Advert Close date: 24th April 2026

Senior Development Manager – West End Development at The Crown Estate

Purpose of role

As Senior Development Manager, you will lead the delivery of The Crown Estate’s market‑leading development projects in the West End, with day‑to‑day responsibility across the full development lifecycle. Working in close partnership with a Project/Development or Delivery Director, you will shape and deliver complex mixed‑use schemes from early strategy and planning through to delivery and handover.

You will be accountable for translating vision into reality, balancing commercial performance with The Crown Estate’s commitments to sustainability leadership, innovation, partnership and long‑term stewardship to deliver strong financial, social and environmental outcomes.

Context of opportunity / Main accountabilities

This role sits at the heart of The Crown Estate’s West End development activity, leading multidisciplinary teams and managing complexity across high‑profile, strategically important projects.

Key accountabilities include:

• Leading major mixed‑use development projects through promotion, planning, design, delivery and handover, working closely with a Project/Development or Delivery Director

• Setting planning strategies and leading the preparation and submission of planning applications across multiple schemes

• Championing the development vision, strategic brief and holistic value creation case for major projects and programmes

• Assembling and leading internal and external professional teams across all stages of the development lifecycle

• Owning project viability, appraisals, budgets and business cases, supporting investment, gateway and Board‑level approvals

• Embedding sustainability leadership, innovation and net‑zero ambitions into masterplanning and delivery strategies

• Leading stakeholder and community engagement strategies, applying a place‑based approach in key West End locations

• Acting as client duty holder for health and safety, ensuring adoption of TCE’s Safety First strategy

• Managing project governance, risk registers, reporting, budgets, valuations and quarterly business reviews

• Leading and developing Development and Assistant Development Managers, fostering a collaborative, learning‑led team culture

• Building strong external networks across public and private stakeholders, delivery partners and market influencers

Most important skills‑based requirements

• Strong background in real estate development management, with experience delivering major mixed‑use or urban regeneration, ideally in a heritage setting

• Experience in managing team members

• Proven track record of delivering complex developments safely, to budget and programme, ideally within the Central London market

• Experience of leasing activity on development projects, including pre‑lets and negotiating Agreements for Lease

• High commercial and analytical capability, with strong financial, appraisal and viability skills

• Confidence leading multidisciplinary teams and solving complex design, delivery and stakeholder challenges

• Strong understanding of planning policy and regulatory frameworks impacting major developments

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders, local authorities and external partners

• Experience leading procurement and supply‑chain processes for large UK development or construction projects

• Demonstrable commitment to sustainability leadership, innovation and adoption of best‑in‑class frameworks and approaches

Our Offering / benefits:

As well as a competitive salary, pension and performance related bonus offering, we have a wealth of benefits available ranging from flexible working; market leading family policies and shopping discounts in the West End, to private healthcare; life and critical illness cover and 28 days holiday with the option to buy more. We value work life balance and your wellbeing highly, enabling you to be your best self to work.

Disability Disclaimer:

We are a proud disability confident employer and operate the offer of interview scheme Disability Confident employer scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

We are happy to offer alternative application methods or formats and can be flexible on our process to enable you to have the best opportunity.

If you have any questions about our recruitment process or would like to talk about adjustments, please contact us directly, or at careers@thecrownestate.co.uk

Please note that if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close this advert early. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.