Pre-Development Design Manager

As part of its continued growth and exciting development pipeline, an ambitious and growing housebuilder is looking to appoint an experienced Pre-Development Design Manager to join its Pontefract office.

This is an excellent opportunity for a driven professional with a strong background in residential development, planning, architectural design and engineering to play a key role in shaping and progressing a diverse portfolio of residential schemes within a growing business.

About the Role

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing multiple residential development sites through the pre-development and pre-construction phases, ensuring each project progresses efficiently and effectively, with a clear strategy, coordinated design, robust programme and strong understanding of planning, technical and commercial requirements.

Working closely with the Land, Commercial and wider Development teams, the role will play a pivotal part in assessing site potential, coordinating design development, managing external consultants and identifying risks and opportunities to maximise the value and deliverability of each site.

The ideal candidate will be proactive, detail-oriented and commercially aware, with excellent project management skills and the ability to manage several projects concurrently while maintaining clear oversight of priorities, deadlines and deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

• Pre-Development & Design Management: Oversee the design development process, coordinating architects, engineers and technical consultants to deliver practical, compliant, cost-effective and buildable proposals aligned with the development strategy.
• Planning & Development Strategy: Manage the planning process, assess site opportunities and constraints, coordinate planning consultants and monitor applications, conditions, risks and key milestones to support successful planning outcomes.
• Pre-Construction Programming & Delivery: Develop and maintain detailed project programmes, trackers and risk registers, managing key milestones, critical paths and dependencies to ensure sites progress towards construction readiness.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with the Land, Commercial and Construction teams, alongside external consultants and stakeholders, to coordinate project activities and balance design quality, planning requirements, commercial objectives and deliverability.
• Project & Risk Management: Take ownership of progress across multiple sites, proactively identify and resolve risks, manage competing priorities, drive consultant accountability and provide clear, regular progress and risk reporting to senior management.

Requirements

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Residential Development & Planning Experience: Proven experience within residential housing development or housebuilding, with a strong understanding of the planning process, planning applications, policy and site constraints.
• Technical Design Knowledge: Good working knowledge of architectural design and engineering disciplines, with the ability to review, coordinate and challenge technical information.
• Project & Programme Management: Demonstrable experience managing multiple development sites, producing and monitoring detailed pre-construction programmes, managing critical paths and delivering key milestones.
• Commercial & Stakeholder Management: Strong commercial awareness, including development viability, cost planning and value engineering, alongside the ability to coordinate internal teams and external consultants effectively.
• Personal & Organisational Skills: Highly organised, proactive and self-motivated, with strong attention to detail, communication and problem-solving skills, and the ability to prioritise workloads, take ownership and drive projects forward in a fast-paced environment.

Personal Attributes

• Highly organised, methodical and detail-oriented, with strong planning and prioritisation skills.
• Proactive, self-motivated and solutions-focused, with the ability to work independently and take ownership of multiple projects.
• Commercially minded, with a practical approach to design, development and problem-solving.
• Confident communicator, capable of coordinating consultants, managing stakeholders and driving accountability.
• Results-driven and adaptable, able to maintain momentum, manage competing demands and deliver efficiently in a fast-paced development environment.

How to Apply

If you would like to hear more about this Pre-Development Design Manager opportunity, please apply with an up-to-date copy of your CV or contact Liam in our Sheffield office at (url removed).