Unit Manager – Land Business

Reporting to: The CEO

Department: Land Business

Location: Nairobi

Type of Employment: Permanent

Brief on Client

Our client is a cooperative investment and credit society that pursues joint investments for its members, through real estate investments, marketable securities and private equity. They seek to transform the economic and social wellbeing of investors through prudent, sustainable and responsible investment decisions anchored on three pillars: financial growth and sustainability, increased member mobilization and improved internal processes and strengthening institutional capacity.

They also focus on on-boarding more strategic partnerships to reach a wider market, bring down the cost of products, advance automation to boost efficiency, reliability and build a sustainable business that will guarantee returns and propel the society to be the investment partner of choice.

Role Summary

The Unit Manager - Land Acquisition role will oversee the strategic decision-making process of land acquisition. This will include research to determine which area to invest in while analyzing the risks involved. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that all land acquisition projects are completed on time and within budget. They should also ensure Value Added Services are delivered on time.

Responsibilities

● Identify potential investment opportunities for land acquisition and conduct thorough due diligence on each opportunity.

● Develop and implement a land acquisition strategy that aligns with the company’s goals and objectives.

● Negotiate land acquisition deals with property owners, developers, and other stakeholders.

● Conduct risk assessments on potential land acquisitions, including legal, financial, and environmental risks.

● Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that all land acquisition projects are completed on time and within budget.

● Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the real estate industry, including local authorities, landowners, and developers.

● Develop and manage a team of land acquisition professionals, providing guidance and support where necessary.

● Oversee the delivery of value-added services to our clients, such as zoning and planning services, to ensure that all projects meet the highest standards

● In conjunction with Procurement, Risk/Audit; Finance, review the Standard TORs and Draft Standard Contracts for Service Providers relating to the land business department.

Key performance areas:

1. Champion development and implementation of a comprehensive and innovative strategy for the Land Business Unit.

2. Deliver negotiated land unit returns as per the Board Risk Appetite guidelines and Investment Policy

3. Spearhead land projects onboarding process and activities.

4. Manage the land unit technical, business and sales team

5. Stakeholder management in land investments

6. Oversight and control of external contractor(s) and land unit vendor teams

Qualifications

● 3+ years of management experience, with an overall 7-10 years experience in land acquisition and reselling

● Must have experience in developing strategies of selling old stock

● Must have a strong understanding of the full cycle of land business: buying, subdividing and selling of land

● Must have strong Project Management skills

● A Degree in Land Economics, Real estate, Urban Planning, qualifications inland valuation will be an added advantage

● Understand Financials and be able to generate a business case for a given project

● Be able to work with other stakeholders such as land surveyors and valuers

● Must be a salesperson with a strong business acumen

● Must understand how the land registry system works

● Must be fully competent with the Microsoft suite of software

● Must have a strong understanding of dealing with high level stakeholders