A rare, exciting opportunity has been created for a Senior Director of Development and Operations for the renowned Cambridge Science Park – the first and most established science park in Europe and a national asset at the heart of the region’s innovation ecosystem.
Bidwells is the primary property adviser to Trinity College, Cambridge, a charity whose purpose includes the promotion of education and research. Trinity College is the freehold owner of Cambridge Science Park, and Bidwells manages the Park on its behalf. The Park provides over 2.3 million sq ft of high-quality office and laboratory accommodation across approximately 60 buildings, housing a community of around 7,500 people working in technology, R&D, and life sciences.
The Senior Director of Development and Operations will play a pivotal leadership role in the strategic development, operational estate management, and stakeholder engagement of the Park. With the original development dating from the 1970s, the Park has undergone significant redevelopment. The ongoing evolution provides an exceptional opportunity to increase density, elevate design quality, and foster collaboration between Park members, Trinity College, and the wider Cambridge innovation cluster. This new senior role reflects the expansion of our leadership team in line with the Park’s growing ambition and scale.
What you’ll be doing
Strategic leadership:
- Lead the delivery of estate-level masterplan initiatives, ensuring alignment with long-term estate strategy, occupier demand and stakeholder vision;
- Provide informed insight, professional advice and updates to key stakeholders on progress, risks, opportunities and outcomes;
- Champion innovation, sustainability and inclusivity;
- Coordinate internal and external teams.
Operational estate management:
- Lead the onsite management team ensuring service delivery excellence;
- Oversee estate operations, facilities management, risk assessment management, health and safety, ESG performance;
- Oversee financial performance (budgeting, service charges, capital expenditure);
- Deliver a premium occupier experience.
Development and placemaking:
- Drive continuous improvement of the Park’s environment, amenities, and transport connectivity;
- Lead initiatives that enhance the Park’s identity, culture, and sense of community;
- Represent the Park with local planning authorities;
- Secure funding/investment cases and landowner approvals for capital projects.
Stakeholder management:
- Engage, update and build strong relationships with clients, landowners, investors, occupiers, partners, local authorities and relevant networks;
- Understand issues, provide resolutions and deliver growth on the Park;
- Promote the Park’s profile through events, partnerships and communication strategies.
Sustainability:
- Create and implement Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) policies.
About You
For this pivotal Senior Director of Development and Operations role, we are ideally looking for the following attributes:
- Proven property management experience, including a good working knowledge of relevant H&S legislation.
- Demonstrable technical knowledge of Landlord and Tenant legislation and regulations relating to the management of commercial property.
- Property development, asset management and investment experience would be highly advantageous.
- Similar experience with a business park, science park or within a direct competitor organisation would be beneficial.
- Proven experience in building and maintaining relationships with external colleagues and clients at all levels, and gain trust.
- Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive change.
- Skilled at co-ordinating other individuals and service providers.
- Experience in developing new business opportunities and marketing.
- Demonstrable knowledge & understanding of environmental performance objectives and targets to occupiers and investors.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
- Computer literate, at least intermediate level in Microsoft Excel (including formulae) and Word, and willingness to learn new computer packages.
- MRICS qualified would be a bonus, but not essential.