Development Manager

FINANCE EARTH; City Of London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental investment firm based in London is seeking a Development Manager to oversee investment opportunities and manage project developer relationships. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in rural land transactions and a strong deal track record. This role offers a competitive salary of up to £70,000 plus bonuses, flexible working, and generous vacation days.

Benefits

Base salary up to £70,000

Up to 40% discretionary annual bonus

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Pension contributions

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience advising on rural land transactions in the UK.
• Self-motivated with a detail-oriented approach.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Source and cultivate investment opportunities for the Fund.
• Lead technical aspects of the investment appraisal process.
• Monitor project developer performance and manage stakeholder relationships.

Skills

Advising on rural land transactions

Strong deal track record

Leadership skills

Negotiation skills

Verbal and written communication

Computer literacy

Passion for climate action

Education

Member of relevant professional body

Job description

Overview

The Role

Reporting to the co-heads of the Fund, the Development Manager will be a key part of the team responsible for taking investment opportunities from initial site survey through to presentation to the Investment Committee. They will also oversee project developer partners across its portfolio of investments and manage these strategic relationships as part of the execution of the Fund’s strategy. The Development Manager will be creative, and solutions driven, overseeing a wide range of projects and project developer relationships. There is a need for the individual to have experience in rural land transactions and working with project developers in related sectors. Experience in project finance, financial structuring, investment management and environmental impact investment will also be helpful.

Based in our London headquarters with regular travel across England, this position is ideal for candidates who want to combine their prior professional investment expertise with creativity, innovation and impact.

The Development Manager will join the Fund team as it is about to reach first close and begin to deploy capital. In addition to assisting with project investment appraisal processes, and working closely with colleagues to identify high-potential opportunities and strategic relationships with project developers, the Development Manager will also be involved in fundraising efforts to support the Fund in reaching its final close target of £120 million.

Key Responsibilities

Origination & Deal Sourcing

• Proactively source and cultivate investment opportunities aligned with the Fund’s strategy
• Build and maintain strong networks with NbS project developers, supply chain businesses and intermediaries

Investment Execution

• Lead on all technical aspects of the investment appraisal process
• Support on financial modelling, particularly in regard to technical inputs e.g. carbon credit volume forecasting
• Contributing and reviewing technical inputs in Investment Committee papers and co-presenting these
• Oversee third-party technical advisor coordination and relationships

Portfolio Management

• Monitor project developer performance against restoration and maintenance plans across the woodland creation, peatland restoration and biodiversity net gain investments the fund makes, including being responsible for milestone approval and release of scheduled payments to project developers
• Manage project level relationships with landowners, land agents, surveyors, valuers, ecologists, lawyers, regulators, LPAs and other relevant stakeholders as required to ensure seamless project delivery
• Drive post-investment value creation strategies, including growth initiatives and operational improvements
• Monitor technical performance and support timely, data-driven reporting to LPs and internal stakeholders

Strategic Contribution

• Support fundraising activities by contributing to pitch materials, LP meetings, and due diligence requests
• Contribute to the ongoing refinement of investment theses and market analysis

Skills and experience

Required

• 5+ years experience advising on rural land transactions in the UK, including advising a range of landowners such as large estates on natural capital e.g. woodland creation, peatland restoration, biodiversity net gain
• Strong deal track record, including experience leading land transactions from origination to exit
• Strong leadership and negotiation skills
• Self-motivated, ability to work to and meet tight deadlines and to plan and organise work unsupervised
• Commitment to high quality standards with a detail-oriented approach
• Ability to operate consistently within business guidelines and ethics in multicultural environments
• Ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written formats, appropriate to the specific audience
• Computer literacy and excellent written/oral communication skills in English
• Passionate about climate action, biodiversity recovery, and systemic change

Desired

• Member of relevant body e.g. the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, the Institute of Chartered Foresters
• Experience working with investment funds or the broader finance sector on investment processes
• Proven track record in managing teams, clients, and multiple assignments
• Financial modelling skills
• Familiarity with ESG, nature markets and related protocols driving corporate behaviour (e.g. SBTi, VCMI)
• Experience of working within the environmental or social impact investment sectors
• Experience working with environmental NGOs either in the UK or abroad

The Rewards

Our people are our business; we work hard to ensure that they have fulfilling careers and a good work-life balance. We encourage training to make sure our people are equipped to do their jobs to the best of their abilities and offer flexible working and generous holidays so that staff can both meet client expectations and personal goals.

As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence and strong team ethic. Finance Earth can provide a superior experience for building and maintaining a professional career in finance – a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow whilst delivering work that is highly impactful and beneficial for our planet. A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives and needs is an important part of our culture.

• Opportunity to earn up to £99,000 per annum plus dividends
• Base salary up to £70,000 per annum depending on experience
• Up to 40% of salary discretionary annual bonus and discretionary Christmas bonus of up to £1,000
• Opportunity to become a shareholder after 12 months with a potential dividend allowance
• 25 days holiday + English bank holidays + 2-3 days free at Christmas + up to 5 days length-of-service award
• Potential for hybrid and flexible working
• Generous training budgets with learning and continuous development as a critical element of the way we work
• Private medical insurance, Group life insurance and 3% pension contribution
• Monthly team socials

How to Apply

If you think that you are the right person for this important role in our business, please apply by clicking Apply on website button which will take you through the Applied application process.

Please submit your application by Wednesday, 29th October. However, we reserve the right to close the application window early if we receive a high number of applications.

Finance Earth is an equal opportunities employer. We work to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where all individuals can maximise their full potential. Our skilled and creative workforce is comprised of individuals drawn from a broad cross section of the disciplines in which we operate and who reflect a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives and experiences. Our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion is evident through our constant focus on recruiting, developing and advancing individuals based on their skills and talents.