Principal Property Surveyor

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Key Information

Job title:  Principal Surveyor - Property Services

Salary: £70,000 - £75,000 + Excellent Benefits

Grade: Band 3

Contract type: Permanent

Reference: 1183  

Location: Palestra (Southwark Tube Station) / Hybrid 50% work from home

Application closing date: Sunday 27th July 2025 @ 23:59

Who we are

Transport for London (TfL) is one of the best known and most successful Integrated Transport Authorities in the world. A place where history meets cutting edge technology and it is the purpose of the Property Services team to provide the expertise to ensure we have great places and spaces that help TfL keep London moving, working, and growing.

About the Team

The Property Services team provides full and high-quality property consultancy services to clients both within TfL and the wider Greater London Authority Group (GLA). This includes professional advice and support on major land acquisitions, leases or licences of land, leading on landlord and tenant negotiations as well as all other real estate advisory functions.

Throughout our work supporting the operational business we work to drive occupational efficiencies from the land and property we own. Our key aim is to help reduce our operating expenditure while also preventing valuable sites becoming constrained - helping to protect potential commercial development opportunities.

You’ll enjoy a huge variety of challenges and opportunities

Your work in this role will deal with some of the most interesting and unique land interests across London. Knowledge of relevant technology systems will be equally important. With understanding of the key drivers and risks of potential transactions, you will have the ability to analyse a variety of issues and plot a path to a successful outcome. From providing advice and briefings, to leading property negotiations, your communication skills really set you apart.

Taking on a varied and interesting portfolio of responsibilities, you’ll be a member of our experienced team of surveyors. Working on some of our most challenging and complex property matters supporting the Surface business area, delivering specialist property advice to internal clients including TfL Highways, buses estate and infrastructure, Dial a Ride, Taxi & Private Hire and Victoria Coach Station, you’ll find that no two days are ever the same in this key role. Senior leaders across the TfL Group and the wider GLA Group will rely on your expert advice and support. You’ll enjoy great scope to extend your knowledge and abilities by taking a hands-on approach to surveying in our expanding team.

You will be an experienced property professional and the key client contact, building relationships built on high quality work and delivered results. You will oversee the work of the surveyor and senior surveyors within the team, allocating cases and ensuring that advice from the team is delivered to the highest standards.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Skills

• Possess a high level of verbal, numerical and analytical skills (Essential)
• A high level of problem-solving skills with the ability to apply commercial and strategic awareness to problem solving (Essential)
• An excellent communicator with a wide variety of people with an ability to deal firmly but sensitively with difficult situations (Essential)
• Build relationships and share knowledge with others to deliver a high level of customer service.
• Drive and determination to achieve objectives.
• Ability to recognise key business risks, on both direct casework and for own business unit and devise a strategy to resolve such issues. Escalate business risks appropriately.
• Understanding of key drivers and risks of a potential deal to plot a path to a successful outcome across a varied and complex caseload, as well as in any wider context which may be relevant. Set clear approach to negotiations, including objective setting, and identifying both the approach and the outcome desired. Escalate appropriate matters at the right time to the right level.

Knowledge

• Excellent knowledge of a range of general practice surveying property activities, including corporate real estate (Essential)
• Knowledge and experience of Highway Law.
• Demonstratable knowledge of the various stages of a development lifecycle and the associated commercial considerations.

Experience

• Primarily undertaking case work directly rather than managing consultants, including conducting development appraisals (Essential)
• Experienced MRICS professional (Essential)
• Substantial experience within an in-house corporate real estate or a consultancy commercial property surveying environment.
• Significant experience to demonstrate a consistent approach to stakeholders across their business area and contribute to team wide stakeholder management.

Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.

Application Process

Please apply using your CV and a one page covering letter. We recommend that you consider the skills, knowledge and experience required for this role and ensure your CV and cover letter outlines where you meet these criteria. Express a preference of which role you are interested in, please include this in your covering letter. PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images.

Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow.  Rewards vary according to the level of role but mostly include the below:

• Final salary pension scheme 
• Free travel for you on the TfL network 
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home or 75% reimbursement on a 28-day flexi ticket
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays 
• TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional) 
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers 
• Discounted Eurostar travel

 
Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4 week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements. 

We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.