Commercial Land Director

We have an exciting leadership opportunity for a Commercial Land Director to build on and expand our logistics and commercial land portfolio with short, medium and long-term planning opportunities to unlock significant land value from the disposal of consented sites.

Wates Commercial & Logistics sits within the Wates Land & Development Division and is the lead commercial land proposition for securing new land opportunities to take through allocation and planning.

The leadership role is critical to our business needs, it will ensure this team secures viable land opportunities, builds on existing agent and landowner networks, appropriately manages assets, meets budget requirements, and realises profit through consented land disposals on the open market. 

As Commercial Land Director you will have solid experience in the logistics and industrial sector and have a proven track record in securing strategic land on the best possible terms in order to create a high value commercial land project pipeline. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting into the Operations Director – Portfolio & Wates Commercial & Logistics, some of the key accountabilities will include:

• Create & implement a land investment strategy that delivers on annual investment target and return budgets-ordinating resources and capital to meet stated objectives annually.
• Manage the budgeted speculative land investment expenditure annually, approving sub-team spend in line with governance and fee allowances. Responsible for the annual land investment budget and proposing of quality investment opportunities.
• To maintain strong commercial land agency contacts throughout the sector / long term trusted relationships and position of influence sought in order to bring new land opportunities into the business.
• Manage and develop a team of 2-3 to support the operations insuring individuals are motivated & performing.
• Accountable for site sourcing, site assessment, value assessment of land for commercial use and securing this on the best possible terms.
• Accountable for agreeing principal terms and negotiating the contracts, taking lead on Governance to ensure thresholds are met.
• Manage and implement appropriate exit strategies of consented land, realising value through land transactions.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for an individual with detailed knowledge of the industrial & logistics market, land sourcing, land contracts, negotiation, developing relationship strategies, planning, technical assessment of land, valuation, land transactions and experienced in managing a team.

Keeping abreast of land law and sustainability solutions in order to bring forward schemes which comply and consider the end users requirements.

WORKING FOR WATES LAND & DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

Wates Land & Development Division comprises of; Wates Developments; a specialist residential land investment, planning and joint ventures business in the private housebuilding sector; Wates Commercial & Logistics; a specialist commercial and logistics land investor, securing allocations and planning consents and realising value through the sale of consented land and Wates Wildscape; a BNG provider, providing credits to support facilitation of the built environment.

The Wates Land & Development Division is one of the main investment arms of the Wates Group founded in 1897. Today the family business, now led by the fourth generation, is one of the largest privately owned construction, property maintenance and development companies in the UK with a turnover of over £2.8bn.

The Wates vision is to be the most trusted partner in the built environment. The importance of both community and sustainability lies at the heart of the business, and we see every development as an opportunity to enhance and improve.

Throughout the planning process the commercial land business will positively engage with land agents in sourcing land, Local Authorities, Elected Members, Parish Councils, residents, commercial users and stakeholder groups to understand their needs.

All our development proposals are based on a thorough assessment of highway and infrastructure capacity, landscape and heritage impacts, and ecology and environmental sustainability. Wates Land & Development takes an consultative approach with the community is consistent with the highly regarded corporate responsibility credentials of the wider Wates Group. www.wates.co.uk  

Our commitments:  

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.  We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work.  As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme.  Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at recruitment@wates.co.uk