Assistant Director of Operations (Housing and Support)

Baird And Co Recruitment Ltd; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 86,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary: £95,660.26 per year

Hybrid working patterns

25 days annual leave

Pension scheme: auto-enrolment

Job summary

Riverside invites applications for an inspirational Assistant Director of Operations (Housing and Support). This national, hybrid role leads a UK-wide team across supported housing, retirement living and community outreach to deliver customer-focused services of the highest quality.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will drive service integration, improve margins, oversee tenancy management and safeguarding, and shape long-term operating models while ensuring robust governance and

Qualifications

• Senior operational leadership within social housing, care and support, retirement living, or related settings.
• Extensive experience managing complex budgets, improving margins, and reducing voids/arrears.
• Deep knowledge of housing management, lettings, income collection, and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead a national team of senior operating managers across housing and support services.
• Execute the operational integration plan across Riverside Housing's Care & Support services, embedding best practice and shaping a unified function.
• Drive financial viability by maximising income, controlling budgets, and reducing arrears/void losses.
• Oversee housing management functions including allocations, lettings, void turnaround, income collection, and tenancy enforcement.
• Embed resident involvement and co-production into service design and governance.
• Provide strategic oversight for safeguarding, incidents, and health & safety across regions.
• Collaborate with Business Development to identify new contracts, growth opportunities, and acquisitions.
• Produce executive briefings and reports for Committees and Board, deputising for the Director of Operations.

Skills

Senior leadership

Budget management

Housing management

People leadership

Integration & transformation

Job description

Please note this role can be undertaken nationally from any location.

The Opportunity:

Avalon is delighted to be partnering exclusively with Riverside to recruit an inspirational, high-performing Assistant Director of Operations (Housing and Support) on a permanent basis.

Operating on a hybrid working model from anywhere in the UK, this pivotal senior role takes responsibility for managing a national team of senior operating managers across supported housing, mental health, homelessness, floating support, street-based, and retirement living services.

Reporting directly to the Director of Operations at Riverside, you will play a central role in driving customer-first operational delivery, improving operating margins, and leading a major operational integration plan across the Care & Support division. This permanent post offers significant executive scope to shape long-term service models, ensure robust financial viability, and maintain rigorous standards of tenancy management and safeguarding.

Key Duties:

• Lead and inspire a national team of senior operating managers across supported housing, retirement living, and community outreach services.
• Execute the operational integration plan across Riverside Housing's Care & Support services, embedding best practice and shaping a single, unified operational function.
• Drive financial viability and improve operating margins by maximising income, eliminating cash leakage from empty homes/arrears, and enforcing budget controls.
• Oversee robust housing management functions, including allocations, lettings, void turnaround, income collection, and ongoing tenancy enforcement.
• Embed customer involvement and co-production into service design, ensuring resident feedback directly shapes operational priorities.
• Provide strategic oversight for safeguarding cases, serious incidents, and health and safety compliance across all regional operations.
• Collaborate with Business Development teams to identify and implement new service contracts, growth opportunities, and potential acquisitions.
• Produce executive briefings and reports for Committees and Board members, deputising for the Director of Operations as required.

Benefits:

• Salary: £95,660.26 per annum.
• Contract Type: Permanent, full-time position (37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday).
• Location & Working Pattern: Hybrid working pattern, located anywhere in the UK (role-related travel required with full expenses paid).
• Holiday Entitlement: 25 days annual leave plus statutory bank holidays.
• Generous Pension Scheme: Auto-enrolment at 3% employee / 5% employer, with an enhanced opt-in scheme of up to 6% employee / 9% employer contribution.
• Strategic Influence: High-profile leadership role driving long-term service integration, portfolio performance, and cultural transformation across the organisation.

Requirements:

• Experience: Proven track record of senior operational leadership within social housing, care and support, retirement living, or complex supported housing settings.
• Financial Oversight: Extensive experience managing multiple complex budgets, improving operating margins, and minimising void or arrears losses.
• Housing Management Knowledge: Deep technical expertise in housing management, lettings, income collection, and regulatory compliance across supported and care services.
• People Leadership: Demonstrable success leading, coaching, and inspiring large, multi-disciplinary teams across wide geographic regions.
• Integration & Transformation: Experience leading organisational change, service integration, and business efficiency programmes.
• Flexibility: Willingness to participate in a 24/7 senior manager on-call rota and travel across regional sites as required.

We practise a diverse and inclusive recruitment process that ensures equal opportunity for all individuals