Land and Property Area Manager

East West Rail Company; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A key railway infrastructure project in the UK is seeking a Land and Property Area Manager. The role focuses on leading land acquisition processes, ensuring successful project delivery by managing stakeholders and external relationships. The ideal candidate should be degree-educated, preferably a member of RICS, and possess extensive experience in land acquisition and project management. This permanent position offers a competitive salary, extensive benefits, and a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness.

Benefits

Competitive base salary

Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution

36 days holiday per year

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Access to benefits on Perkbox

Learning and development programmes

Flexible working opportunities

Enhanced family-friendly policies

Exceptional IT tools

Qualifications

• Degree educated in an appropriate discipline, with RICS membership.
• Experience in leading land and property workstreams in client-side organizations.
• Experience with compulsory purchase for infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop effective land and property strategies to support project delivery.
• Secure agreements for land access for construction.
• Manage property costs and risks involved in the acquisitions.

Skills

Land acquisition expertise

Stakeholder management

Project management

Communication skills

Strategic planning

Education

Degree in relevant discipline

Membership of RICS

Job description

Land and Property Area Manager

Application Deadline: 11 January 2026

Department: Strategy & Sponsorship

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Milton Keynes

Reporting To: Head of Land & Property

Description

A little bit about us:

East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much-needed transport connections for the vibrant communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, which blend beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage with globally renowned centres of education, business, technology and an increasingly dynamic business scene. Together these communities contribute around £111 billion to the national economy each year.

However, the lack of good East-West transport connections makes it harder for residents to make the most of everything the region has to offer. From faster commutes to days out with friends and family, EWR will make it easier to reach the things that matter most, bringing a range of benefits to communities between Oxford and Cambridge, and across the UK more broadly.

EWR is also one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, which the government committed to delivering in full in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and again in the 2025 Spending Review as part of its ambition to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.

East West Railway Company (that’s us) was created by the Department for Transport (DfT) to oversee the delivery of East West Rail from construction through to wheels in motion, making sure the railway comes together in the right way.

At East West Railway Company, we’re committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple – to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications of all backgrounds and experiences.

EWR is being championed by the Government as a key driver to economic growth leading to a potential £78 Billion boost to the UK economy: supporting new towns, housing, and regeneration.

Role Summary:

This is a key role working within the client-side Land & Property Team at EWR Co. reporting to the Head of Land and Property to ensure the successful delivery of the DCO and to secure all the land required for the EWR project.

This role will be responsible for leading and managing the acquisition, transfer, management and disposal of land and property to support delivery of the East West Rail Project. It requires management of our land and property suppliers and close liaison with other teams such as Design, Construction, Railway Operations, Consents, Environment and Stakeholder. It requires oversight of external relations with landowners, their representatives and statutory bodies. It involves strategic oversight, coordination, and integration assurance to achieve project milestones and objectives.

Function:

The Strategy, Sponsorship and External Affairs function is accountable for defining what EWR Co. is, and the impact it will deliver - setting scope and requirements. It is accountable for securing the required approvals to deliver the scheme, being the custodian of the Development Consent Order submission, including statutory consultation, and building a compelling business case. It will hold design and delivery to account to create an asset which will realises the economic benefits.

Within this function, the Land and Property team will act as an intelligent and informed integrated team, that uses a network of third-party strategic suppliers to leverage the capabilities required to deliver the land to construct and operate the project.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver effective land and property strategies and plans, and to support a successful Development Consent Order (DCO) application and delivery of the project.
• Develop and deliver an engagement and consultation plan to identify those with an interest in land and property, and to facilitate effective communication with landowners and their representatives to secure temporary and permanent land assembly, and manage objection to the project in line with our Company vision and behaviours.
• Provide strategic oversight, coordination and integration assurance to successfully acquire the land and property required to construct, commission and operate the railway.
• Secure and manage agreements for temporary and permanent access to support construction, and operation of the project.
• Manage property costs, risks and opportunities and settlement of property claims including relevant dispute and Tribunal processes.
• Project manage the land and property workstreams, including the land and property supply chain – monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies to address potential issues and drive on‑time delivery, to budget.
• Prepare and present programme reports, updates and performance metrics to the Head of Land and Property and other senior managers.
• Provide contract management input including change control for the administration of the Land and Property Supplier contracts.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

You will be degree educated in an appropriate discipline with membership of relevant professional body e.g., Member (or Fellow) of the RICS with:

• A comprehensive depth and range of experience of leading land and property workstreams within a client side organisation, ideally with experience in a government related organisation
• Acquisition of land by compulsory purchase for linear infrastructure projects.
• Development, approval and delivery of land and property policy, strategy and plans for acquisition, management and disposal of land and property.
• Maintaining effective external relationships at senior levels to understand stakeholders’ needs and priorities with appropriate influencing skills to achieve results at pace.
• Developing and managing teams to deliver effective and respectful communication with landowners to secure land assembly.
• Collaborating with internal senior leaders across disciplines to deliver outcomes required for land assembly; working in multi-disciplinary teams to deliver an overall programme of activities to acquire, transfer, manage and dispose of land and property.
• Strategic planning and option analysis, including financial appraisal and forecasting including development and management of property cost estimates.
• Undertaking complex property negotiations and transactions.
• Instructing, managing and integrating a range of suppliers to deliver an overall programme of activities to acquire, transfer, manage and dispose of land and property.
• Explaining property matters and reports to others who may not have a background in property. Presenting data and explaining reports to stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrating compliance with Statutory, Regulatory and Professional requirements.

Benefits

What we offer:

• Competitive base salary
• Up to 12% employer’s pension contribution
• 36 days holiday a year (including bank holidays) + up to 2 days to buy
• Life assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a range of benefits on the Perkbox platform
• On-the-spot and annual awards
• Advanced learning and development programmes
• Great work-life balance and flexible working opportunities
• Enhanced family‑friendly policies
• Exceptional IT tools

EWR Co strives to embrace a flexible working environment, where a degree of flexibility is maintained to accommodate both the needs and preferences of employees and what is required to achieve business objectives. EWR Co will always work with any individual to assess and accommodate an individual’s work‑life balance and style.

Diversity and Inclusion:

To discover the best solutions, it’s important we embrace diversity of thought. That’s why we aim to ensure our colleagues feel included, engaged and valued. Inclusiveness is not a buzzword, but a way of being. Our approach to diversity is simple – a workplace where everyone is welcome and everyone is encouraged to be themselves. It helps fuel our innovation and connects us with the customers and communities we serve.

We are open to secondments through the Rail Industry Talent Exchange Programme.