Current Vacancies
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Associate Director/Director (Property & Development)
PRD is a place-based consultancy helping people, businesses and communities realise their potential. We work across economic strategy, social value, investment, regeneration and development, turning evidence into action that makes places better.
We understand traditional ways of delivering things, but we challenge those traditions to find innovative, integrated pathways to solve the challenges our towns and communities face.
We are seeking experienced leaders who have a desire to further their property careers in a dynamic multi-disciplinary environment and to consider property and the built environment differently.
The opportunity
We are looking for an Associate Director, Senior Associate Director, or Director to play a lead role in developing our property, investment, and delivery offer.
We want to hear from passionate, well-networked candidates seeking to develop the next stage of their career in a creative and fast-moving environment which values fresh perspectives on how property development, assets and land work for clients, partners and communities.
Property is a fundamental pillar of what we do at PRD. Our property work involves:
- bringing an appreciation of development to our ideas for projects and places
- identifying strategic investment opportunities
- reshaping the role of the public sector in property and building local capacity
- optimising limited resources
- making applications for funding to support projects
- consideration of the role of assets and property within masterplans and other place-oriented initiatives
- championing asset re-use and re-purposing
- creative approaches to portfolio investment and management
- thinking differently about the role that property can play in places considering net zero and sustainability challenges
- identifying opportunities for value creation and designing inward investment strategies
- building property strategies informed by evidence and data
- considering practical and realisable steps for onward delivery
Salary & benefits
- We operate hybrid working arrangements. We are based in London but service projects throughout the UK and Ireland. Regular in-person attendance in London is essential (3 days per week, including Wednesdays) but our employees need not be London-based
- Base salary from £54,000 (Associate Director) upwards, depending on experience and level of appointment (Associate Director to Director)
- Employer pension contribution of 5% gross salary
- Profit-linked bonus based on personal and company performance
- 25 days holiday (in addition to public holidays)
- Health plan benefits
- Annual overnight company away day
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- Paid sabbatical after long service
- Cycle to work scheme
- Company Tate membership
- Structured career progression plan and budget for training and professional development
- Ringfenced CSR time
About you
You are an exceptional property and development professional who is either ready to step up or is already undertaking a senior leadership role in a consultancy or industry-adjacent role. You will lead PRD’s property offer, shaping how we deploy development expertise across public, private and civil society clients and acting as a senior voice in complex, multi-disciplinary projects.
You will take ownership of projects, work-winning and client relationships, bringing the commercial and technical rigour needed to deliver high-quality development and strategy work. You will direct research and analysis, guide multi-disciplinary teams, and be accountable for the quality of PRD’s outputs. You will bring structure and diligence without losing sight of the bigger picture.
You will actively grow PRD’s pipeline, bringing an established network of contacts and collaborators and the confidence to generate opportunities, lead bids and build new client relationships. Business development as a core and natural part of your professional life, not a separate task.
You will play a significant role in developing our junior team, fostering a high-performance culture and helping PRD continue to attract and retain excellent people. You lead in a way that raises colleagues, clients, and yourself, being generous with your knowledge and remaining open to new ideas and being challenged.
You are genuinely curious about how PRD approaches its work and energised by the prospect of operating in a consultancy that breaks with convention and is committed to doing things in a better way for places and people.
Essential attributes
- 8 to 10 years of relevant experience in property development, regeneration or development economics from the consultancy or client side, with the seniority to be appointed at Associate Director to Director level
- A professional qualification from RICS, RTPI or equivalent and ongoing commitment to professional development
- An established network spanning public sector clients, developers, investors or Combined Authorities that PRD could actively benefit from
- Experience leading client relationships at a senior level, with the gravitas and judgement to provide credible, high-value advice
- A genuine passion for regeneration, cities and the built environment, and an appetite for thinking critically about how property can work harder for places and communities
- Comfortable operating in conditions of complexity and uncertainty and driven to find solutions to complex problems
- A confident communicator with strong personal presence, able to engage credibly with senior clients, partners, public officials and communities
- Strong technical diligence with a deep understanding of development economics, funding structures, land and property markets, and the realities of delivering complex projects
- Strong analytical skills, including constructing and interrogating development appraisals, interpreting property market evidence and developing robust investment cases
- Excellent written skills and able to produce content that is clear, persuasive and fit for senior audiences
Desirable attributes
- Experience securing public sector funding – including Homes England, MHCLG or combined authority programmes – and an understanding of how funding strategies shape development viability
- Proficiency in development appraisal in Excel or Argus
- Familiarity with Green Book business case methodology
Behaviours & competencies
Leadership: bringing confidence to support colleagues to grow their skills and experience, to support clients to make decisions in a fast-changing and uncertain economy, and to develop new business opportunities and relationships
Organisation: ability to lead different projects and activities, delegate and direct tasks, and effectively balance fee-earning and non-fee-earning work
Collaboration: ability to thrive in small teams where you can lead, empower, and develop teammates; ability to work with external partners to develop and steer projects
Interpersonal skills: ability to communicate complex ideas and information in person and in writing, develop strong relationships with senior-level clients and partners, and develop clear and persuasive arguments for particular approaches
Analytical thinking: ability to draw insights and stories from evidence and to link your analysis to client needs and opportunities
Problem solving: taking the initiative to overcome challenges and develop new ideas to move projects and ideas forward
Delivering a variety of quality work at pace: ensuring consistently high quality in the outputs you are directing in line with PRD brand and tone of voice guidelines
About PRD
PRD is an award-winning, B Corp certified regeneration consultancy. Founded over 13 years ago, we work at the intersection of infrastructure, development, economics and place, helping partners move from evidence to action and strategy to delivery.
We are independent, delivery-focused and genuinely different in how we approach our work. We don’t just produce reports – we build strategies based on robust evidence and we stay in the room until things happen. That means building client capacity and identifying the funding and governance structures that make ambitious projects viable and deliverable.
Our work coalesces around three main pillars which create better places and lasting impact:
Tackling the housing crisis: unlocking land, funding and delivery models to get homes built where they’re needed most.
Enabling growth and prosperity: building the economic and infrastructure cases that attract investment and create lasting opportunity for places and their communities.
Unlocking impact and social value: ensuring development works for the communities it touches, not just around them.
We are a values-driven company
Our work is always…
- Useful & useable
- Positively disruptive
Our work supports…
- Fairness in places & communities
- A just transition to net zero
We do this by being…
- Collaborative
- Agile
- Generous with our knowledge
Hallmarks of our approach
We…
- are creative in the way we approach our work and relationships
- use our multi-disciplinary expertise to drive innovation and better outcomes
- support our clients to help them mobilise the strategies we develop together
- are values driven in the work we chose to do, how we do it and how we treat each other are committed to creating a positive work environment where everyone is supported to reach their full potential (including opportunities for training and personal development)
- are proud of our record of delivering projects that have enabled local people to shape the places they live, work and study and have created more inclusive and prosperous places
- listen to communities and respond to their ideas, aspirations, and concerns
- are committed to considering people and planet in everything we do
- stay at the cutting edge, keeping plenty of exciting projects and opportunities underway and on the horizon
- come from broad range of technical backgrounds, bringing different perspectives to our work and opportunities for team knowledge sharing
Example projects
Please see the PDF version of the job spec for project examples.
Application process
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, faith or disability. If you have particular accessibility needs, please get in touch and let us know any requirements you may have. We are more than happy to make reasonable adjustments.
You must have the right to work in the UK without requiring employer sponsorship.
If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please contact Martin Woodhouse (martin.woodhouse@prdemail.co.uk).
Direct applications only please, no recruiters.
Part 1
Send the following items to careers@prdemail.co.uk with PROPERTY in the subject line by 9 am on 22 July 2026. You do not need to supply a cover letter.
1. CV (max two pages)
2. Confirmation of your right to work in the UK
3. Responses to the following questions:
- Tell us about two commissions or projects where you played a senior leadership role. For each, tell us what you were responsible for, what made it complex or challenging, and what you personally delivered. We want to understand your depth of experience, your commercial judgement and what distinguishes your approach. (max 250 words per example)
- PRD operates differently from most consultancies. Tell us what, in your view, is most broken about how the property and development sector currently operates in places, and how you would approach it differently. We want to see your strategic thinking, your values and your appetite for doing things in a better way. (max 400 words)
Part 2
Complete the Equalities Monitoring Form. This form is separated from the rest of your job application upon receipt and will not be considered as part of the shortlisting or appointment process. Your application will not be considered complete unless this form has been submitted. If you do not wish to provide some of this information, there is an option within the form to select ‘Prefer not to say’.
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Consultant
PRD is a dynamic and progressive consultancy that helps local authorities, regional authorities, private sector businesses, and communities realise their potential. We work across economic strategy, social value, investment, regeneration and development, turning evidence into action that makes places better.
We are a small team that has a big impact. In the last year, we have developed economic strategies and delivery plans for towns, cities, and local authorities across the UK, analysed shifting trends in London’s high streets since 2017, and helped councils prepare for local government reorganisation. We find innovative ways to solve the challenges our towns and communities face.
Good data and evidence is core to our approach. It helps us understand the challenges and opportunities in the places we work and underpins the strategies and advice we provide for clients.
We are looking for a Consultant with strong data analysis skills. The successful candidate will deliver high-quality research and analysis for our clients using graphs, maps, and written reports.
About you
You have a demonstrable interest in cities and communities, with some experience of working in planning, regeneration, property, housing, or the built environment. You’re a thoughtful and thorough researcher who is eager to explore how places function and change. You’re able to communicate your findings clearly to colleagues, clients, and project partners.
You’re confident with numbers and quantitative analysis, but keen to develop further skills in these areas. You actively seek opportunities to learn more about your field/interests, such as through attending events, networking, reading, or taking courses. You might not have managed projects in a ‘professional’ setting yet, but you have the foundational skills to get there, including being organised and a good communicator.
You’re able to handle multiple projects concurrently and you keep colleagues up to date on progress towards your tasks or any challenges you’re facing.
You’ll like this job if…
- You’re interested in learning about different places and communities across the UK (and occasionally Ireland)
- You want to work on projects that can have a positive impact on people and places
- You want exposure to a range of projects, from economic strategies to masterplan delivery programmes to commercial property market reviews
- You’re driven to experiment with and explore data
- You appreciate working in small teams with big ideas
- You like sharing what you learn with others
About the role
You will play an integral role supporting PRD’s social and economic research and strategy projects for public sector clients.
Tasks include:
- Creating effective maps and charts with clear explanations of data and its implications
- Presenting information to colleagues and clients in person and online
- Working with colleagues to turn evidence into practical recommendations, strategies, and actions for our clients
- Assisting with engagement activities (e.g. speaking with council officers, developers, local businesses)
- Building project management skills by taking responsibility for specific tasks or outputs within large-scale projects
- Researching industry news and policy changes that affect our company
You will work closely and effectively with PRD colleagues, with opportunities to share your knowledge and ideas with the team. You will also often work with external collaborators, who we partner with to bring a wide set of skills to projects.
Essential skills & attributes
- Around one year of professional experience in quantitative data analysis, including finding, cleaning, critically analysing, and presenting insights from data, ideally in a built environment context
- Experience using data sources and repositories relating to UK geographies, economics, demographics, property, etc (e.g. ONS, Geographic Data Service, CoStar, Realyse, London Datastore)
- Experience or demonstrably strong interest in regeneration, cities and the built environment and generally exploring new ways of working in these areas
- Ability to find connections and insights within data and to communicate these clearly to non-technical audiences
- Excellent writing skills
- Inquisitive, methodical and attentive to detail
Desirable skills & attributes
- Experience with spatial analysis, preferably QGIS
- Experience developing socioeconomic baselines
- Experience of stakeholder engagement
- Excellent data visualisation skills
- Knowledge of R or Python (but note this is NOT a data science role)
Behaviours & competencies
Time management: You manage your workload effectively and efficiently. You identify and communicate potential pinch-points and problems.
Organisation: You can alternate between different projects and activities while retaining diligence and quality.
Collaborative approach: You like being part of small teams where you can work with teammates with a broad range of skills and perspectives.
Interpersonal skills: You can hold engaging discussions with colleagues, partners, and clients, and you can explain complex topics in a clear, engaging way.
Analytical thinking: You take a logical approach to challenges and can identify key insights from data.
Problem solving: You take initiative to overcome challenges and develop new ideas to move projects and ideas forward.
Salary & benefits
- We operate hybrid working arrangements, whereby employees are in the office 3 days per week (including Wednesdays)
- Starting salary from £31,500
- Employer pension contribution of 5% gross salary
- Discretionary bonus based on personal and company performance
- 25 days holiday (in addition to public holidays)
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- Paid sabbatical after long service
- Cycle to work scheme
- Tate membership
- Structured career progression plan and budget for training/professional development
- Ringfenced volunteering time
About PRD
Based just off Union Street in Southwark, London we are a focused team (about 15 of us) of subject area specialists who combine our skills around our shared passion for designing strategies to deliver more inclusive economies, impactful investment, and considered development.
Our core work areas include:
- Evidence to inform action: In an increasingly complex world, decision-makers need clarity. We combine quantitative and qualitative social and economic evidence to help our clients make better-informed decisions. Our outputs illuminate lived experiences, economic challenges and opportunities, community strengths, and paths towards more inclusive, resilient economies.
- Progressive strategy design: We design visions, strategies, and plans to grow economies which are greener, fairer and more prosperous. Our advice is evidence-led, purpose-driven, and helps our clients to achieve better outcomes for their places and communities.
- Pathways to delivery: We support clients in making informed investment and development decisions that drive growth and create better places.
The team has experience supporting some of the most interesting and challenging areas of the UK to develop holistic, progressive and transformative place and asset strategies.
Evidence to inform action
- Social and economic research into places, economies and communities
- Social value and economic impact assessment
- Built environment/high street project and programme evaluations
- Stakeholder engagement (businesses, developers, landowners, and occasionally residents or community groups)
Example projects
- Waltham Forest Affordable Housing Commission
- Peterborough development atlas
- Sheffield and South Yorkshire tram extensions
Progressive strategy design
- Inclusive economy & and purpose-driven local growth strategies
- Workspace and community asset strategy
- Meanwhile activation strategies: culture, community, workspace
- Social impact strategies
- Site feasibility studies and area masterplanning
- Business cases and funding for investment
Example projects
- Norwich & East Norwich economic visions
- Gravesham regeneration vision
- Lewisham Economic Strategy & Action Plan
Pathways to delivery
- Viability optimisation for assets, developments and infrastructure
- Delivery strategy and routes to market for assets, developments and infrastructure
- Delivery structures, ventures, governance
- Partnership development
- Community power structures
- Corporate planning & service re-design
Example projects
Application process
Part 1
Send the following items to careers@prdemail.co.uk with CONSULTANT in the subject line by 9 am on Monday 3 August 2026.
1. Your CV. You do not need to supply a cover letter.
2. Your answers to the questions below.
- Tell us about a project in which you used quantitative evidence. What questions were you trying to answer or what problems were you trying to solve? What data did you use and how did you analyse it? How did you communicate the results? (max 300 words)
- Tell us about a built environment or regeneration issue you find interesting. What is the issue, why does it matter, and what would you do about it if you were advising a local authority or developer? (max 300 words)
3. Confirmation that you have the right to work in the UK without requiring employer sponsorship.
Part 2
Complete the Equalities Monitoring Form. This form will be separated from the rest of your job application upon receipt and will not be considered as part of the shortlisting or appointment process – the Equalities Monitoring Form is handled securely by a different team member to those who review your CV and question replies.
Your application will not be considered complete unless this form has been submitted. If you do not wish to provide some/any of this information, there is an option within the form to select ‘Prefer not to say’.
Notes
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, faith or disability. If you have accessibility needs, please get in touch and let us know any requirements you may have. We are more than happy to make reasonable adjustments.
If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please contact Amanda Robinson, amanda.robinson@prdemail.co.uk.
Direct applications only please, no recruiters.