Senior Director - Head of Cost Management (UK & Ireland)

The Role

This is a senior leadership appointment with responsibility for leading and growing a UK & Ireland Cost Management business within a well-established Project & Development Services platform.

Reporting into the regional Head of Project & Development Services, the role carries full accountability for people, performance, and profitability. The successful candidate will lead an established team while expanding capability, market presence, and service offering across key sectors and locations throughout the UK & Ireland.

This is a highly visible position, acting as both figurehead and ambassador for the Cost Management function internally and externally.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

• Set and deliver the UK&I Cost Management business plan in collaboration with senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Provide clear leadership, direction, and advocacy for the Cost Management team across the wider organisation.
• Champion a collaborative, high-performance culture aligned with wider business objectives.

Financial Performance

• Full responsibility for the financial performance of the UK&I Cost Management business.
• Ownership of budgeting, profitability, productivity, billing, and cash collection.
• Contribute to the wider Project & Development Services financial targets and performance.

Growth & Market Expansion

• Develop and execute a clear growth strategy for Cost Management across UK&I.
• Work closely with sector, service line, and regional leaders to identify and secure new opportunities.
• Drive expansion into new sectors, geographies, and client relationships.

Project Delivery & Innovation

• Lead excellence in complex development projects, including:
• asset repositioning
• adaptive reuse
• deep retrofit and sustainability-led schemes
• Promote innovation, including the adoption of AI and emerging technologies to enhance service delivery.
• Embed best practice and thought leadership across the team.

People, Culture & Talent

• Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture with strong team identity and engagement.
• Oversee resourcing across all grades, ensuring efficient deployment and capability alignment.
• Identify skills gaps and work with recruitment partners to attract and retain top-tier talent.

Business Development & Profile

• Build and maintain senior client relationships while promoting the wider Project & Development Services offering.
• Support a collaborative, cross-business approach to maximise value and cross-selling opportunities.
• Lead key pursuits and priority bids, working with specialist bid teams where required.
• Own and manage pipeline data, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
• Represent the business at key industry events, conferences, and speaking engagements.
• Support the development of marketing and promotional materials to showcase capability and market leadership.

Candidate Profile

• Proven experience leading and scaling UK Cost Management teams within a consultancy or Development environment.
• Established reputation in the UK development market, ideally with strong London exposure.
• Demonstrable expertise in complex development schemes, including asset repositioning, adaptive reuse, and deep retrofit projects.
• Strong understanding of sustainability, net zero carbon strategies, and their commercial application.
• Track record of delivering and executing growth strategies.
• Highly commercial, with strong financial acumen and understanding of performance metrics.
• Confident senior operator with excellent client-facing and presentation skills.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Comfortable operating at board and executive level.

To apply, please send a copy of your CV to caroline@kingsleyrecruitment.co.uk.

For a confidential conversation about the role, please call Caroline Kingsley on 07768 381 831, or schedule a time via Calendly.