Development Director - Hotels & Living Sectors - Europe

European Development Director – Hotels & Living Sectors

Location: London | Pan-European focus

We are representing one of the world’s leading real estate investment platforms in the appointment of a European Development Director – Hotels & Living Sectors.

• Based in London with a pan-European remit, this is a senior appointment providing development leadership across a significant portfolio of hotel and living-sector investments - it is dynamic and varied portfolio encompassing BTR, PBSA, Housing and Senior Living.
• Working closely with the European investment team and senior management teams across a number of portfolio businesses, the successful candidate will provide strategic development oversight across existing assets, new acquisitions and major capital projects.
• This is a highly commercial development role sitting at the intersection of investment, development and asset management. But first and foremost, the client is seeking a candidate with established Development expertise - an individual who can utilise their technical development skills to compliment the wider team.
• In return you will have unparalleled exposure to a diverse European portfolio and the opportunity to influence complex, high-value projects from underwriting and acquisition through planning, construction and delivery.

The Role:

The European Development Director will take responsibility for assessing, managing and mitigating development risk across the portfolio, providing senior-level oversight and challenge to portfolio companies, development partners and external project teams.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and implementing strategies for newly acquired assets and identifying emerging development risks.
• Providing senior oversight of complex development and refurbishment programmes across the hotel and living sectors.
• Working closely with portfolio-company management teams, development directors, project managers and owners’ representatives.
• Assessing development risk associated with new acquisitions, existing investments and major capital projects.
• Reviewing development assumptions during underwriting, including costs, contingencies, programmes, phasing, planning strategy and delivery milestones.
• Leading and overseeing development-related due diligence on potential acquisitions and investment opportunities.
• Evaluating alternative development scenarios and their impact on investment returns.
• Supporting wider investment activity including acquisitions, financing, forecasting and strategic business planning.
• Providing senior stakeholders with clear recommendations on project strategy, risk and allocation of resources.
• Travelling across Europe as required to review projects, resolve development challenges and support delivery.

The Candidate:

We are looking for an established development professional with approximately 10+ years’ relevant experience gained within development management, construction management, real estate investment or a closely related environment.

Candidates should bring:

• A strong track record delivering or overseeing large-scale and complex real estate development projects.
• Experience within (one of or more) hotels, residential, student accommodation or other living sectors.
• Exposure to projects across the UK and Continental Europe.
• Fluency in a second language, such as Italian, Spanish or German - could also be advantageous.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to assess development opportunities from an investor’s perspective.
• Experience interrogating development appraisals, costs, programmes and investment assumptions.
• Analytical capabilities, with well-versed understanding of real estate financial modelling and valuation.
• The credibility to work effectively with investment professionals, portfolio-company leadership teams, development partners and senior external advisers.

This is an opportunity to join one of the world's leading real estate investment platforms in a senior European role with significant exposure to both investment decision-making and the delivery of complex hotel and living-sector projects.

All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence.