We are looking for a Senior Development Surveyor to join our property team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone to join a team driving investment returns and charitable and social benefit for one of the UK’s largest place-based health endowments with £800m of assets.  

Our management of the endowment is thoughtful and proactive. 40% of our assets are invested in property around Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital campuses where we are progressing an ambitious redevelopment programme. 60% of our assets are invested in a multi-manager, multi-asset class financial portfolio through a partnership with Partners Capital, a leading investment adviser. We have a long-term approach to investment strategy and strive to work with the best investment managers in the world.  

Our aim is to be at the cutting edge of how foundations operate across all our activities, both charitable and investment related. We focus on developing places, buildings and schemes that deliver across a number of priorities including our charitable objectives; health and wellbeing; support for local communities; and climate change. This role will play a key part in shaping the future of the Charity and enhancing the endowment. 

The Property Team  

In order to progress our ambitious redevelopment programme and support our priorities, we are recruiting a further Senior Development Surveyor to join the current Property Director, Senior Development Surveyor and Development Surveyor.  

The team structure will be a diamond configuration.  The Property Director will lead the team and will be responsible for the whole of the property portfolio reporting to the Director of Finance and Development.  

Two Senior Development Surveyors will report to her, one already in place and one to be recruited.   The Senior Development Surveyors will be responsible for proactively progressing the major development sites, other development projects, and for asset managing existing properties.   

Reporting to and supporting them will be the Development Surveyor.  The Development Surveyor will be responsible for specific smaller development projects and asset managing existing properties.  

The Property Developments  

We are currently progressing four major development projects:- 

Royal Street, a 5 acre site at Westminster Bridge, where we’ve identified a joint venture partner, Stanhope plc and The Baupost Group, to develop a mixed use scheme in excess of 1.5 m sq ft to include a new outpatients building for Guy’ and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.  

London Bridge, where we’ve just started the masterplanning for the redevelopment of phase 1 for c 500,000 sq ft of mixed-use space also to include a new outpatients unit for the Trust. This is the enabling project to develop out a further c 2 million sq ft in phase 2.  

Cambridge, where we, with promotor CEG, will shortly be applying for planning permission for a 200 unit residential scheme. There are a further 70 acres to develop.  

Maple Cross, where we are progressing the masterplanning and promotion of c 100 acres of green belt for residential development of c 1000 units. As with Cambridge this is phase 1 of the development and phase 2 of c 50 to 100 acres is proposed to follow.  

In addition to these major developments we have a number of smaller projects, including work on agricultural buildings at Bourton where we have permitted development rights, and the potential redevelopment of other properties such as Mytton and Crozier House, a 36 unit residential block in Stockwell.  

The two Senior Development Surveyors will proactively progress and manage the above four major developments, reporting to the Property Director who will be the Lead for all developments. It is proposed that they will be responsible for two major developments each, probably one Central London mixed use commercial site and one out of London residential site, the allocation to be agreed.  

Our development plans are highly ambitious and are likely to involve a complex series of large transactions involving development partners, other external funding sources, teams of outsourced experts and our partners (Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London).   

The Senior Development Surveyors will need to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders acting as an ambassador for the Charity at all times, specifically promoting our priorities. 

While the developments are being progressed the existing properties will need to be managed proactively. The Senior Development Surveyors will be key to this, ensuring that the property portfolio is delivering its financial target returns. They will also manage their allocated relationships to ensure that our managing agents deliver our objectives to the highest standards 

This is a very exciting position for an ambitious and motivated self-starter who has the ability and drive to meet a wide range of property challenges.  

Key accountabilities and specific responsibilities 

The Senior Development Surveyors will work with the Property Director and other members of the property team, senior executives, wider teams within the Charity, stakeholders and expert external consultants to:  

• Promote our mission in all property developments, asset management, transactions and stakeholder engagement, in particular promoting health, wellbeing and sustainability  
• Drive the masterplanning and successful strategic progress of our development sites  
• Assess the development potential and feasibility of our sites to cover planning, site capacity, uses and value - liaising with/instructing external consultants as and when appropriate 
• Work autonomously on projects, from the earliest stages through to completion, whilst liaising with other members of the team at all times 
• Provide market knowledge on property matters to the in-house team 
• Identify new investment, development and asset management opportunities both within the existing property portfolio and externally 
• Negotiate with stakeholders, development partners and financial institutions on development projects 
• Undertake appraisals of potential acquisitions / disposals and developments for the Charity and progress as appropriate 
• Proactively asset manage the existing property portfolio  
• Work with other members of the property team on the in-house management of the portfolio – for example the end of year Red Book Valuations, annual budget and insurance renewal 
• Work with colleagues to deliver our financial and mission related goals 

Person Specification 

Qualifications and knowledge 

• Preferably RICS qualified but other relevant qualifications or experience considered   A strong analytical record 

Experience (essential) 

• Experience in a development/asset management environment Experience (desirable)  

Experience of financial modelling 

• Experience of asset management and development across use sectors, notably commercial, residential and student  

Skills, abilities and attributes 

• Appreciation of and passion for the Charity’s priorities particularly health and wellbeing and the understanding of the importance of communities   
• Willingness to promote sustainability and address climate change 
• Excellent analytical and numerical skills 
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills including negotiating, networking and presentation 
• Effective written communication and report writing ability 
• An interest in legal matters, policies and procedures 
• The ability to carry out development appraisals thoroughly and convincingly, especially financial viability  
• Outstanding commercial awareness and acumen and understanding of the property development sector 
• A creative and innovative approach with an aptitude for problem solving 
• Ability to work under own initiative, be a proactive self-starter and to deliver  
• Ability to deliver to the highest quality  
• Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly in a small team