Technical Manager

Wates currently have an opportunity for a Technical Manager to join our Land & Development team in Leatherhead.

Within the group, Wates Land & Development (WL&D) is an expert in land, planning and residential development throughout Southern England. Our business holds a large and growing portfolio of potential residential, commercial and nature development land opportunities and our team focuses on securing valuable planning consents in sustainable locations, in both town and country where it is needed most.

We also sell land and invest in residential schemes through long-established joint ventures with leading UK house builders.

As a Technical Manager you will:

• Undertake and advise on various technical due diligence for new land opportunities in conjunction with the land team, to include the production of technical summary reports.
• Be a technical support for the planning projects team during the promotion and planning application stages of the WL&D land portfolio. Ensuring that all projects are technically deliverable and that the technical risks are mitigated, and value engineered in a timely manner.
• Collaborate with the teams to set up to deliver the exits of the WL&D portfolio to include delivery of technical, abnormal details and costs where required.
• Responsible for cost advice on all infrastructure and abnormal costs for the project viability, at all stages through the process (land identification, Planning promotion/applications and exits).
• Manage, engage, and benchmark external consultants where required in the production of technical information including working within agreed financial budgets. To ensure that the consultants outputs remain measurable and reviewed on a regular basis.
• Engage with local authority planning departments, highway departments, utility providers and sewerage undertakers to ensure that all technical areas are covered for land opportunities and planning applications.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of development regulations, legislation and building technology in order to be a lead and innovator within the business and the go to for technical advice.
• Report on all ongoing/outstanding technical issues ensuring that all areas are resourced and dealt with in a timely manner.

About you:

You will have experience of working within a residential developer or housebuilder and demonstrate a thorough knowledge of advising on all technical related matters, development solutions from site identification through to securing a planning consent and the purchase/disposal of sites.

As an individual you must have a good knowledge and understanding of legal contracts and will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of:

• Highways Act
• Water Industry Act
• Building Regulations
• Utility providers and their requirements
• Land and Development related legal contracts
• Development programmes and financial viabilities
• Environmental and Sustainability legislation
• Modern methods of construction

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