As Property Development Manager at GA Group, Najoua identifies invitations to tender in order to have a proactive response strategy or identifies land and assets to acquire. She develops relationships with partners and manages the design, negotiation and contract side of the property project alongside the Directorate-General and Programme Directors.
She is involved at every stage of the development of large-scale property projects that may mix housing, offices and businesses. She views the city through the prism of urban development, to define the most suitable programme for the needs and limitations of the local environment to ensure it is correctly marketed.
She continually tracks and analyses the new expectations of the user and investor market in terms of offices, co-working spaces, residential hotels, and industrial and logistical buildings.
To be active upstream of invitations to tender for “turnkey” projects on behalf of private or public users, she is in contact with municipalities, state and private sector partnerships, developers and investors.
In parallel, she develops and secures the loyalty of her network of key stakeholders such as business providers, architects, solicitors, property experts, and local authorities, who may source land or provide information locally.
What skills are required from Najoua, Property Development Manager ?
Najoua trained as an engineer, but a Property Development Manager can also be a graduate of a business school or have completed postgraduate studies. She has a solid network with public bodies, architects, design offices, investors and users.
This ability to foster strong relationships has made Najoua an “ambassador” for the GA Group and requires exemplary communication skills. Strongly driven, she combines the temperament of a developer with an entrepreneurial streak.
Her everyday role combines working independently and in a team.
A day in the life of Najoua, Property Development Manager
After completing my maths studies, I went to the ESTP (Special School of Public Works, Building and Industry) and joined the Vinci Group, first as a Works Engineer and then as a Commercial Engineer, before becoming the Development Manager for one of the group’s subsidiaries. In 2017, I joined GA Smart Building, which was a better match for my life choices and shared my values. The culture at GA is more akin to an SME than a “large organisation”, and there is a positive atmosphere of trust. The Group has enabled me to have both a professional career and work on a volunteer basis, and I have found being able to work in the voluntary sector and community to be extremely personally fulfilling.
Start of the day
External “networking breakfast” with a client, potential client or partner. Something usually comes out of these discussions, such as a piece of information or a new idea, etc.
10:30 a.m.
Arrival at the office. Following up on projects I am responsible for upstream and looking for property and/or land assets. Responding to competitions, invitations to tender, in conjunction with a team made up of architects, members of the Omega Design Office and GA’s Corporate Division, responsible for construction.
1:00 p.m.
Lunch with a client or colleagues to discuss matters and pass on information.
2:30 p.m.
Appointment with an investor or a developer to be involved in the project as early as possible, sourcing information and determining which land, buildings, urban development projects are likely to be of interest to GA Smart Building.
End of the day
Meeting at the office with the team to decide on our position on a project, to determine whether the Group will adopt a position or not. Depending on the size of the project, collaborating with GA’s Communications Division: packaging the offer, looking for a name, creating a story.