Director, Acquisitions | Real Assets ad Infrastructure

ZipRecruiter; London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic global infrastructure investment platform is seeking a Director for Strategic Site Development across the EMEA region. This senior role is pivotal in leading site acquisition and execution strategies, leveraging strong stakeholder management and a commercial mindset. The successful candidate will bring over a decade of experience in infrastructure and real estate, positioned to drive growth in complex regulatory environments. Extensive travel across the region will be required.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of relevant experience in strategic land acquisition or industrial/logistics real estate.
• Deep understanding of asset development including permitting and utility integration.
• Proven ability to lead complex cross-jurisdictional real estate transactions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute regional site acquisition strategies aligned with market trends.
• Originate and secure control over strategic sites through various structures.
• Act as the firm’s internal lead for site execution and coordination with teams.

Skills

Stakeholder Management

Financial Analysis

Market Intelligence

Negotiation

Project Management

Education

Advanced degree in Real Estate, Engineering, Business

Job description

Job Description

Director – Strategic Site Development (EMEA)

Location: Flexible within EMEA | Sector Focus: Critical Infrastructure, Technology-Enabled Real Assets, Platform Expansion

The Platform

Our client is a global infrastructure investment platform backed by leading institutional capital and purpose-built to deploy long-duration capital into next- real assets. With a pan-European footprint and an expanding global mandate, the platform focuses on the development, acquisition, and long-term stewardship of mission-critical infrastructure assets aligned with digitalisation, decarbonisation, and supply chain resilience. The business combines deep sector expertise with agile execution, positioning itself as a partner of choice to governments, developers, and corporates driving structural transformation across key markets.

The Mandate

We are seeking a high-calibre Director to lead strategic site origination and land control across the EMEA region. Operating at the nexus of real estate, infrastructure development, and capital deployment, the role will drive site-level strategy and execution in support of the platform’s regional expansion and long-term asset build-out. The successful candidate will own the full lifecycle of site acquisition—from market screening and site evaluation to negotiation, diligence, and early-stage development enablement.

This is a senior, high-impact role that demands deep transactional experience, sophisticated stakeholder management skills, and a granular understanding of infrastructure-related real estate. The ideal candidate brings a blend of technical fluency, commercial instinct, and cross-border execution experience—combined with the strategic mindset required to drive growth in complex regulatory and operational environments.

Key Responsibilities

Location Strategy & Market Intelligence

• Develop and execute regional site acquisition strategies anchored in macro demand trends, infrastructure adjacency, energy access, and policy alignment.
• Lead market screening efforts across priority geographies, drawing on proprietary insights, third-party intelligence, and stakeholder engagement to identify strategic locations.

Site Sourcing & Transaction Execution

• Originate, negotiate, and secure control over strategic sites via acquisition, ground lease, or development agreement structures.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of opportunities through direct outreach, advisor relationships, and partnership models with developers and land aggregators.

Diligence & Feasibility Oversight

• Lead comprehensive feasibility assessments, including power availability, grid connectivity, zoning constraints, permitting timelines, environmental factors, and infrastructure compatibility.
• Coordinate external advisors, consultants, and technical partners to ensure rigorous pre-investment validation.

Cross-Functional Delivery Leadership

• Act as the firm’s internal lead for site execution, coordinating seamlessly with investment, legal, technical, ESG, and operations teams to ensure deliverability, compliance, and timeline discipline.
• Support investment committee documentation and underwriting through robust site-level analysis and strategic fit assessments.

Stakeholder Alignment & External Relations

• Serve as a key relationship manager with local municipalities, utilities, regulators, and strategic partners—balancing stakeholder alignment with project requirements and long-term platform positioning.
• Build coalitions that enable local enablement, permitting velocity, and reputational anchoring in new jurisdictions.

Commercial & Financial Acumen

• Contribute to underwriting and investment case development by providing robust inputs on CAPEX, land cost dynamics, utility requirements, and project viability assumptions.
• Support go/no-go decisions with data-driven, scenario-tested insight aligned with the firm’s return thresholds and investment criteria.

Team Building & Regional Leadership

• Build, scale, and mentor a distributed team of regional site development professionals; instill a culture of ownership, urgency, and disciplined execution.
• Drive institutional standards across internal processes and external engagements as the firm expands across EMEA.

Candidate Profile

• Experience: 10–15 years of relevant experience in strategic land acquisition, infrastructure-led development, or industrial/logistics real estate transactions, ideally within a pan-European or global context.
• Sector Fluency: Deep understanding of large-scale asset development, including permitting, power and utility integration, and land use frameworks across EMEA.
• Execution Track Record: Demonstrated ability to originate and lead complex, cross-jurisdictional real estate transactions, from deal structuring to close.
• Commercial Mindset: Strong financial literacy and comfort with investment cases, risk-adjusted cost analysis, and long-term asset positioning.
• Stakeholder Dexterity: Poised and credible in navigating a range of external interfaces—from government and local councils to landowners and strategic vendors.
• Cross-Border Competence: Experience operating across diverse markets with differing regulatory regimes and infrastructure maturity levels.
• Leadership Maturity: Proven ability to lead high-performing teams, build capabilities at pace, and contribute to broader platform building.
• Education: Advanced degree in Real Estate, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline .
• : Fluent English essential; additional European advantageous.
• Mobility: Willingness to travel extensively across the EMEA region as required.