Deputy Director, Place Division

The Welsh Government operates name-free recruitment. The recruiting panel will not see personal information such as a candidate's name and address during the sifting process. This policy is in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity.

Vacancy title Deputy Director, Place Division

16/10/2026, 16:00

Advertising basis Permanent

Starting salary is circa £86,000 although some flexibility may be available for an exceptional candidate up to £105,000.

Payband SCS1

Work pattern Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)

Group Local Government, Housing, Rural Resilience & Sustainability Group

Directorate Housing and Regeneration Directorate

Location (s) Pan Wales

'Pan Wales' means the post holder can be based in any Welsh Government office, subject to business needs. Roles based outside Wales, including London, are not available unless explicitly stated in the advert.

A list of the Welsh Government's offices can be found on . Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.

The post holder's travel from their home to their assigned Welsh Government office is considered their 'ordinary commute' and must be done in their own time and at their own cost.

Purpose of post Place Division is part of the Housing and Regeneration Directorate within the Local Government, Housing, Rural Resilience and Sustainability Group.

This post plays a key part in ensuring that everyone in Wales has a safe, affordable place to call home in the community they would like to live in.

The work of the directorate is varied, fast paced and keenly focused on delivery for ministers and the people of Wales. Our work spans land acquisition and use, supporting home building, regeneration of our towns, cities and villages, supporting those who live in our homes and communities and acting as system steward to ensure the quality of what we build, the quality of places we build in and of landlord and resident services.

The division's purpose, and therefore the purpose of the post, is to work in partnership across the directorate and wider Welsh Government and with other governments and partners to:

• Lead the establishment of Unnos, a land development body for Wales which enables the delivery of more homes across the country through unblocking barriers, securing private finance and bringing land forward for build.
• Lead and manage the land portfolio to support the government's target of delivering 20,000 affordable homes over four years. The portfolio consists of c27 sites owned by Welsh Ministers with a current book value of c£43m.
• Ensure there are effective delivery systems in place which direct investment toward building the right homes in the right places to meet the nation's needs and improving the vibrancy and viability of town centres.
• Lead on the current Transforming Towns Programme and on the outcome of the Town Centre Taskforce to drive successful regeneration of town centres across Wales, which seeks to unlock more strategic sites/opportunities, tackle empty properties on the High Street, maximise community and cultural assets, take forward more public realm projects and support business infrastructure, and increase the appeal and viability of town centre living for all.
• Lead on the delivery and implementation of Community Right to Buy legislation to improve community rights to buy local assets of community value.

Key tasks

• The post holder will lead a team of c40 staff with four direct reports and be responsible for an annual capital funding programme currently at £65m and revenue budget of circa £4m.
• Managing the resources, financial and people, of Place Division in the delivery of its functions maintaining a focus on professional standards, good financial management and have proper regard to governance matters.
• Lead on delivery of Programme for Government commitments which include establishing Unnos, Town Centre regeneration and Community Right to Buy legislation.
• Build, and then maintain, the Ministers' trust and confidence. The role will require regular engagement with Ministers on both the delivery of the Programme for Government and the development of the land portfolio.
• Lead on the land development programme including a grant programme (£25m pa) and develop long delivery frameworks and partnerships.
• Advise Ministers and senior officials on the development of a strategy for the development of brownfield regenerations sites in Wales, following the findings and recommendations of the Audit Wales report.
• Lead a team that will consistently be resolving legal, financial and subsidy issues concerning property and site management and disposals. This will also include the potential of overseeing complex building/site acquisitions using Compulsory Purchase powers to help unlock strategic opportunities.
• Influence, provide strategic leadership and work collaboratively with key stakeholders, including local authority Chief Executives and senior Directors across the Welsh public sector on the regeneration and residential development land sectors and agendas, including fostering strategic relationships within Wales and beyond its borders.
• To be a positive influence on the Welsh Government property network as Joint head of Welsh Government Property profession in helping to build professional capability and set standards.
• Promoting an open and inclusive working environment, encouraging equality, diversity and anti-racism.

Other vacancy related information In the event of two or more candidates having the same total score at interview the panel will consider : highest score on behaviour seeing the bigger picture, if still tied then revert to Welsh Language skills.

Vetting level SC - Candidates applying for a role that requires SC clearance must have normally resided in the UK for a minimum of the last 5 years

Number of posts 1

Contact point for further information regarding the post

Candidate pack / supporting information (Welsh) Deputy Director Place - Candidate Pack Final (Cymraeg).pdf - 590KB Opens in a new window

Civil Service success profiles relevant to this role are set out below (click here to view more information on Civil Service Success profiles).

Your application (personal statement and CV) should set out your evidence in relation to the person specification below (i.e. success profile behaviours and experience listed).

Experience Must have proven experience in the property market and built environment sector, including land development and be qualified to MRICS.

Experience of understanding how government operates, gained through working within, alongside, or engaging with government organisations.

Seeing the big picture

• Create joined up strategies that put into practice and support the government's vision for the future.
• Make sense of a wide range of political and national pressures and influences to develop strategies which meet organisational goals

Delivering at pace

• Establish an inclusive culture which allows people space and authority to deliver their objectives whilst ensuring appropriate support is in place when needed

Communicating and influencing

• Influence external partners, stakeholders and customers successfully securing mutually beneficial outcomes

The Welsh Government aims to be a bilingual organisation, whilst Welsh language skills are not essential for this post they are welcomed and you would have the opportunity to use those skills through the course of business.

Assessment process Stage 1 - Application To apply for this role, you will be asked to submit:

Application Form We welcome applications in Welsh and English. Applications in either language will be treated equally. If you have an impairment that would prevent you from applying online, please contact to request an alternative format or a reasonable adjustment to submit your application.

CV: We operate name-free recruitment. The selection panel will not see personal information while shortlisting in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity. Please remove your name from your CV and personal statement.

Personal Statement: Your personal statement will be input into the application system and has a maximum word count of 1,250. Please explain how your professional qualifications, skills, qualities and experience meet the essential criteria included in the person specification. These are the key behaviours listed above: Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing and the two experience criteria.

The Welsh Government is committed to achieving a workforce that reflects the society it serves - at all levels. You will be asked to confirm some diversity information on your application form. Collecting this information enables us to identify whether we are recruiting from the widest possible pool of talent and check that all groups are being treated fairly throughout the process; this form will not be disclosed to anyone involved in assessing your application. If you do not wish to provide a response to a particular question, you select 'prefer not to say.' You will not be able to submit your application if you leave any of the questions unanswered.

Stage 2 - Assessments If shortlisted, you will take part in the following assessments:
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