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The Role
Unite Students, the UK's leading manager and developer of student accommodation, has an exceptional opportunity for an experienced Acquisition & Development Director to join them at a truly exciting time for the business.
You will be responsible for leading the team and delivering Unite Students' development strategy, with a secured development pipeline of close to £1.5 billion.
Unite Students is seeking development opportunities in London and other strong regional markets, and is also focused on delivering new University Partnership projects. The main purpose of this role is to oversee the Acquisition, Development, Design, and Planning functions within the Development team, working alongside the Group Construction Director who oversees construction and delivery functions.
What You'll Be Doing
1. Leading on new site acquisitions, securing planning permission, and mitigating all key development management risks at the front end of the development process.
2. Building new and maintaining existing relationships with landowners and property agents to secure pipeline opportunities.
3. Analyzing and appraising opportunities within existing and potential new markets with the team.
4. Appraising new opportunities after design and cost considerations with the Project team.
5. Preparing Board presentations and papers to obtain approval for new projects.
6. Undertaking negotiations and agreeing purchase transactions, demonstrating entrepreneurial spirit, problem-solving skills, and effective communication with landowners, consultants, and internal teams.
7. Progressing due diligence by identifying appropriate surveys, reviewing legal contracts to achieve exchange, and coordinating the satisfaction of conditions.
8. Managing the legal process, identifying and responding to issues and risks as they arise.
9. Managing the pipeline schedule to ensure bids are made on time and to high standards.
10. Contributing to, implementing, and driving strategy for current and future projects.
11. Securing planning permissions on all new projects.
12. Advising other parts of the business on planning matters.
13. Making representations to local plans and future planning policies.
14. Running detailed development and financial appraisals.
15. Reviewing cash flow performance to ensure budgets are adhered to and financial information is accurate.
16. Identifying and overcoming risks with third-party suppliers and stakeholders.
17. Negotiating and agreeing valuations for development sites.
18. Working through value engineering opportunities with the Project team to maximize returns.
19. Ensuring building design aligns with cost plans and budgets throughout the planning process.
20. Taking accountability for project delivery in line with Board-approved targets.
21. Negotiating complex transactional structures with landowners.
22. Building relationships with external stakeholders such as universities, land agents, valuers, developers, and bankers.
23. Coordinating the delivery of title and construction documents, including warranties and necessary information for timely funding.
What We're Looking for in You
* Existing Director-level experience leading a multi-disciplinary team.
* Background in surveying, commercial, or property companies.
* Proven experience in negotiating and executing property transactions.
* Experience in mitigating development risks and managing projects from start to finish.
* Strong understanding of development appraisals, valuations, and the development process.
* Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to navigate complex development issues.
* A positive, collegiate attitude with adaptability and a willingness to undertake challenging tasks.
* PBSA experience is highly advantageous.
About Unite Students
Founded in 1991, Unite Students is a FTSE 100 company and the UK's leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation, with a presence in 25 university towns and cities, hosting 70,000 students. We are committed to our values, culture, and developing diverse, inclusive teams filled with positive energy and fresh ideas.
Inclusion is our instinct. We believe creating and maintaining a happy, healthy organization requires genuine inclusion.
People make Unite Students. Our employees, students, and neighbors all contribute to environments where everyone can thrive.
Room for Everyone
We pride ourselves on embracing individuality and building inclusive teams. We foster a collaborative culture where everyone’s voice is heard and where you can truly belong. As a Gold Investors in People employer, we strive to provide excellent learning, development opportunities, and career pathways. Building a home for success for both our employees and students means having exceptional people passionate about inclusivity, doing what’s right, ensuring safety, and raising the bar. Join us in creating better experiences for students.
We are US.
Seniority level
* Director
Employment type
* Full-time
Job function
* Business Development and Others
Industries
* Hospitality and Real Estate
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