Job Summary
Summary- A Development Manager role, with day-to-day responsibility for our first build-to-rent development project under our Aviva JV.*
- Opportunity to join an established but small and fast-growing company, reporting directly into Development Director and Co-founders.
- Full time, hybrid working, based in London (but open to discussing alternative working arrangements).
* We would consider this being a Senior Development Manager role for the right candidate.
About Stories
Stories is a socially responsible property development company, and a certified B Corp. We partner as principal developer, development manager and strategic advisor on projects that have a higher purpose than just financial returns.
We are at an exciting point in our growth. We are underway on several complex and varied development projects including build to rent housing at Mill Hill Broadway, a long term re-development of Mansfield College in Oxford, a mixed-use regeneration of Frome town centre and a masterplan for a 600-home estate in Southwark. Through our £100m joint venture with Aviva Capital Partners we are under offer on two further BTR projects and have an ambition to secure a further 4-5 major projects over the next few years.
We are continuing to grow our development team to ensure we effectively deliver our existing projects and are set up to deliver future projects.
Coming from different property backgrounds, we set up Stories so we could use our development skills to create positive outcomes for people. We’re a small team of 7 – the three Co-founders, one Project Director, three Senior Development Managers, an Operations & Marketing Manager (and one dog) – and we have a rotating Advisory Board comprising some of our industry’s most experienced individuals.
What matters most to us is finding somebody that really cares about people, knows that property development can be a positive force for change and can bring a fresh perspective to what we are trying to achieve.
Job Overview
We are hiring for a Development Manager, who will take day to day responsibility for delivering Stories’ first build to rent development project with Aviva and Barnet Council. You will report in to our Development Director or one of the Co-founders, who will give you the support needed to allow you to take the lead role on the project.
You will need to be able to demonstrate you have experience of working on development projects of similar scale and complexity of Stories’ existing projects, across several RIBA stages. The project is due to achieve planning permission in Q1 2025, moving to construction stages in Q3 2025, therefore ideal candidates would have experience of both the construction and planning stages of a project, but we are open to candidates whose experience falls in only one of these areas.
We are not expecting you to have any particular qualifications, but we are looking for someone who has experience and competency of the development process, specifically:
- experience working on development projects and managing project teams through the feasibility, site assembly, planning, development or delivery stages
- a strong understanding of the fundamentals of property investment and development and of the planning and development process
- excellent project management skills, internally and externally
- competent in financial modelling of development appraisals with a solid understanding of the inputs / outputs in Excel
- a commercial approach, with a good handle on costs and values
- excellent communication and presentational skills
- the general day-to-day and strategic problem-solving skills needed for a successful development process
You will also need to bring an open mind to help us do projects differently, support the wider team and help us build this business. Perhaps through curiosity, sometimes through necessity, you will find yourself expanding your experience substantially.
Some attributes that we think are important:
- An engaging person – kind, thoughtful, hard-working, strong integrity and interested in the world.
- Problem solving aptitude – the ability to creatively problem solve in new situations, big or small.
- Strategic thinking – absorbing large amounts of information, working out what matters, and formulating (or helping to formulate) a plan to move things forward.
- Entrepreneurial spirit – this doesn’t just mean starting a business, there’s lots of ways to be entrepreneurial, taking an idea and running with it.
- Equally comfortable with big visions and detailed numbers – competence in both and a willingness to do it yourself.
- Good at communicating – experience of successfully conveying information to a diverse audience, both in writing and in person.
- A good collaborator – as well as working individually, possessing a good team work ethic is important internally and externally.
If you can see the opportunity to make positive change in people’s lives through property development, we want to hear from you.
Responsibilities
This will never be an exhaustive list. We are a small but growing business. Sometimes we are pitching to major landowning institutions, sometimes we’re having important funding meetings, sometimes we’re making the tea. To an extent, you will carve out your own particular role and help us to grow the company together. We hope you find this an exciting prospect.
Core Project responsibilities
In addition to leading your development project, you may also be required to provide support and advice to the wider development team.
Some of the things we expect of you in your role:
Project execution
- Responsible for preparing and then managing projects against a business plan and programme.
- Production of project development briefs, objectives, roles & responsibilities, programme and deliverables.
- Lead planning applications through the planning process (submission, consultation, S106 Agreement) to secure consent within budget and programme.
- Lead the main contractor procurement process and, working with lawyers, manage the appointment of main contractors and design team.
- Lead the management of the main contractor, working with the Development Director, to ensure the construction period progresses effectively, on budget and programme and continues to deliver against the objectives of Stories and the project stakeholders.
- Lead the negotiation of project related contracts to ensure compliance with development brief.
- Financial management of live projects, including maintaining clear and accurate Excel models, including cashflows.
- Produce and update project development appraisals in Excel.
- Model and test development scenarios.
Lead the team
- Appoint and manage project professional teams in a way which engenders a positive, trusting and engaged environment.
- Lead project teams through the feasibility, site assembly, planning, development, delivery and hand over process.
Stakeholder engagement
- Managing relationships and working collaboratively with our joint venture partners and other stakeholders.
- Leading the community engagement process with support of third-party consultants.
- Liaising with relevant parties in relation to negotiation of land and neighbourly matters.
- Produce project reporting updates throughout for various stakeholders.
Equality, Diversity and inclusion
In support of the ongoing success of Stories’ staff, the teams we work with, the industry we work within and the wider communities that we both develop and work with, Stories is committed and accountable for advancing equality, diversity and inclusion in all its forms.
Our ED&I policy can be read here: https://www.stories.partners/edi
Summary of the role
Type of Role: Full time, but open to discussing alternative proposals (especially if you are returning to the workplace, for example).
Salary: We are offering a basic full-time salary in the range of £TBC, based on level of experience and your ability to meet the needs of our current projects.
Share pool and discretionary bonus: Stories has put in place an incentive structure that ensures all team members have a stake in the success of the business. More detail will be provided to shortlisted applicants.
Pension: We will make the standard 3% employer contribution to your pension.
Annual Leave: 25 days per year (in addition to Bank Holidays).
Location: London is where we are based, but we currently have projects in London, Oxford and elsewhere regionally, and our pipeline includes projects anywhere within 1.5-2 hours of London or Bristol. The role will require you to be in London for a minimum of 3 days per week (sometimes more) and with ad hoc meetings in other locations as needed. But again, we’re happy to consider other setups.
Place of work: Stories’ office is presently in Farringdon, London and will remain in Central London for the foreseeable future. You will be based here, splitting your time between the office, working from home and out and about meeting people, as required.
Parental pay: 12 weeks full pay.
IT: Company phone and laptop
Termination: three months’ notice after probation period.
Friday My-day:
We all live the in the real world. Sometimes your projects will need you, sometimes other things do and we want to create the space to let that happen. Just as we expect people to muck in outside normal hours, we want to make sure it works fairly the other way. We trust you to manage your time effectively.
Friday is your day to structure as you wish, noting the expectation that you will make sufficient time available across the week to deliver against your responsibilities and targets. We therefore seek to avoid scheduling any meetings or the expectation of always being contactable on a Friday.
The aim of Friday My Day is to give you the space and quiet time to get on with work. Equally, if you would rather work outside of ‘normal’ hours, the day is yours to structure as you see fit so you could choose to go to a matinee, have a late morning swim, or spend some time with family.
Other benefits: We do not currently offer any other benefits (private health care etc.) but this is something we will be reviewing as we grow.
