The posting
The Director, Development is responsible for leading the planning, development, and delivery of retail assets from initial concept through to operational opening, ensuring the successful realization of strategic, commercial, financial, and customer experience objectives. The role provides leadership across all phases of the development lifecycle, driving stakeholder alignment, governance compliance, commercial performance, tenant readiness, and operational integration to deliver high-performing retail environments and maximize long-term asset value.
Key Responsibilities
Development Planning and Execution
- Direct the planning, implementation, and execution of retail developments from concept inception through operational opening, ensuring alignment with approved business plans, commercial objectives, and strategic priorities.
- Lead the development of delivery strategies, implementation plans, development schedules, and project roadmaps for retail assets to achieve approved time, cost, quality, and commercial outcomes.
- Provide strategic direction on development opportunities, asset positioning, retail concepts, and commercial requirements to support sustainable retail development outcomes.
- Ensure retail developments progress in accordance with approved governance requirements, development objectives, and investment parameters.
Development Lifecycle Management
- Lead end-to-end management of retail developments across all development phases including business planning, feasibility, concept development, design, procurement, construction, tenant fit-out, activation, handover, and opening.
- Monitor development performance against approved schedules, budgets, commercial objectives, and operational readiness milestones.
- Ensure effective transition between development phases and maintain continuity from initial concept through commencement of operations.
- Establish and maintain development controls, reporting frameworks, and delivery assurance processes across assigned retail assets.
Financial Management and Value Optimization
- Lead feasibility assessments, business cases, financial evaluations, and investment recommendations to support development decision-making and governance approvals.
- Identify opportunities to enhance commercial performance, optimize development scope, improve asset profitability, and maximize long-term asset value.
- Ensure development activities are delivered within approved financial parameters and capital expenditure budgets.
- Oversee financial performance reporting, forecasting, risk assessment, and commercial evaluations throughout the development lifecycle.
Development Governance and Assurance
- Lead Stage Gate submissions, development approvals, governance reviews, and executive decision-making processes for assigned retail developments.
- Ensure compliance with organizational policies, development procedures, governance frameworks, and regulatory requirements.
- Provide development recommendations and executive summaries to governance committees and senior leadership forums.
- Maintain effective risk management, issue escalation, and development assurance processes across all retail projects.
Retail Strategy and Asset Planning
- Lead the development of retail asset strategies, commercial positioning approaches, customer experience objectives, and development recommendations for new retail assets.
- Direct retail planning activities including tenant mix strategy, category planning, retail sizing, market positioning, and asset differentiation.
- Evaluate market demand, customer trends, competitor performance, retail categories, and commercial opportunities to inform development decisions.
- Ensure retail developments align with approved business plans, customer expectations, and long-term commercial objectives.
Consultant and Stakeholder Management
- Lead procurement, appointment, and management of retail planning, design, technical, commercial, and specialist consultants throughout the development lifecycle.
- Establish effective collaboration between internal business units, consultants, contractors, operators, and development partners.
- Manage stakeholder alignment across Development, Leasing, Tenancy Delivery, Delivery, Asset Management, Operations, Finance, Design, and Governance teams.
- Resolve development issues, interface challenges, and stakeholder conflicts to maintain delivery objectives and project momentum.
Leasing, Tenant Delivery and Operational Readiness
- Ensure retail developments are planned and delivered to support leasing objectives, tenant requirements, fit-out activities, and successful commercial activation.
- Lead coordination between Development, Leasing, Tenancy Delivery, Asset Management, and Operations teams to achieve opening readiness.
- Ensure tenant operational requirements, servicing provisions, circulation strategies, and customer experience objectives are incorporated into development outcomes.
- Oversee activation planning, tenant onboarding readiness, and operational commencement activities
Development Performance and Risk Management
- Establish performance metrics and reporting frameworks to monitor development progress, commercial performance, and delivery outcomes.
- Lead identification, assessment, mitigation, and resolution of development risks and implementation challenges.
- Drive corrective actions and recovery strategies where required to maintain approved development objectives.
- Provide regular reporting to senior leadership on development status, risks, budget performance, programme compliance, and key decisions.
Requirements
- Required: Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development, Property Development, Urban Planning, Architecture, Construction Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Preferred: Master’s degree in Real Estate Development, Property Development, Retail Development, Urban Development, Business Administration (MBA), or a related field.
- A minimum of 10-12 years of experience in retail development, mixed-use development, commercial real estate development, destination development, or integrated development environments, with relevant exposure in development management or development coordination roles, including relevant years in a managerial role.
- Professional certifications or memberships with recognized real estate, retail, development, construction, or project management institutes (e.g., RICS, ULI, PMI, CIOB, ICSC) are preferred.
