Regional Community Development Manager

Wates are seeking a Regional Community Development Manager to shape Wates Residential's approach to community engagement across the development lifecycle.

We are committed to involving local communities, stakeholders and the public in shaping our developments, building strong, lasting relationships from concept through to delivery. The Regional Community Development Manager supports our purpose of Reimagining Places for People to Thrive and will play a key role in driving meaningful engagement, co-creation and social value.

Working closely with Development, Bid and Social Value, Communications teams, you will help improve community cohesion, strengthen engagement and ensure community insight is embedded within planning, design and delivery.

As our Regional Community Development Manager, you will:

• Steer early engagement to capture community insight, shape development proposals, and inform planning, design and social value strategies, underpinned by stakeholder engagement, workshops and competitor analysis.
• Build and manage strong, collaborative relationships with key local stakeholders, representing the business externally and working closely with development partners and specialist networks to deliver effective, joined-up community engagement.
• Manage the development of community-led bid strategies, including producing insight, shaping engagement plans, influencing design, and coordinating high-quality responses aligned to social value and placemaking objectives.
• Deliver and support community engagement activity through the planning process, including consultations, engagement strategies aligned to policy, placemaking initiatives, and management of community funding programmes.
• Lead and oversee Social Value delivery through effective team management, ensuring consistent community engagement, maximising early opportunities, and tracking impact to maintain strong community relationships and outcomes.
• Own and implement a place-based community impact measurement framework that translates local insight into robust, council-ready evidence to demonstrate social, economic and placemaking outcomes, strengthening work-winning and Wates' value proposition.
• Drive integrated communications, sales and customer experience by leveraging community insight to shape messaging, enhance local engagement, strengthen buyer confidence and deliver a consistent, high-quality customer journey.
• Drive continuous improvement in community engagement by aligning teams, embedding shared learning, and strengthening site-level communications to enhance understanding, impact and local relationships.

ABOUT YOU

• You will bring proven experience in community engagement within residential development, regeneration, local authority, housing association or CSR environments.
• You will have a strong understanding of planning processes, public consultation and community engagement governance, including knowledge of national and local planning policy, GLA requirements and wider authority frameworks, alongside an awareness of political and community dynamics.
• With excellent communication skills, you will be confident engaging credibly with a wide range of stakeholders from local communities and councillors through to senior internal leaders and able to operate autonomously in complex, sensitive environments.

 To find out more about LIFE AT WATES please click on the following link https://www.wates.co.uk/careers/

Given the nature of this position, you will be required to undergo a Enhanced Disclosure  (DBS) check at offer stag

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