Head of New Business - Development

Origin – shaping communities; building lives

Origin exists to make change happen for the good of communities. We help people by providing affordable homes – but that’s not enough. We support vulnerable residents to lead happy and better lives. We empower our staff to take action and rise to every challenge with ‘can do’ positivity.

We are looking for a Head of New Business in the development team who will lead on creating and implementing an acquisitions and development strategy to meet our growth ambitions of developing 1,100 new homes over the next five years. This is the lead position in Origin identifying and negotiating new opportunities in our operating area of North London and Hertfordshire. The Head of New Business will be supported in his role by an experienced project delivery team, including technical specialists. The post holder will report to the Director of Development and will need to be able to devise a commercial growth strategy which reflects best value for Origin, limits risks and uses our resources most effectively.

We are looking for a candidate who can demonstrate extensive experience in risk assessing and negotiating new sites for development, developer-led s106 schemes and has knowledge of setting up Joint Ventures. They will be comfortable providing a lead in this area, committed to providing affordable housing and able to be strategic and flexible in exploring options to secure new development opportunities.

This is key strategic position, and as a senior manager in Origin, you will be expected to fully support the Assistant Director of Development to help develop and manage the overall team to deliver a well-managed commercially driven business development service.

Good people are the future of our innovative, working community. We have placed a brand new and exciting ‘People’ strategy at the heart of our culture – to support training and personal development, to deliver our values, to move Origin forward.

We describe this new approach as NWOW: New Ways of Working. NWOW is about meeting business outcomes, you’ll enjoy greater autonomy over how you deliver your role, how you manage outputs and when you spend time at work, allowing you to benefit from any productivity gains in the course of delivering your role.

This shift in culture will be built on a mature and mutual relationship of trust between managers and yourselves, ensuring we live up to one of our key values of Build Trust. By working with this new relationship model we can aim toward focusing on ‘outputs’ and not ‘outcomes’. Space is allocated to ‘activities’ and not ‘individuals’ by providing a range of flexible working options that benefit both customers and staff. As a result your work can takes place at the most effective location and at the most effective time. Put simply, flexibility becomes the norm rather than the exception. This is the new Origin Housing way of working.

What you’ll do

This is a rewarding and exciting position – responsible for developing a clear strategy for land and development acquisitions  

At a glance you:

• Work with the Director of Development to produce a strategy for land and development acquisitions which meets the Origin Housing business plan outputs reflecting the prevailing property and funding market
• Identify and lead on competitions for sites and new development opportunities to meet annual development growth targets that are good quality, well designed homes, to meet local need/demand
• To ensure that bids for new development opportunities are competitive and generate the required commercial returns whilst fully accounting for the specific risk profile of the project. Exercise sound judgement by defining and managing project risks
• Direct your energy towards moving things forward by having a positive, can-do attitude

What you’ll need Take The Lead

• Ensure that bids for new development opportunities are competitive and generate the required commercial returns whilst fully accounting for the specific risk profile of the project. Exercise sound judgement by defining and managing project risks.
• Ensure that new projects are effectively risk managed and appraisal measures are implemented for all projects at key stages in accordance with procedures
• To be responsible for the generation of new business by ensuring an effective network of relationships with landowners and key stakeholders in local authorities, contractors and developers and the GLA/ HCA. Represent and promote Origin Housing as a trusted ambassador

Build Trust

• Co-operate fully with the Assistant Director of Development (Programme Delivery) to ensure that projects can be effectively handed over to the project delivery team in an auditable meeting defined financial performance. Support project managers assigned to pre-contract stages of new projects and remain accountability by supporting and assisting the wider team through the delivery and sale process

Be Generous

• Provide line management to any project managers allocated exclusively to new business activities or other staff allocated to the role. 
• Make significant contribution to the development and implementation of annual operating plans and take responsibility for the achievement of objectives and effective performance management
• Provide accurate and timely preparation of management reports, statistics and reports for various boards and stakeholder groups to obtain approvals for new projects and to monitor programme delivery

What you’ll need

• Knowledge of the tender/ bid management/ procurement systems
• Knowledge of public and private development funding
• Relevant housing, construction or building related professional qualification to degree level or equivalent plus evidence of Continuing Professional Development
• Detailed knowledge of due diligence to de-risk new site acquisitions
• Knowledge of the planning system and construction process including regulatory standards and permissions

Experience:

• Experience of developing affordable housing from site identification onwards
• Experience of developing commercial properties, including private sale or rent and commercial properties
• Experience of managing business development strategically
• Experience of leading on complex bids/ Joint Ventures
• Significant experience of effective staff management

Experience of external relationship building and partnership work

Tell us your story

We are looking forward to learning about you. Please help us get to know you by sending your latest CV and covering letter detailing how your experience meets the role above. To find out more about us simply visit www.originhousing.org.uk

Please note we will be asking for satisfactory references and DBS check. Successful applicants for interview will be contacted within seven days after the closing date.

Benefits for the right person

We reward our people for the work they do. We appreciate commitment, initiative and going the extra mile. At Origin, our comprehensive range of benefits care about the ‘whole’ person. As well as offering you great-to-have discounts, we look after your health and well-being too – personalising your benefits package to you. We offer:

• Access to a range of discounts on services, products and experiences. Not simply picked at random but personalised to you
• Tailor-made Healthcare plans and/or insurance plans – let us know your preference
• An Employee Assistance Programme that supports your well-being and is there to provide valuable help at all times
• A choice of rewards that you choose where to spend
• An Awards recognition scheme that champions individual achievement

See our new benefits portal where you can select the options that suit your lifestyle.

Closing date: 03/12/2021

Interview and assessment date: TBC3