Job Description

Job Title - Partnerships Director

Role Purpose & Summary

This newly created role will play a crucial part in developing and growing a Development Partnerships strategy, a key pillar for the Group’s broadening of its development strategy.
The role requires someone with strong investment capabilities to act as the fulcrum for the Group’s activities in this space, and to help develop and grow the development partnerships team in line with the strategy.

The role has two distinct focuses:
1) On-campus partnerships: Working in consortium with on-campus providers to bid and deliver on DBFO partnerships, or grow and work directly with Universities on future strategic residential projects directly.  
2) Off-campus partnerships: Develop relationships with capital and other SME developers to help unlock development opportunities and utilise the Group’s end to end development and contracting capabilities to help deliver schemes on a solus or programmatic basis.

Core Objectives - Specific Expectations of the Role

Origination and Strategy 

• Develop relationships with key universities, investors, developers and agents.
• Originate and evaluate new development partnership opportunities in line with Group's target returns, leading the appraisal and acquisition process.  
• Work with the Group Investment Director in developing the strategy.

Financial / Commercial Underwrite

• Overall responsibility for the accuracy and quality of your projects financial / commercial underwrites.
• Ensure strong communication and collaboration with key internal teams – Property Group, Project Services, Legal, Cost Advisory and Delivery.
• Maximising returns for new development partnership opportunities.
• Support more junior team members and provide insight into inputs.

Transaction Management

• Lead on the bid and transaction process, taking responsibility for agreeing Heads of Terms, procuring legal and title reports and responding to key points accordingly, negotiating legal contracts and overseeing the process of legal exchange and completion.
• Lead on the closing process, taking responsibility for agreeing Heads of Terms, negotiating sale contracts and development agreements, and overseeing the process of legal exchange and completion.
• Discuss and agree strategy with the Group Investment Director as appropriate.
• Provide support to junior team members and develop their understanding and knowledge of transactions.

Reporting

• Lead on reporting for all development partnership projects, monitoring performance against signed-off metrics.
• Lead on securing Investment Committee approvals, including compiling Investment Committee Papers. Responsible for overarching project reporting to Group Investment Director at the appropriate stages.

Engagement

• Engage, as required with the Group Investment Director, project colleagues, external institutional partners, agents, lawyers and stakeholders such as Universities, clients, and internal support teams such as Finance, Property Group, Project Services, Legal, Cost Advisory and Delivery, as well as interacting ‘horizontally’ with other investment team members to share knowledge and best practice.

Management & Leadership

• Take on a management and mentoring role towards Analysts and other junior team members, reviewing their outputs and providing guidance and encouragement where necessary.
• Take on an overarching coordination/management role within the project team to ensure reporting and MI are accurate, punctual and high quality.
• Lead from the front, demonstrating behaviors and values in line with Group expectations.
• Champion the Group both internally and externally to enhance the Group’s profile and reputation.
• Accountability and responsibility alongside the respective development lead for the overall performance of the project.

Other Activities

• Maintain a network of contacts, key personnel and expertise through timely, measured and practical communications and engagements.
• Identify potential risks, issues, problems and other areas of concern along with plans and actions to mitigate risks and minimise disruption and delays.
• Provide advice and expertise to the team and colleagues across the business on critical issues across the project lifetime.
• Share learning and good practice with colleagues to drive continuous improvement.
• Prepare for, attend and contribute to (including Chairing where appropriate) meetings with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders as required.
• Where appropriate, set targets, objectives and clear responsibilities for any direct reports and ensure that objectives are suitably cascaded and communicated to all other employees in the hierarchy.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare reports in the most appropriate format for various forums, meetings, committees and other groups, in line with reporting cycles.

Generic Business Expectations

• Finance & Value for Money
• Security
• Health & Safety
• Learning & Development
• Customer Focus.

Generic Leadership Expectations

• Line Management
• Leading by Example
• Inclusive Leadership
• People Development

Person Specification

Key Behaviours
Insight - Seeing the bigger picture
Managing Quality - Process, procedures, compliance
Communication & Influence - Being clear & using the right method
Collaboration - Working together
Decision Making - Taking considered logical actions
Pace & Planning - Delivering results on time
Improving & Change - Being better at what we do
Integrity & Responsibility - Doing the right thing
Equality & Diversity - Respecting difference & inclusivity

Role Specific Strengths
- Decisive
- Negotiator
- Networker
- Organiser
- Strategic
- Communicator

Training & Qualifications
Educated to Degree Level in a related discipline OR significant and substantial experience in a relevant profession - Essential
Evidence of undertaking training, learning or other activities to maintain professional status or keep abreast of developments, trends and best-practice in the profession and industry - Essential
Holds chartered / registered / certified status in the profession - Desirable

Knowledge & Skills
Excellent interpersonal, communication skills and business acumen - Essential
Knowledge of investment fundamentals - Essential
Understanding of University funding models (DBFO etc) - Desireable
Knowledge of construction principles - Essential
Ability to develop strategy - Essential
Ability to anticipate risks and provide sound, reasonable advice that stands up to challenge - Essential
Ability to act assertively to support a point of view, negotiate, influence decisions whilst maintaining respect and healthy, positive working relationships - Essential
Ability to compile reports and present information in an accurate, logical format - Essential
Knowledge of the construction and development industry - Essential
Ability to use Microsoft Office Applications - Essential

Experience
Experience of working in the Residential for Rent sectors - Essential
Experience of working with on-campus transactions - Desirable
Experience of maintaining networks of key contacts and working with multiple internal and external stakeholders - Essential
Experience of working to tight schedules with competing priorities to deliver projects on time and in line with client requirements - Essential