This position of Associate or Associate Director Economics/Planning is to play a leading role in the Economics team marketing and securing work and directing, managing and working on projects. This post is focused on work in Wales and South West England, but also covering the rest of the UK. You can be based in either our Cardiff or Bristol offices.

Team Overview

Savills culture is one of trust and respect, teamwork and collaboration. Our teams and our clients benefit when we work together, listening to and learning from each other. Above all, we value the motivation of our people. This is evidenced by our wellbeing offer, our capability to facilitate flexible working and our support to enjoy a healthy work life balance.

The Savills Economics team has established a reputation as one of the leading players in the UK covering property and economic analysis and research. We are working on projects including: Levelling Up Fund bids across the UK; industrial market analysis for clients including Tritax Symmetry, St Modwens and Peel Holdings ; land value uplift and capture analysis for Transport for London; Manchester High Speed 2 stations development frameworks for Manchester City Council; Ellesmere Port low carbon and development strategy; electric vehicle charging market research for an institutional investor; and economic benefits assessments, social infrastructure analysis and negotiations, and infrastructure funding bids for a range of developers and land owners.

The remit of the Economics team is to lead on work in the field of property, planning and economics, covering:

• Preparing and influencing economic, planning, property, regeneration, and infrastructure development strategy, policy and research at national, sub-regional and local levels.
• Establishing the economic, financial and business cases for projects and programmes, including major proposals and estate/property initiatives.
• Carrying out social and economic impact assessments, for example as part of the formal environmental impact assessment (EIA) process.
• Developing new business opportunities in the field of economic consultancy as opportunities arise.

The team draws upon and works with other teams in Savills, for example its remit includes working with the Savills Research team to jointly develop areas of research that will raise the profile of the company.

Key Responsibilities of the Role

The role of the associate/associate director is to:

• Support the head of department and directors in building up the Economics team, particularly but not exclusively in Wales.
• Work with the head of department and directors in preparing and updating the team’s business plan
• Support directors on marketing and bids to secure work
• Manage larger projects
• Direct small/medium size projects, leading on to directing larger projects with successful performance
• Working with the head of department and directors to ensure the profitable performance of the team in line with agreed targets
• Develop new business opportunities in the field of economic consultancy (specific areas to be agreed, and ideas from candidates are welcome)
• Manage other staff as appropriate with successful growth of the team.

Key Activities:

• Business planning and setting of strategy
• Support Marketing
• Draw up, present and negotiate competitive proposals
• Liaise and cultivate good relationships with clients and fellow professionals
• Builds relationships with other divisions with a view to create joint business development opportunities
• Take responsibility for projects from the earliest stages through to completion
• Undertake research and analysis
• Develop creative and original solutions to satisfy all parties
• Write complex reports, interpret data and make clear and relevant recommendations
• Prepare/make presentations at meetings
• Communicate and negotiate effectively with clients and colleagues
• Effective financial management of projects to ensure profitable delivery
• Team building
• Management of junior staff (with successful growth of the team)
• Maintain an awareness of market conditions and the impact of government policies
• Keep informed about documents relating to relevant policy and practice
• Attends external events to create local contacts and identify business opportunities.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Excellent written and communication skills
• Numerical and analytic skills, preferably including modelling expertise (usual in excel) and the ability to carry out property appraisals
• Expertise in successfully managing projects and teams to budget and programme (essential).
• Consultancy experience (strongly desirable)
• Detail conscious, accurate
• Thrives under pressure, can work to tight deadlines
• Team player
• Strives to deliver an exceptional level of service to clients at all times
• A good knowledge of micro-economics principles and concepts, feasibility studies and business plans, and ability to effectively apply this knowledge to the team’s areas of work
• A good knowledge of the UK planning system and how to prepare property development frameworks and strategies
• A degree in economics, town planning, geography, property surveying, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience
• An MSc/MBA/equivalent qualification in a relevant field (desirable), or overall equivalent experience
• Membership of an appropriate professional institution such as the RTPI and/or RICS (desirable).