven experience of managing major development projects, including:

• Viability assessments

• Planning and statutory approvals

• Securing funding and finance

• Lettings, disposals, and estate management arrangements

• Proven ability to influence and negotiate with senior political leaders, Government officials, funders, investors and board-level stakeholders

• Demonstrable experience in leading and managing teams, including Development Managers and senior professionals

• Strong track record in identifying, appraising, and securing new development opportunities

• Experience of working with senior stakeholders, including board-level reporting and presentations

• Experience of negotiating complex legal agreements (e.g. development agreements, funding agreements)

• Proven ability to work with external partners, consultants, and stakeholders to deliver projects

Skills

Leadership and people management

• Ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams

• Strong capability in motivating teams and fostering a positive working environment

• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen

• Strong financial and commercial awareness

• Experience developing delivery strategies in emerging or immature markets where demand, absorption or delivery structures are still being established

• Ability to assess viability and risk of development opportunities

• Capability to align projects with wider business strategy

• Ability to operate effectively where project parameters (funding, governance, scope) are evolving, and to bring structure and clarity in uncertain environments

• Project and programme management

• Excellent planning and organisational skills

• Ability to manage multiple projects and ensure delivery against milestones

• Strong attention to detail in overseeing complex project inputs and outputs

• Communication and influencing

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to prepare and present reports to a range of audiences (internal and external)

• Confidence in engaging with senior executives, boards, and external partners

• Negotiation and stakeholder management

• Strong negotiation skills for legal, financial, and partnership arrangements

• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with senior stakeholders across public and private sectors, including navigating complex political, institutional and partnership dynamics

• Analytical and decision-making skills

• Ability to analyse market data, financial models, and project appraisals

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability under pressure

Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of the property development process, from feasibility through to delivery and disposal

Understanding of:

• Planning systems and regulatory frameworks

• Development finance and funding structures

• Legal agreements in property development

• Knowledge of market dynamics, including:

• Property markets and trends

• Competitor activity

• Investment and development viability

Awareness and understanding of:

• ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) principles

• Sustainability and social value requirements in development projects

• Familiarity with corporate governance, approval processes, and reporting requirements at senior and board level

Personal Attributes

• Results-driven with a strong focus on delivery and outcomes

• High level of professionalism and integrity

• Proactive and opportunity-focused mindset

• Strong collaborative approach with internal and external stakeholders

• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities

• Commitment to continuous improvement and team development

• Comfortable operating in high-profile, high-ambiguity environments with a requirement to balance pace of delivery with robust governance and risk management