Strategic Lead (Place and Regeneration)

Deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration programmes

Leeds is one of the UK’s fastest-growing cities, with a regeneration agenda that is both ambitious and visible. From major city centre transformation to unlocking housing growth and infrastructure-led development, this is a place where regeneration is happening at scale.

To drive forward the delivery of the Leeds Ambitions, Leeds Economic Vision and Affordable Housing Strategy, we are now looking for two Strategic Leads to play a central role in shaping and delivering this agenda. Working at the heart of the Council’s Place and Regeneration Programmes team, you will operate across some of the most high-profile and complex projects in the country.

These are roles for someone who understands how to turn strategy into delivery, working across partnerships, unlocking sites and making things happen.

The roles

These are senior, outward-facing roles with a strong commercial and delivery focus. You will be taking strategic responsibility for a portfolio of complex regeneration programmes that span housing, infrastructure, economic development and culture.

You will work across the full development lifecycle, helping to bring forward major sites and programmes through a combination of partnership working, funding, negotiation and problem-solving. This includes supporting the development of regeneration frameworks and masterplans, securing funding through business cases and bids, and working closely with developers, investors and registered providers to unlock delivery by leading teams in using a broad technical and commercial toolkit.

A key part of the roles is acting as an intelligent client, bringing together legal, planning, property and technical expertise to overcome barriers and move projects forward. You will also play a visible role across the organisation and externally, working with Members, senior leaders and partners including Homes England and the Combined Authority through the innovative Leeds Growth Team to drive progress.

Why these roles will appeal

These are roles for someone who wants to be close to delivery but operating at a strategic level. They offer the opportunity to work across a broad regeneration toolkit, from funding and viability through to partnerships and delivery vehicles.

The team is collaborative and focused on outcomes. You will work alongside a multidisciplinary group of regeneration professionals, with the opportunity to shape how the service evolves as it continues to grow and adapt.

There is also real scope to bring something new, whether that is commercial insight, development experience or a different perspective from another sector.

About you

You will be deeply passionate about place, and delivering transformational outcomes for our communities and economy. You will bring a strong understanding of regeneration and development, whether from a local authority, consultancy, developer or registered provider background. You are likely to have experience of working on complex development or regeneration projects and understand how to navigate the commercial, political and partnership challenges that come with them. You will be politically astute, emotionally intelligent and a confident communicator able to navigate complexity to deliver at pace whilst taking people with you.

You will have a core technical specialism or discipline and will be comfortable working across disciplines and operating beyond your core specialism, bringing curiosity, pragmatism and a solutions-focused approach. Credibility with senior stakeholders is important, as is the ability to build relationships, build positive and compassionate team cultures to drive service improvement, and influence outcomes across a wide range of partners.

Why Leeds

Leeds is a city that is growing with purpose. With strong ambitions around inclusive growth, housing delivery and economic development, this is a place where regeneration is central to the future of the city, underpinned by bold and compassionate visions set out in the Leeds Economic Vision, Leeds Ambitions

A City delivering regeneration at scale

Leeds is delivering one of the most ambitious and diverse regeneration programmes in the UK. This is a city investing in growth, infrastructure, housing, innovation and place-making at a scale few local authorities can match.

These are roles that sit at the heart of that agenda. You will be working on live, high-profile projects with real visibility and long-term impact, helping to unlock investment, shape major development opportunities and deliver regeneration that will define the future of the city.

Current priorities include driving forward mixed-use regeneration and economic growth across Leeds City Centre through the newly established Leeds Mayoral Development Zone and Leeds Growth Team. This includes major strategic areas such as the Innovation Arc, South Bank, Eastern Growth Area and West End Riverside, alongside wider city centre investment and infrastructure programmes.

You will play a key role in the delivery of major housing and regeneration ambitions, including the potential South Bank New Town designation, which aims to support the delivery of 9,500 new homes in Leeds City Centre over the next three years. Alongside this, there is significant work underway to unlock housing growth across the city, with a particular focus on increasing affordable housing delivery in line with the Leeds Affordable Housing Strategy.

Leeds is also working closely with key partners and institutions on nationally significant projects. This includes partnership work with Leeds United around the regeneration of land surrounding Elland Road and future stadium redevelopment, as well as collaboration with Homes England and other stakeholders on the proposed British Library North at the Grade I listed Temple Works building.

The breadth of the programme extends beyond city centre regeneration. There are major opportunities linked to economic growth and innovation, including investment into the Leeds Innovation Arc, the North-West Leeds Employment Hub connected to airport-related growth, and the continued development of the Leeds Enterprise Zone, including growth linked to Microsoft’s proposed data centre investment.

Alongside this, the Council is leading infrastructure and transport-led regeneration connected to Leeds Station, Leeds Bradford Airport and future Mass Transit proposals such as the South Leeds Gateway. There is also oversight of a range of locally focused regeneration initiatives including Heart of Holbeck and the Morley Town Deal.

This is an environment where regeneration is not theoretical, it is happening now. These roles offer the opportunity to work at the centre of major investment decisions, influence how the city grows, and help deliver projects that will have a lasting impact on Leeds and its communities.