Land Manager or Senior Land Manager

Cobalt is working with an established national retirement-living developer to appoint a Land Manager or Senior Land Manager following a recent reorganisation of its regional structure.

This is a hands-on acquisition position for someone who enjoys finding opportunities, developing agent and landowner relationships and progressing sites through to exchange. The business combines a structured approach with the freedom to pursue opportunities across the region.

The Organisation

Our client is a national retirement-living developer operating across the UK through a network of regional offices and the business is strengthening its land function with this appointment.

The developer focuses on independent-living schemes, typically acquiring brownfield sites of approximately 2 acres for developments of around 50 apartments.

Its acquisition model is predominantly transactional, with option and subject-to-planning agreements. Transactions will typically follow a straightforward subject-to-planning process, although unconditional acquisitions may be considered where appropriate.

The business is also increasing its work with complementary users, including supermarkets and care-home providers, creating further opportunities to unlock suitable sites through partnerships.

The Role and Responsibilities

You will manage land acquisitions for retirement-living developments, working with internal architecture, planning, technical, legal, commercial and construction teams.

This is a sourcing-led position where you will spend time across your territory identifying opportunities, meeting agents and landowners and developing a regional pipeline.

Key responsibilities include:

* Generating opportunities through an established network of contacts.

* Identifying potential sites through targeted direct marketing and approaches to landowners.

* Building productive relationships with agents, landowners and professional advisers.

* Conducting desktop research, data analysis and Land Insight searches.

* Visiting target towns and assessing potential sites against customer and development requirements.

* Completing site appraisals and preparing acquisition reports and proposals.

* Managing offers, negotiations and contracts through to exchange.

* Working with the Land Director to help formulate the regional acquisition strategy.

* Guiding and supporting Land Buyers and Land Coordinators where appropriate.

The territory covers Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, East Anglia and Northamptonshire. You will combine office-based work with regular travel to sites and target locations.

At Senior Land Manager level, you will be expected to analyse opportunities independently, produce and defend your own appraisals and progress deals without close supervision.

You will manage acquisitions through to exchange, when the relevant bonus becomes payable. The subsequent legal process is overseen by senior leadership, supported by the client's in-house planning team.

The Skills and Experience Needed

This opportunity could suit an established land professional or a Senior Land Buyer ready to take the next step. Those joining at senior level will need to demonstrate greater independence across appraisal, analysis and decision-making.

You will need:

* Proven end-to-end land acquisition experience, from identifying sites through negotiation to exchange.

* Previous experience within retirement living.

* A working knowledge of site appraisal and assessing the commercial viability of an acquisition.

* The ability to source opportunities directly through agents, landowners, targeted approaches and an established network.

* Effective relationship-building and negotiation skills.

* The willingness to spend substantial time visiting sites, agents and target locations across the region.

* A valid UK driving licence.

Your wider background could include residential development, commercial property, retail, hospitality or land agency, provided you can demonstrate the required retirement-living knowledge and hands-on acquisition experience.

The position will suit someone comfortable with a traditional approach to land buying: building relationships, contacting landowners directly and personally progressing opportunities from initial identification through to exchange.

Interviews are expected to progress quickly, so apply now to be considered.

Due to the volume of applications received, if you don't hear back from us, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

If you require any adjustments or additional support during the recruitment process for any reason whatsoever, please let your Cobalt consultant know.