Assistant Director - Housing Management

Assistant Director – Housing Management + Initial 3 months plus

ROLE PURPOSE

As a member of the council's senior management team, to contribute proactively to the collective leadership for the council, working collaboratively with Members, services across the council, partners and stakeholders to deliver the council's objectives and priorities. To drive positive cultural change, embodying and promoting the values and behaviours of the council and empowering staff to reach their full potential. Ensure that the performance and development framework is effective for all staff. To lead on and ensure the effective implementation of corporate initiatives and transformation programmes that cut across the whole or part of the council's activities.

ROLE DUTIES
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To provide strategic leadership to the Housing Management Division, delivering services to 17,000 homes – leasehold and general needs, ensuring an excellent quality customer focused housing service to all tenants and leaseholders and ensuring residents are at the heart of the service and delivering continuous improvement.
To have overall responsibility for the Housing Strategy and subsequent strategies ensuring strong, effective partnerships – internally and externally. Leading teams delivering and implementing the Housing strategy including: Homelessness Prevention and Assessment, rough sleeping reduction, Supported Housing Commissioning, Allocation Policies and Lettings, Neighbourhood Services, Sheltered Services, Financial Inclusion, providing strategic leadership, comprehensive business planning, target setting and performance objectives
Ensure the service drives value and performance from procurement and contract management, delivering effective financial and budget management
Provide clear strategic and operational leadership to the delivery of the council's housing related services and investment.
Drive cultural and organisation change to develop a strong distinctive performance culture and commitment to resident satisfaction (tenants and leaseholders)
Lead and bring together different teams under one dedicated service to provide a range of resident focused services
Have a thorough understanding of the legislative context relating to the Council's statutory obligations, including the regulatory framework for social housing, homelessness, health and safety, welfare reform and fire safety, to provide appropriate Member briefing and translation of legislation to ensure effective, relevant and responsive service delivery. Providing Members and the Executive with the open and timely information that they need to maintain effective oversight of the Division.
Lead teams managing, developing and commissioning homelessness prevention support services, supported housing and temporary accommodation to deliver the Council's statutory obligations, ensuring health and safety compliance across accommodation services, identifying, managing and mitigating against risk.
Develop positive relationships with Members and other key stakeholder groups, including resident representative forums and groups to ensure they can contribute to service improvements.
Engender a commercial approach to the Council's assets and ensure value for money principles are applied to services.
Coaching and mentoring of staff directly managed, recruiting the right people, review training and nurturing future talent.
Ensure staff compliance with all key policies, including for example health & safety; data protection; equality and diversity: and value for money.
Ensure effective Financial Management, cost controls and income maximisation in an ever–changing environment, fluctuating demands and priorities. Ensure resources are well managed and effectively deployed to the best possible effects assuring value for money in all activities. Monitor and control the division's budgets, including staffing budgets, in accordance with financial regulations and standing orders.
Promote equalities and inclusion across all service provision.
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
Personal Attributes

A strategic thinker and inspirational leader with strong influencing skills who can build inclusive and high–performing teams
Pursues creative and new ideas to provide solutions to complex problems
Challenges inequality and demonstrates leadership in this area
Exhibits confidence and leadership, engages emotionally and can show evidence of influencing key stakeholders externally and internally
Applies judgement in managing risk, supporting their senior leadership to deliver on commitments to savings
Can demonstrate clear leadership in uncertain or ambiguous situations, demonstrates resilience, readily adapts to change, and exhibits personal growth
Ability to build positive relationships with senior colleagues and politicians and generating confidence and mutual respect.
Experience

Track record of senior management experience in leading, shaping and delivering a range of housing services to residents
Substantial experience of operating at senior level in social housing
Significant evidence of bringing teams together and developing high performing service
Can demonstrate experience of service transformation and continuous improvement.
Evidence of building strong and effective relationships based on trust and assurance with political stakeholders and translating political vision into strategic direction.
Able to demonstrate resilience and flexibility of approach and can manage uncertainty and ambiguity for themselves and others.
Proven ability in providing efficient management of and accountability for staff, including recruitment, development and management of poor performance.
Educated to degree level or equivalent or evidence of continuing professional development
Evidence of coaching, mentoring, and developing colleagues to build the next generation of senior managers.
Effective in developing and contributing to the wider corporate agenda and initiatives through business planning and programme management
Record of identifying efficiency savings through effective financial planning within a constrained environment
A good grasp of the legal and regulatory framework for social landlords and relevant housing legislation.
Knowledge of the current strategic and operational landscape and its likely impact upon the design, development and delivery of housing services
Strong financial acumen and reasoning, working with large budgets
Experience of senior level partnership working across sector
Experienced in managing a range of demanding stakeholder relationships, work neutrally in a demanding political environment