TDM Recruitment is working exclusively with an established, financially backed land promotion business to recruit a Development Surveyor for their London office.
This is a hands-on land and development role within a business managing a large and growing portfolio of promotion sites across the south east. The portfolio spans residential schemes from 100 to 2,000 units, commercial and employment land, energy projects, and surplus land disposals — so the work is varied in a way that most housebuilder or agency surveying roles simply aren't
.
The team is small, experienced, and operates with a high degree of autonomy. You'll manage your own projects from appraisal and acquisition through promotion, consent, and disposal. No layers of approval. No waiting for someone else to make a decision. Direct access to directors and senior managers who trust their people to get on with i
t.
If you're in a PLC land team processing appraisals that go nowhere, or in an agency where you never see the commercial outcome of your work, this is a different model entire
ly.
Responsibilit
- ies:Managing development projects through the full lifecycle — land appraisal, acquisition, promotion, consent, and disp
- osalConducting site appraisals, residual land valuations, and development viability assessments for new opportuni
- tiesNegotiating and managing option agreements, planning promotional agreements, and conditional contracts with landow
- nersRunning the disposal process for consented sites — preparing marketing particulars, managing competitive tenders, negotiating terms with housebuilders and develo
- persCoordinating external consultant teams (planning, legal, engineering, environmental) and managing programme delivery against milest
- onesManaging an existing portfolio of surplus land and property, identifying development potential and progressing dispo
- salsPreparing financial appraisals, cashflow models, and investment papers for new site acquisit
- ionsUndertaking due diligence on new land opportunities — title, access, infrastructure, environmental constraints, planning his
- toryBuilding and maintaining relationships with housebuilders, developers, land agents, and landowners across the re
- gionReporting project status, financial performance, key risks, and disposal outcomes to senior manage
- mentSupporting contractual and legal matters — instructing solicitors, reviewing heads of terms, managing completion proce
- ssesContributing to emerging workstreams in energy, infrastructure, and environmental land manage
ment
Experience & Sk
- ills:MRICS qualified (or close to completing APC) with 4–5 years' post-qualification exper
- ienceA background in one or more of: housebuilder land team, land promotion, development consultancy, property consultancy (development/agency), or public sector / utility estates and land manag
- ementExperience with development appraisals and residual land valuations — comfortable with the numbers and the assumptions behind
- themWorking knowledge of option agreements, conditional contracts, or promotion agreements — or at minimum the commercial and legal principles inv
- olvedTrack record of managing multi-disciplinary consultant teams and delivering projects against prog
- rammeConfident negotiating with landowners, agents, housebuilders, and legal
- teamsCommercially sharp — you understand how land value is created through the planning and development process and can articula
- te itStrong written and verbal communication — you'll be preparing marketing materials, investment papers, and board re
- portsProficient with standard appraisal tools (Argus Developer, bespoke Excel models, or equiva
- lent)Self-motivated, well-organised, and comfortable working independently within a small
- teamFull UK driving li
cence
Des
- irableExperience with surplus land or property disposal — particularly utility, public sector, or institutional port
- foliosKnowledge of the south east housebuilder and developer market and active land agents in the
- regionExposure to energy or infrastructure land transactions (renewables, data centres, battery st
- orage)Experience with Biodiversity Net Gain, natural capital, or environmental land management s
- chemesRural practice, estate management, or compulsory purchase expe