Principal Development Surveyor

Manchester City Council; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

UK pension scheme

Professional development opportunities

Flexible benefits

Inclusive, diverse workplace

Job summary

Manchester City Council seeks a highly experienced Chartered Surveyor to lead regeneration and development projects in the city centre. You will guide high-profile schemes, provide expert property advice, and collaborate with public and private partners to support growth and housing ambitions.

Strong communication to committees and elected Members is essential. A track record in complex valuation, development and regeneration, plus post-qualification experience, is required.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified chartered surveyor with significant post-qualification development experience.
• Proven track record managing high-profile, high-value schemes in property development/regeneration.
• Knowledge of Manchester commercial and residential markets helps; strong negotiating/influencing skills.
• Ability to deliver reports and presentations to City Council Committees and elected Members.

Responsibilities

• Lead regeneration and development projects in the city centre in collaboration with public/private partners.
• Provide high-quality development and property advice across the Council’s investment portfolio.
• Drive delivery of Council priorities, ensuring alignment with strategic growth and regeneration goals.
• Support continuous improvement and compliance with corporate policies across client services.

Skills

Chartered Surveyor

Post-qualification development

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Education

MRICS or FRICS

Job description

Working Hours: 35 Hours Per Week

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Closing Date:16 August 2026

Closing time: 11.59pm

Interview Method: Face to Face

Legal Right to Work: In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement ofemployment

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action

This role is subject to -

2 References - where possible we require 3 years' history.

Qualification - MRICS or FRICS with significant post qualification experience

Registration - Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

The Growth and Development Directorate is the service which underpins the Council’s priorities for the growth and regeneration of the city. It provides organisational leadership and accountability for major development city wide to provide new homes, commercial, retail, cultural space and the delivery of jobs to sustain Manchester’s economic growth.

The Development Team is responsible for facilitating and supporting high profile regeneration and development schemes that provide a very interesting and varied workload, presenting an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to work on key and high profile projects, supporting the Council’s financial and new housing ambitions towards delivering 32,000 new homes, including 6,400 affordable, increased social value benefits, providing 1,565 additional supported accommodation and homelessness units, promoting the city’s Economic Growth agenda through the use of assets and supporting the Council’s Climate Change Action.

The role is to provide high quality support to all aspects of the Development function of the Development and Investment Service as part of the Growth and Development Directorate with a focus on the city centre.

You will be an integral part of a highly professional team that provides high quality development and property advice, support and input to regeneration schemes, development proposals and the Council’s investment portfolio supporting the Council’s growth ambitions, policies and strategies. Reporting to the Strategic Lead Development, you will take a lead role on a variety of regeneration and development projects across the city centre, working with public and private sector partners to drive the Council’s growth and regeneration agendas, delivering outputs linked to key Council strategic priorities.

The candidate will be a qualified Chartered Surveyor with substantial post qualification development experience within the field of property investment and development. The candidate will need to demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team within a high pressure professional environment.

A good working knowledge of the Manchester commercial and residential property markets would be preferable, along with good negotiating and influencing skills. The ability to build positive working relationships and excellent analytical skills to support problem solving of a highly complex nature and deliver practical solutions are key to the role.

Essential requirements for the role:

• Be a fully qualified chartered surveyor with significant post qualification development experience.
• Demonstrate a track record of successful management of high profile, high value schemes in a property environment.
• Possess knowledge of the property market and the role the City Council plays in regeneration.
• Have experience in complex valuation, development and regeneration projects and demonstrable evidence of delivering successful outcomes.

• Provide strategic leadership for continuous improvement within client services that embraces corporate priorities and initiatives.
• Ensure effective communication through high quality reports, informal briefings and presentations to City Council Committees, elected Members, MPs and organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors.
• Through matrix management arrangements, deliver key Council priorities and initiatives with staff resources deployed accordingly.
• Ensure that City Council corporate requirements are consistently met, including for business planning, performance management and budget monitoring.
• Lead accountability for the implementation of business improvement processes and the proper application of relevant corporate policies across client services.
• Demonstrate personal commitment to continuous self development and service improvement.
• Through personal example, open commitment and clear action, ensure diversity is positively valued, resulting in equal access and treatment in employment, service delivery and communications.

The experience below would be beneficial but is not essential:

Desirable requirements that would be useful in this role:

A knowledge of the Manchester and regional property market would be desirable.

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities.

Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits we offer

• Generous holiday allowance- Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks during our annual leave purchase period.
• A buzzing pension- You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave- Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks- Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow- We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member- We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave- Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care.
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term condition
• Have you completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme or any MCC positive action programmes?

When You Join Us

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability-friendly.

For more information about the role or any adjustments, email [e-mail].

What we will need from you if you're successful

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement ofemployment.This is not arole we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

Pre-Employment Checks

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for, see the top of the advert for details.

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.

Other relevant information

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

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