Assistant Director Operations (Housing & Support)

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

Benefits offered by this job

Salary: £95,660.26 p.a.

Hybrid working model

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Pension scheme with employer/employee

Executive leadership role

Job summary

Riverside is seeking an inspirational, high-performing Assistant Director of Operations (Housing and Support) on a permanent basis. The role is hybrid and nationwide, with responsibility for a national team of senior operating managers across supported housing, retirement living, and community outreach services.

You will lead an integration programme across Care & Support, drive financial viability, and shape long‑term service models with safeguarding and tenancy governance at the core.

Qualifications

• Senior operational leadership in social housing, care and support.
• Experience managing multiple complex budgets and improving margins.
• Deep expertise in housing management, lettings, income collection.
• Proven ability to lead large multi-disciplinary teams across regions.
• Experience driving organisational change and service integration.
• Willingness to participate in 24/7 on-call rota and travel.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a national team of senior operating managers across housing and community services.
• Execute the operational integration plan for Care & Support services.
• Drive financial viability by maximising income and controlling budgets.
• Oversee housing management functions including allocations, lettings and arrears.
• Embed resident feedback into service design and priorities.
• Provide executive oversight for safeguarding and health and safety.
• Collaborate with BD to identify new contracts and growth opportunities.
• Produce executive briefings for Committees and Board.

Skills

Senior leadership

People management

Budget management

Service integration

Housing management

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