Strategic Property Manager

• 2 days in the office per week
• at the offices in Catford
• in the Property and Capital Programme Service

Strategic Property Manager

Lewisham Council is seeking a dynamic and experienced Strategic Property Manager to support the management of the Council’s property portfolio, providing assured technical and commercial advice and leading on valuation, planning and development services.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Council’s Property and Capital Programme service, focused on effective asset management and strategic land use in support of the Council’s corporate objectives, including its recently adopted Asset Management Strategy.

The role of the Strategic Property Manager is crucial in ensuring a commercially managed property and land portfolio that meets resident’s needs, creates income-generating opportunities, identifies housing growth opportunities and promotes economic growth.

The role will provide assured professional, commercial, and technical advice and be responsible for a full range of valuation, planning, and development services related to the property portfolio. The post holder will lead on a range of work, including acquisitions, disposals, valuations, lease negotiations, development agreements, Compulsory Purchase Orders, and other property-related matters.

The role will proactively identify new opportunities to better utilise and manage the property portfolio, obtain necessary approvals, and manage procurement and other commercial processes to deliver the required outcomes.

The purpose of the job is to:

• Support the Head of Property and Capital Programme Delivery in the commercial management of the Council’s property portfolio in support of wider corporate objectives.
• Be responsible on behalf of the Directorate for managing and controlling the various valuation, planning and development functions, including identifying new opportunities and obtaining agreements to pursue those, managing procurement and other commercial processes to deliver the required outcomes.
• Act as an intelligent client and be responsible for the management, control and development of a full range of professional valuation, planning and development services and property portfolios, ensuring that positive trends and outcomes are delivered against agreed corporate objectives and KPIs.
• In collaboration with the Head of Property and Capital Programme Delivery, lead on acquisitions, disposals, lease negotiations, development agreements, Compulsory Purchase Orders, and other property-related matters. Ensure Council land and property is managed soundly, including fulfilling the Council’s corporate objectives under the Council’s Regeneration, Accommodation and Asset Management Strategies.
• Oversee the implementation of client requirements through project delivery and handover phases.
• Provide assured technical, commercial and managerial advice to the Council on its property portfolio/land holdings and related matters and achieve positive outcomes in all transactions undertaken on the Council’s behalf.
• Contribute to the development of all relevant strategy and policy documentation.
• Work closely with the Strategic Housing and Regeneration teams to identify and maximise housing opportunities on Council land, including carrying out all early-stage due diligence to inform proposals and briefs.

Reporting:

• You will report to the Senior Programme Manager.
• Depending on the complexity of programmes and projects, you will potentially manage consultants and contractors.

To be considered for the role, you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Substantial experience in property valuation, planning and development work within a similarly complex and challenging environment with experience in successfully managing and delivering cross-cutting or integrated programmes of work.
• Substantial experience in completing development appraisals, valuations and advising on project and programme viability.
• Demonstrable evidence of leading teams to deliver specified outcomes in high-pressure and ‘exposed’ environments, including evidence where you have contributed towards their personal and collective development.
• Substantial experience in successful budgetary management and control, both at the departmental level and contributing to overall corporate effectiveness.
• Substantial experience of having delivered effective performance measures and a performance culture that achieves objectives and drives up performance standards.
• Substantial experience in developing and managing strategic partnerships that are focused on outcomes rather than processes and that have made a demonstrable difference in the quality of programme delivery.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the built environment and related regulatory and professional compliance, including Planning.

• Salary band of £58,752 - £60,795 per annum
• Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme
• 27 days of annual leave, rising after 5+ years service

The recruitment process is anonymous, and Lewisham does not accept CVs. Please read the guidance in the applicant handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.  For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Petra Marshall. Interviews will take place in the weeks commencing 6 January or 13 January 2025.

Access & Inclusion

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. They welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact Petra Marshall. They will make reasonable adjustments to make sure disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout the recruitment process.