STRATEGIC LAND & PLANNING MANAGER
Surrey | Permanent | Full-Time
Competitive Salary + Car Allowance + Bonus + Benefits
About the Role
We are working with a well-established residential housebuilder with an active pipeline across Surrey and the wider South East. We are looking for a Strategic Land & Planning Manager to join the growing team and play a central role in identifying, appraising, and securing strategic land opportunities through the planning system.
Reporting to the Land Director, you will be responsible for managing a portfolio of strategic sites from identification through to planning consent, working closely with landowners, agents, planning consultants, and local authorities to unlock value and deliver housing.
Key Responsibilities
* Source and appraise new strategic land opportunities across Surrey and the South East, building and maintaining a pipeline of future development sites.
* Lead the promotion of strategic sites through the local plan process, including Call for Sites submissions, local plan representations, and examinations in public.
* Manage the planning application process for strategic sites, instructing and coordinating external planning consultants, architects, transport engineers, ecologists, and other technical consultants.
* Negotiate and complete land acquisition agreements including options, conditional contracts, and promotion agreements.
* Build and maintain strong relationships with landowners, land agents, local authority planning officers, and elected members.
* Conduct site appraisals including initial viability assessments, working closely with the commercial and technical teams.
* Monitor local and national planning policy changes and assess their implications for the land pipeline and live site promotions.
* Represent the business at planning committees, public consultations, exhibitions, and industry events.
* Prepare and present land acquisition recommendations to the board, including financial appraisals and risk assessments.
* Manage and mentor junior members of the land and planning team.
Experience Required
* Minimum 3 years’ experience in a strategic land or planning role within a residential housebuilder, land promoter, or strategic land consultancy.
* Demonstrable track record of identifying, promoting, and securing planning consents on strategic land sites.
* Direct experience of the local plan process, including site promotion, representations, and examination in public.
* Proven experience negotiating option agreements, promotion agreements, and conditional contracts with landowners and agents.
* Strong working knowledge of the Surrey and South East land market, including key local authorities, agents, and landowner contacts.
* Experience managing external consultant teams across planning, design, transport, environmental, and technical disciplines.
* Comfortable presenting to board-level stakeholders and representing the business at planning committees and public inquiries.
Key Skills
* Strong understanding of the Town and Country Planning Act, NPPF, and current national and local planning policy frameworks.
* Excellent site appraisal and viability assessment skills, with the ability to evaluate development potential and commercial risk.
* Highly effective negotiator with experience securing complex land deals.
* Confident communicator with strong written and verbal skills, able to engage effectively with landowners, agents, councillors, and planning officers.
* Commercially minded with the ability to balance planning aspirations with financial viability.
* Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple site promotions simultaneously.
* Proficiency with GIS mapping tools, land registry, and planning application portals.
* Full UK driving licence.
Qualifications
* Degree in Town Planning, Geography, Real Estate, or a related discipline.
* MRTPI membership is desirable but not essential.