Mears Group
Housing Operations Manager

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Annual salary: up to £42,020.69
Housing Operations Manager
Location: Darlington
Salary: up to £42,020.69 per annum. Including company vehicle and fuel card or £3,500 company car allowance
Contract: Full time – Permanent, 40hrs per week, Monday to Friday
Mears provides temporary accommodation to asylum seekers whilst their claim is being assessed in three regions: Northeast, Yorkshire and Humber, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. At the end of May 2021 Mears had over 19,000 service users across the three regions. Mears work in partnership with central and local Government, registered providers, tenants, landlords and investors to find solutions to homelessness, provide more social and affordable housing and create specialist housing for people with care needs.
About the Role
We are seeking a motivated and experienced manager to lead a team of Housing Support Officers within the AASC contract. This role is pivotal in supporting frontline service delivery to our service users, many of whom may be vulnerable or have specific housing needs. You will oversee the full-service lifecycle, from property nomination through to move-out and reletting, while ensuring safeguarding practices are embedded across all operations. As part of the leadership team, you will also participate in the on-call rota as an Escalation Manager, supporting frontline teams in delivering high-quality, compliant, and compassionate services.
- Lead, manage, develop, and support Housing Support Officers to deliver contractual requirements in line with Mears policies and values.
- Oversee quality assurance within property management, including regular property visits and service user engagement.
- Ensure safeguarding and contractual compliance, achieving KPIs and commercial targets through effective team management.
- Drive continuous improvement by identifying, developing, and embedding best practices across teams and the wider contract.
- Work collaboratively with senior leaders, partnership managers, and local services to deliver exceptional service and safeguard service users.
- Manage risk through effective planning, monitoring, and reporting, escalating issues promptly to senior management when required.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records and IT system data in line with contractual requirements.
- Support wider Mears Housing Management teams by undertaking ad hoc projects and providing cover as needed.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Role Criteria
- Leading and motivating people in a performance management culture.
- Leading a team of frontline support staff which deliver person-centred services.
- Experience of managing team member related issues, e.g. personnel related tasks.
- Communicate effectively – relaying key messages to teams regularly.
- Evidencing outcomes of service delivery.
- Working with a diverse and vulnerable client group.
- Flexible and willing to travel between sites.
- Knowledge of the AASC contract.
- Hold a full UK driving licence.
- Happy to participate in the on-call rota as an Escalation Manager on a rota basis.
Benefits we can offer you
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
- Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment.
- Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more.
- Family-friendly policies.
- Company Vehicle and Fuel Card.
- Access to EAP Counselling sessions.
All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.
As part of the recruitment process for this role, we will carry out a Background, Identity, Security clearance & BPSS check. For these checks to be completed, we will require from you the relevant identification, including Proof of Address, References, a valid passport and proof that you have lived in the UK for the last 5 years.
Apply
Apply below or to discuss your application further; contact:
Beth Dunford (beth.dunford@mearsgroup.co.uk)
If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.
At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.
In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills