An opportunity has arisen within our Building Development team for a Head of Building Development within our Restaurants Division, supporting a portfolio of well-loved restaurant brands including Harvester, Toby Carvery and Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery.
At Mitchells & Butlers, we're at the heart of hospitality. With over 1,600 pubs, bars and restaurants across the UK, we are home to some of the nation's favourite brands. Our Restaurants Division operates a diverse, nationwide estate, serving millions of guests each year across suburban, leisure and destination locations. Delivering compelling guest experiences through a well-invested estate is critical to the ongoing success of these brands.
As one of four divisionally aligned Heads of Building Development, you will report to the Director of Building & Kitchen Development and be accountable for the successful delivery of the annual capital investment programme across the Restaurants Division. This is a significant leadership role, combining strategic oversight with operational delivery to ensure projects are completed safely, on budget, to the required quality standards and in line with programme requirements.
Leading a team of experienced and geographically dispersed Building Development Managers, you will create a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. You will work closely with key stakeholders across Operations, Property, Procurement, Finance, Brand and Design teams to ensure investment decisions deliver maximum value for our business, guests and shareholders.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, coach and develop a team of Building Development Managers, ensuring adherence to company and departmental processes and standards.
- Take overall responsibility for the successful delivery of the divisional capital plan across all investment types.
- Ensure projects are delivered safely, on programme, within budget and to the required quality standards.
- Manage and forecast annual capital expenditure budgets, ensuring robust financial control and reporting.
- Build strong relationships with contractors, consultants, suppliers and manufacturers to drive performance and value.
- Identify opportunities for cost efficiencies and value engineering while maintaining brand standards and guest experience.
- Maintain accountability for Brand Design Guides and benchmark specifications, ensuring consistency across projects.
- Ensure procurement activities align with departmental strategy and governance requirements.
- Lead and promote health, safety and compliance across all projects, ensuring risks are managed effectively.
- Drive continuous improvement through the adoption of best practice, innovation and efficient delivery models.
About You
We're looking for an experienced construction, development or project delivery professional who can successfully lead complex programmes within a multi-site environment.
You will have:
- A minimum of 5 years' experience in a relevant discipline, ideally within a large and complex organisation.
- Proven ability to successfully navigate stakeholders, establishing credibility quickly and influencing senior leaders, operational teams and external partners to secure alignment and deliver results.
- Proven leadership experience with the ability to motivate, develop and inspire teams, is highly desirable.
- Be able to demonstrate success managing multiple high-priority projects simultaneously.
- Strong project management, commercial and budget management skills.
- Sound knowledge of current construction legislation, health and safety requirements and industry best practice.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management and presentation skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a proactive and curious mindset.
- Membership of a relevant professional institution.
- A full UK driving licence.
What We Offer
- Company Car
- Private Medical Insurance
- Pension Scheme
- Annual Bonus Scheme
- Flexible Working
- Option to Buy Additional Annual Leave
- 33% Discount Across Mitchells & Butlers Brands
- 26 Days Annual Leave Plus Bank Holidays
Due to the nationwide nature of our Restaurants Division estate, this role requires regular travel across the UK to support project delivery, stakeholder engagement and operational priorities. The successful candidate will be comfortable working across a geographically dispersed portfolio and spending significant time within the estate.
This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially astute and inspirational leader to play a key role in shaping the future of some of Mitchells & Butlers' most recognised restaurant brands, delivering investment programmes that enhance guest experience, operational performance and long-term business success.
Closing Date Monday 5th October 2026 at 11:59pm
