He added that he was well placed to fill this position, as he had "experience of working strategically at the front end of projects and pulling a disparate set of skills together".
Land Securities' development portfolio has a build value of £4bn over the next six to 10 years, including British Telecom's £2bn Project Jaguar, the £500m PFI deal for the BBC's London property portfolio and the expansion of Ebbsfleet, Kent, around the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link station.
Land Securities director Mike Griffiths said McGuckin would add a new dimension to the development team. He said: "Coming from a construction consultancy, the knowledge and business development skills he has obtained will broaden our skill base and the range of services we can offer."
At construction manager Mace, McGuckin worked on the £100m Foster and Partners-designed British Museum Great Court, the £35m London Eye and the £1.8bn Heathrow Terminal 5.
It is understood that Mace has not yet recruited his replacement.
McGuckin's move from consultancy into development follows a similar move by Steve Lee from Citex to Brixton Estates in February.
Commenting on the trend for developers to recruit young consultants, McGuckin said: "Developers have long been criticised for lacking innovation and being conservative. Now they are realising they have to be more responsive to the market's needs."
One rival played down McGuckin's departure. He said: "It's not really a blow. Mace's core business is still in construction not consultancy. That's what it is going to stick to."
