Director of Cost Consultancy

Director, Cost Consultancy

Manchester or Leeds (hybrid) | £120k + car allowance + bonus

Most Director roles in cost consultancy give you a bigger patch. This one gives you a say in how the whole service is run.

Peaple Talent is working with an independent property and construction consultancy known for advising institutional investors on the buildings they buy, own and develop. Client demand for cost advice has grown to the point where the firm is appointing a Director to work alongside its national head of cost consultancy, leading and growing the service across all of its offices.

The client list reads like a who’s who of UK property investment: pension funds, insurance-backed investment managers, a sovereign wealth fund and one of the country’s largest build to rent landlords. The cost team sits alongside the firm’s building surveying, due diligence, project management and sustainability specialists, so your advice is part of a joined-up offer to clients who already trust the business.

What you’ll actually be doing

• Running cost consultancy work for investor and developer clients across logistics and industrial, offices, residential, build to rent and student accommodation. That covers cost plans, development appraisals, benchmarking, whole life costing and net zero cost studies, through to procurement, cost management, employer’s agent work, reinstatement valuations and capital allowances
• Acting as deputy to the national head of cost consultancy: co-owning the business plan, setting quarterly priorities and reporting on progress
• Leading business development across the offices: growing existing investor relationships, winning new ones and putting the team’s case studies and capabilities in front of the market
• Setting the standard for how the team works, from templates and quality control to new tools and ways of working, and building a community of practice across the firm
• Managing and developing the technical team, including the next generation of chartered surveyors

Why this one is different

• It’s a national leadership role, not a regional one
• You’ll have real influence over strategy, process and hiring in a service the business is actively investing in
• Your clients are among the most respected investors in the UK, and the wider firm already works with them
• The fee-linked bonus means what you win and deliver shows up in what you earn
• Independent ownership means decisions happen quickly and your contribution is visible

You’ll be

• An MRICS chartered quantity surveyor (FRICS welcome) at Director or Associate Director level
• A consultancy-side cost manager with experience advising investors, funds or developers. This is a client-side advisory role, so it won’t suit a contractor commercial background
• Someone with your own client relationships and a track record of winning and delivering fee-earning work
• A people leader who enjoys developing others and is comfortable owning targets

The package

Up to £120k plus car allowance and a fee-linked bonus. Hybrid working, private healthcare, life assurance, a contributory pension, 27 days’ holiday plus a charity day and a wellbeing day, a season ticket loan, a cycle scheme and sponsored professional development.