Director

James Gray Recruitment Ltd; Manchester; On-site; GBP 108,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

James Gray Recruitment Ltd is seeking an experienced Director to lead its Manchester office and drive growth across Greater Manchester and the North West. You will shape strategy, develop the team, and expand client relationships with the backing of a broader national consultancy.

The role demands a Chartered Building Surveyor with 10+ years PQE, senior leadership experience, and deep knowledge of the Manchester market, to deliver sustained profitability and market share.

Qualifications

• Chartered Building Surveyor with 10+ years post-qualification experience.
• Director or Senior Associate Director level within a recognised property or Building Surveying consultancy.
• Strong knowledge of Manchester market and established local relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop the Manchester team.
• Own commercial performance and sustainable growth of the office.
• Develop and deliver a clear growth strategy for Greater Manchester and the North West.
• Protect and develop existing client relationships; create new ones.
• Collaborate with other offices to develop national opportunities.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Business development

Client relationship management

Building surveying expertise

Education

Chartered Building Surveyor (MRICS)

Job description

Salary: Circa £120,000 + benefits and performance-related reward

The Opportunity

James Gray Recruitment have been appointed on a retained search and are looking to support their client to secure an experienced and ambitious Director to lead their clients established Manchester office and drive the next phase of their growth across Greater Manchester and the wider North West.

This is a significant leadership appointment for the client and an opportunity to take responsibility for an established office with a talented existing team comprising of experienced Building Surveyors and support staff.

The platform is firmly in place and their ambition is to build on it.

They want to grow the Manchester office organically — developing their existing team, recruiting additional talent, strengthening their position within the Greater Manchester property market and continuing to grow their client base and market share.

They are looking for someone who is excited by the opportunity to lead that journey.

This isn't a role where everything has already been decided for you. The successful candidate will have genuine autonomy to shape the Manchester business, influence its strategy, develop its people and build on the existing client relationships and reputation.

At the same time, you will have the support, resources, expertise and client relationships of the wider business behind you.

The Manchester Business

The Manchester office provides Building Surveying services to a broad commercial property client base across the North West and nationally.

Their work encompasses both professional and project-led Building Surveying, with instructions across offices, industrial and logistics, retail, hospitality and wider commercial property portfolios.

Clients include major property funds, institutional investors, property owners and a substantial occupier client base.

The incoming Director will therefore inherit an established workload, strong client relationships and an experienced team. The opportunity is to take that platform and develop it further — expanding our presence within Greater Manchester, growing the team sustainably and increasing the companies share of the regional market.

Your Role

As Director and Manchester Office Lead, you will have overall responsibility for the leadership, performance and continued development of the Manchester operation.

This will include:

• Leading, motivating and developing the existing Manchester team.
• Taking ownership of the commercial performance and sustainable growth of the office.
• Developing and delivering a clear growth strategy for Greater Manchester and the wider North West.
• Protecting and developing the companies existing client relationships.
• Creating new client relationships and identifying opportunities to broaden their presence within the region.
• Maintaining a visible presence within the Greater Manchester property market.
• Leading significant Building Surveying commissions and providing senior-level advice to clients.
• Recruiting additional talent as the office grows.
• Mentoring and developing the existing team and creating clear opportunities for career progression.
• Working collaboratively with the other offices and disciplines to develop national and cross-service opportunities.
• Contributing to the wider leadership, strategy and future direction of the business.

About You

We envisage the successful candidate being a Chartered Building Surveyor with at least 10 years' post-qualification experience, although the quality and relevance of experience will ultimately be more important than a specific number of years.

You are likely to be operating at Director or Senior Associate Director level within a recognised property or Building Surveying consultancy and be ready for greater responsibility, autonomy and influence.

Just as importantly, we are looking for someone who knows Manchester.

Ideally, you will have spent a significant part of your career living and working in the city or surrounding area and will have developed strong relationships across the Greater Manchester property market.

You should understand the market, its clients and its people and have the network and credibility to represent the business locally.

We are looking for someone who:

• Is commercially minded and understands how to grow and manage a profitable consultancy business.
• Has strong relationships within the Manchester and North West property community.
• Enjoys business development and building long-term client relationships.
• Combines strong technical Building Surveying credentials with a pragmatic and commercial approach.
• Is comfortable operating across both professional and project Building Surveying.
• Is an engaging and supportive leader who can develop, retain and attract talented people.
• Has the confidence and credibility to advise major institutional and occupier clients.
• Is entrepreneurial and wants genuine influence over how a business develops.
• Is ambitious for the Manchester office, the company and their own career.

Why Consider this Company?

This is an independent property consultancy providing Building Surveying, Project Management and Cost Management services to clients throughout the UK.

Their independence allows us to operate differently from many larger corporate consultancies.

They can be entrepreneurial, responsive, decisive and agile. Their Directors have a genuine voice within the business and the freedom to develop teams, clients and opportunities without unnecessary corporate layers.

For the right person, the Manchester role offers an unusual combination:

An established business — with the opportunity to build.

You will inherit a functioning and experienced team, established institutional and occupier clients and the backing of a growing national consultancy with significant headroom for Manchester.

The ambition is to continue building the companies presence and reputation across Greater Manchester and the wider North West, with the team growing organically alongside that success.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to put their own stamp on that growth and establish themselves as a key member of the senior leadership team.

The Package

We recognise that this is an important senior appointment and that the package needs to reflect the calibre of individual we are seeking.

We anticipate:

Base salary: Extremely competitive and open to considering all proposals, depending upon experience and the individual.

Alongside this will be a senior-level benefits package and performance-related reward reflecting both individual contribution and the success of the Manchester business.

For the right individual, this is intended to be a long-term appointment with considerable scope for career progression as both Manchester and the wider business continue to grow.

The Proposition

Ultimately, we are looking for someone who wants more than another Director title.

We want someone who sees the opportunity to lead an established Manchester office, develop a talented team, strengthen the company position in the local market and play an important part in the continued growth of the wider business.

Someone who shares their ambition, commitment to their clients and their belief that you can build a successful business while still enjoying the journey.

The foundations are already there. The opportunity is to lead what comes next.