Construction Director (Head of House Building)
Location – Various – HQ Gloucestershire with London office (various locations to include the Midlands, South and East England)
Salary - £100-140k plus performance bonus & benefits package including company car, pension
Application Deadline – Wed 30th April 2025
Job Summary - Construction Director (Head of Housebuilding)Privately owned Buckley Trading Limited is creating a new house building division to further diversify investment exposure across sectors. Six initial sites with the majority being single family residential and within two hours drive from each other have been secured for full development and onward sale.
Role Profile
The Construction Director (Head of Housebuilding) will initially oversee the development of multiple residential housing sites (each approximately 60–100 single-family homes) across southern to mid England, with future projects to be determined but potentially covering other parts of the UK. This senior role involves full leadership of construction operations across all sites, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. The Construction Director will report to the parent company on project progress and financial performance, and will play a key role in meeting the company’s operational and profitability targets. Strong communication skills and attention to detail are essential in this role, as is the ability to effectively manage teams and multiple projects simultaneously.
Key Responsibilities
* Project Oversight: Oversee multiple housing developments from start to finish, ensuring each site meets its construction timelines, budget constraints, and quality standards.
* Team Leadership: Hire site managers and engage contractors and sub-contractors as required across the sites. Lead, and manage the full construction team for each site, providing direction, support, and performance management.
* Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all building activities comply with UK building regulations, planning permissions, and health & safety laws. Maintain strict adherence to NHBC standards and other relevant building codes on all sites.
* Quality & Safety: Implement and enforce high standards of workmanship and site safety. Conduct regular site visits and audits to verify quality control and health & safety compliance.
* Stakeholder Communication: Provide clear and regular reports to the board and parent company on project status, risks, and financial performance. Communicate effectively with planning authorities, inspectors, and other external stakeholders as needed.
* Financial & Target Management: Take accountability for meeting financial and operational targets of the developments. Monitor project budgets and expenditures, and drive cost-efficient practices to ensure profitability without compromising quality.
* Sales Delivery: Help advise and oversee, using necessary support of sales agents and in-house staff, successful and profitable sale of all homes developed.
* Travel Between Sites: Frequently travel to all site locations spending substantial time on each site to personally oversee and manage progress and address issues on the ground. Ensure a regular presence at each development to lead the team and troubleshoot challenges in real time.
Skills & Experience
* Education & Credentials: Ideally, a higher national qualification in construction management, civil engineering, or a related field. Professional certifications or chartered status (e.g., MCIOB – Member of the Chartered Institute of Building) are advantageous.
* Extensive Housebuilding Experience: 15–20 years of experience in UK residential construction (volume housebuilding), with progressive responsibility. A strong track record in delivering multi-unit housing developments is required.
* Multiple Site Management: Proven experience running several large sites (50+ units) simultaneously.
* Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of UK building regulations, planning processes, and health & safety requirements. Familiarity with NHBC standards and construction best practices in the housebuilding sector.
* Leadership Skills: Exceptional leadership and people-management abilities. Able to inspire and direct large teams across multiple locations. Strong decision-making skills with a proactive and hands-on leadership approach.
* Communication: Excellent communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills. Capable of effectively reporting at board level and liaising with the in-house property investment team, planners, inspectors, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Able to convey complex information clearly and build consensus.
* Attention to Detail: Highly organized with a keen eye for detail, ensuring all aspects of construction (from paperwork to finishes) are thoroughly checked and meet the required standards.
* Travel Capability: Valid clean UK driver’s licence and willingness to travel regularly to each site. Ability to manage time effectively to cover multiple projects and stay accessible to on-site teams.
* Project Delivery: Demonstrated success in delivering housing projects from ground-breaking through to completion and handover. Experience in driving projects to finish on schedule and within budget, while maintaining build quality.
* Profit & Performance: Experience delivering profitable housebuilding projects – understanding how to manage costs, negotiate with subcontractors, and maximize efficiency to meet or exceed financial targets.
* Regulatory and Local Experience: Familiarity working with local councils, planning authorities, and building control inspectors. Experience navigating the regulatory environment for housing developments in the UK is essential.