HRA Development Projects Manager

Portsmouth City Council; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council is seeking an experienced Development Projects Manager to lead a multidisciplinary team delivering an ambitious portfolio of affordable and social housing across Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport. You will oversee a pipeline of over 1,000 homes and manage major schemes from £3m to £100m, ensuring quality, value for money and timeliness.

You will provide strategic leadership across feasibility, procurement, contract management and post-occupancy evaluation, while developing

Qualifications

• Requires a degree in a construction, surveying or architectural discipline.
• Desirable: RICS chartered or ARB/RIBA membership or significant equivalent experience.
• Experience managing complex building projects up to £100m and large annual budgets.

Responsibilities

• Lead a specialist team delivering a programme of new affordable and social housing.
• Manage a pipeline of over 1,000 homes and oversee major residential projects (£3m–£100m).
• Provide strategic and technical leadership across the full project lifecycle.
• Manage budgets, resources and workloads; support workforce development.
• Engage stakeholders and ensure delivery to quality, compliance and value for money.
• Shape future housing delivery including Passivhaus and sustainable developments.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Procurement

Contract management

Budget management

Building regulations

Financial acumen

IT proficiency

Travel availability

Education

Degree in construction/surveying/architectural discipline

RICS chartered or ARB/RIBA member

Tools

JCT contracts

NEC contracts

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Development Projects Manager to join our team and manage the pipeline of new homes across Portsmouth!

Your new role

Lead a specialist team delivering an ambitious programme of new affordable and social housing across Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport. Managing a pipeline of over 1,000 homes, you will oversee the development and delivery of major residential projects ranging from £3m to £100m, helping to create sustainable, inclusive communities and homes that meet the needs of local residents.

Working as part of the Capital Projects management team, you will provide strategic and technical leadership across the full project lifecycle, including feasibility, procurement, consultant and contractor management, stakeholder engagement and post-occupancy evaluation. You will manage budgets, resources and workloads, support workforce development, and ensure projects are delivered to the highest standards of quality, compliance and value for money.

This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of housing delivery, including Passivhaus and other sustainable developments, while supporting the Head of Capital Projects in the leadership and successful delivery of the wider service. Occasional responsibility for refurbishment and maintenance projects across housing and corporate assets may also be required.

Who is the person summary:

We're looking for an experienced construction and development professional to lead the delivery of a diverse capital and development programme. You will have substantial experience managing complex building projects from feasibility through to completion, including large-scale schemes valued up to £100m, alongside responsibility for significant annual budgets.

You will lead and develop a team of property professionals, providing clear direction, coaching and performance management while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Working closely with councillors, stakeholders, residents and clients, you will build strong relationships, translate requirements into deliverable solutions and ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to the highest standards.

The successful candidate will possess extensive knowledge of building design, construction technology, procurement, contract management (including JCT and NEC contracts), planning and building regulations, fire safety, CDM Regulations and wider construction legislation. You will also have strong commercial awareness, experience of development viability and social housing projects, and the ability to manage complex procurement and contractor relationships.

You should hold a degree in a relevant construction, surveying or architectural discipline and ideally be RICS chartered or an ARB/RIBA member, although significant equivalent experience will also be considered. Excellent leadership, communication and presentation skills are essential, along with strong IT proficiency and the ability to travel regularly to sites across Portsmouth and the surrounding area.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours .

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

As part of Local Government Reorganisation, current plans will see Portsmouth City Council combine with the district and borough councils of Fareham, Gosport and Havant and parts of East Hampshire and Winchester district councils to form a new, larger unitary authority for south east Hampshire.

We are working towards an implementation date of 1st April 2028, known as vesting day, subject to Parliamentary approval. Until then, we remain focused on maintaining continuity, supporting our workforce, and continuing to deliver excellent services to our residents throughout the transition to the new unitary authority.

This is an exciting time to join us, offering the opportunity to contribute to organisational transformation, develop your career, and help shape future services for our communities.

More information about Local Government Reorganisation can be found on our website: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/council-and-democracy/your-council/devolution-and-lgr/

Additional Information

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this position.

Our recruitment process

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council