Assistant Commercial Land Manager

Wates Smartspace; Leatherhead; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Wates Group is seeking a Commercial Land Manager to identify, appraise and secure land opportunities across England, supporting the land acquisition strategy and long-term value creation. You will build a strong network of agents and stakeholders, and manage acquisitions through to completion.

The role focuses on delivering a consistent pipeline of high-quality sites, coordinating consultants, and maintaining robust property records in a dynamic industrial and logistics context within the Wates

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of land sourcing, contracts, land law and valuation.
• Solid understanding of the commercial sector and UK planning system.
• Proven ability in deal negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Experience assessing and appraising commercial development opportunities.
• Well-established network within the land and agency market.
• Excellent communication skills with a proactive, results-driven approach.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure land opportunities by investigating, appraising and negotiating land and property deals on competitive terms.
• Drive pipeline growth through targeted land searches aligned to the Wates Commercial & Logistics strategy and investment profile.
• Build and maintain networks with agents and key market contacts, representing Wates professionally in the market.
• Manage acquisitions by instructing and coordinating consultants through the appraisal and acquisition process.
• Maintain accurate reporting on sites investigated, bids submitted and land within legal stages.
• Support portfolio management by ensuring property records are up to date and robust.

Skills

Land sourcing

Contracts

Land law

Valuation

Deal negotiation

Stakeholder management

Commercial awareness

Communication

Job description

Are you a land professional with a strong network and a track record of securing high-quality opportunities in the industrial & logistics sector?

Wates Group is seeking a Commercial Land Manager to join our Commercial Land team. This is a key role focused on identifying, appraising and securing land opportunities across England, supporting the delivery of our commercial land acquisition strategy and maximising long-term value for the business.

Working closely with the Commercial Land Director, the Commercial Land Manager will play a pivotal role in building and maintaining a strong network of agents and stakeholders, ensuring a consistent pipeline of high-quality sites for investigation and acquisition.

About the Role

As our Commercial Land Manager, you will:

• Identify and secure opportunities by investigating, appraising and negotiating land and property deals on competitive terms.


• Drive pipeline growth through targeted land searches aligned to the Wates Commercial & Logistics strategy and investment profile.


• Build and maintain networks with agents and key market contacts, representing Wates professionally in the market.


• Manage acquisitions by instructing and coordinating consultants through the appraisal and acquisition process.


• Maintain accurate reporting on sites investigated, bids submitted and land within legal stages.


• Support portfolio management by ensuring property records are up to date and robust

About You

We are looking for someone who brings both technical expertise and commercial instinct, with:

• Strong knowledge of land sourcing, contracts, land law and valuation


• A solid understanding of the commercial sector and UK planning system


• Proven ability in deal negotiation and stakeholder management


• Experience assessing and appraising commercial development opportunities


• A well-established network within the land and agency market


• Excellent communication skills with a proactive, results-driven approach

WORKING FOR WATES LAND & DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

Wates Land & Development Division comprises of; Wates Developments; a specialist residential land investment, planning and joint ventures business in the private housebuilding sector; Wates Commercial & Logistics; a specialist commercial and logistics land investor, securing allocations and planning consents and realising value through the sale of consented land and Wates Wildscape; a BNG provider, providing credits to support facilitation of the built environment.

The Wates Land & Development Division is one of the main investment arms of the Wates Group founded in 1897. Today the family business, now led by the fourth generation, is one of the largest privately owned construction, property maintenance and development companies in the UK with a turnover of over £2.8bn.

The Wates vision is to be the most trusted partner in the built environment. The importance of both community and sustainability lies at the heart of the business, and we see every development as an opportunity to enhance and improve.

Throughout the planning process the commercial land business will positively engage with land agents in sourcing land, Local Authorities, Elected Members, Parish Councils, residents, commercial users and stakeholder groups to understand their needs.

All our development proposals are based on a thorough assessment of highway and infrastructure capacity, landscape and heritage impacts, and ecology and environmental sustainability. Wates Land & Development takes an consultative approach with the community is consistent with the highly regarded corporate responsibility credentials of the wider Wates Group. www.wates.co.uk

Our commitments:

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work. As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme. Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at [e-mail]