Senior Land Manager

Reporting to the Land Director, the Senior Land Manager will lead the end-to-end identification, acquisition and delivery of high-quality land opportunities, coach and develop junior team members, support the Land Director in maintaining a robust, high quality pipeline, assist with strategic decisions on pipeline management, and gain firsthand experience in reporting to the Cala Group Board.

The key responsibilities of the role include (but are not limited to):

• Proactively identify and appraise off-market land parcels.
• Manage projects from cradle to grave, taking ownership from initial site identification, through due diligence, negotiation, contracting and planning engagement, S106 affordable units' disposal, to final handover once the site has become 'Effective'.
• Conduct initial due diligence and KPI assessment personally to confirm alignment with Cala Homes' investment criteria.
• Secure heads of terms and drive each site through legal contracts with minimal senior intervention.
• Maintain and expand a network of landowners, agents and professional advisers.
• Manage project teams comprising internal colleagues and external consultants, ensuring clear coordination and accountability.

• Collaboration with the planning team throughout the planning process from pre-application through to submission, ensuring profit margin is always thought about and where possible enhanced or protected.
• Present project proposals to the wider regional business to obtain input and secure internal support.

• Contribute materially to the annual land-acquisition strategy, using market insight to shape priorities.
• Own and report on departmental KPIs, budgetary controls and risk registers, escalating issues appropriately.

• Act as the primary point of contact for joint-venture partners, Housing Associations, external advisers and other internal teams.
• Prepare decision-grade board packs, financial appraisals and site-recommendation papers to Group Board.

• Ensure project margin, ROCE and IRR is at the forefront of all decision-making throughout site acquisition, due diligence, planning and contracting stages.
• Monitor and report on margin performance, identifying and acting on opportunities to optimise returns.
• Proactively identify financial and project risks that could impact margins, such as cost overruns, planning delays or market shifts.
• Develop and implement mitigation strategies to circumnavigate identified risks, ensuring target returns are protected and maximised.