Development Surveyor
9 hours ago
Redhill
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.