Financial & Commercial Management

• Have overall responsibility for a £20m service budget.
• Ensure effective financial management, cost control and income maximisation.
• Drive value for money across the service and ensure resources are deployed effectively.
• Identify opportunities for external funding where appropriate.
• Lead effective commissioning, procurement and contract management.
• Oversee long-term strategic framework contracts and ensure delivery partners achieve agreed outcomes.
• Ensure robust financial planning, monitoring and reporting across major programmes.

Performance, Governance & Risk

• Develop and maintain robust performance and quality management frameworks.
• Ensure service delivery meets all relevant legislation, regulation, codes, standards and best practice.
• Establish clear governance arrangements and accountabilities across programmes and partnerships.
• Identify and manage operational, financial, regulatory and political risks.
• Ensure underperformance and deficiencies are identified and actively addressed.
• Provide clear performance reporting to senior leadership and Members.

Leadership & Transformation

• You will lead a senior management structure comprising five Heads of Service, creating an environment where managers and teams can perform, innovate and continuously improve.
• You will:
  • Set clear strategic direction and expectations.
  • Develop a high-performing and accountable management culture.
  • Drive organisational change and challenge traditional ways of working.
  • Develop new approaches to improve service outcomes.
  • Ensure appropriate workforce structures and resources are in place.
  • Lead performance management and address underperformance effectively.
  • Create the conditions for innovation and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder & Political Engagement

• This role requires exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills.

• You will build and maintain effective relationships with:

  • Elected Members
  • Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team
  • Directors and Heads of Service
  • Residents and community representatives
  • Contractors and delivery partners
  • Government and public bodies
  • Housing and property sector partners
  • Private, voluntary and community sector organisations

• You will need to operate confidently within a politically complex environment, managing sensitive issues and providing credible advice to Members and senior stakeholders.

About You

We are looking for an established senior housing professional with significant experience leading large and complex services. You will ideally bring:

• Significant experience across housing property, asset management, repairs, planned works or maintenance.
• Proven senior strategic management experience within a large public-sector organisation, ideally local government.
• Experience leading multiple professional service areas and senior management teams.
• Strong knowledge of the major issues facing local government, particularly across housing, planning and regeneration.
• Strong understanding of the national policy and regulatory environment affecting housing and property services.
• Experience commissioning and clienting significant programmes of work.
• Strong procurement, construction and contract management knowledge.
• Experience leading funding bids, options appraisals, financial modelling and scenario testing.
• Experience of commercialisation, registered providers and different housing delivery routes would be advantageous.
• Proven accountability for significant budgets and delivering services within agreed resources.
• A strong track record of performance management and service improvement.
• Significant experience developing and sustaining internal and external partnerships.
• The credibility and authority to operate effectively with elected Members and within a political environment.
• Excellent communication, presentation, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Proven experience operating strategically across corporate projects and policy development.

Qualifications

• You will ideally be educated to degree level or equivalent, with a postgraduate or relevant professional qualification desirable.
• More important than qualifications alone will be your demonstrable experience of successfully leading significant housing and property services at a senior strategic level.

Why This Opportunity?

This is not simply a Repairs management position.

With £20m of budget responsibility, five Heads of Service and accountability for a major Council service, this is an opportunity to influence the strategic direction and future delivery of housing repairs and planned works across a significant housing portfolio.

You will have direct exposure to the Council's most senior leadership, elected Members and external stakeholders, while playing a central role in wider Housing, Regeneration and Growth priorities.

The successful candidate will bring the ability to combine strategic vision with operational grip — setting the direction for the service while ensuring residents receive an effective, high-quality and value-for-money repairs service.

Interested?

Goodman Masson is proud to be partnering with the Council on this appointment.

If you are an experienced Assistant Director, Director, Head of Service or senior housing/property leader looking for your next challenge, we'd welcome a confidential conversation.

Please contact jack.benson@goodmanmasson.com