Estates Officer

Soha Housing Limited; East Hagbourne; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Soha Housing is seeking an Estates Officer to support the Estates & Office Services Manager in delivering high-quality, resident-focused estate services across our stock. Role involves supervising grounds, cleaning, tree maintenance, fire risk actions, and estate developments, with responsibilities spanning contractor liaison, inspections, and complaint resolution.

Applicants should have housing sector experience, be proactive with excellent communication and IT skills, and hold a full driving

Qualifications

• Experience in housing sector, ideally estate services background.
• Proactive with keen eye for detail.
• Ability to establish good relationships with external partners and internal teams.
• Ability to prioritise effectively and work on own initiative.
• Excellent communication, numeracy and IT skills.
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Respond to estate-based enquiries (grounds, cleaning, window, tree maintenance) from residents, contractors and public.
• Carry out inspections of communal spaces and report on conditions.
• Monitor contractor performance and liaise to resolve issues quickly.
• Investigate and respond to complaints in a prompt, customer-focused manner.
• Manage misuse of internal areas, stores and external communal land; liaise with Neighbourhood teams and partners.
• Oversee abandoned vehicles process with authorities and residents until resolved.
• Assist with fire safety inspections and ensure compliance.
• Liaise with departments and stakeholders on estate improvements and new contracts.
• Support Estates Service Manager in day-to-day project work, including FRA actions and tree management; assist in plans and quotations for new developments.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication

IT skills

Own initiative

Job description

Our Estates & Office Services team are responsible for providing Estate-based services such as grounds maintenance, communal cleaning, window cleaning, and tree maintenance across Soha’s stock. As Estates Officer, you will be supporting the Estates & Office Services Manager to monitor these services to ensure that we continue to provide a high-quality, customer-focused service to our residents. You will also be involved in a range of team projects, including fire risk assessment actions and works, tree management, and new developments.

KEY DUTIES

• To respond to a wide range of estate‑based enquiries including grounds maintenance, cleaning, window cleaning, tree maintenance and block maintenance from residents, contractors and members of the public within agreed timescales.
• Tocarry out inspections and spot checks across Soha’s stock tomonitor, assess and report on the condition of communalspaces.
• Assistwith monitoringcontractor performanceand liaise with contractorsto resolveanyissuesthat arise quickly.
• To investigateand respond tocomplaints in a prompt,effective and customer focused manner, keeping residentsupdated with progressat all times.
• To investigate and manage any misuse of internal areas, bin & bike stores and external communal land, liaising with Neighbourhood teams and external partners as required.
• To manage the abandoned vehicles process, liaising with local authorities, statutory agencies, managing agents and residents until a satisfactory outcome has been reached.
• To investigate and respond to any issues highlightedduring the fire safety inspection of our blocks of flats and schemes to ensure weremaincomplaint with ourstatutoryresponsibilities.
• To liaise with other departments, neighbourhoods teams and stakeholders in regard to proposed estate improvement work to support the Estates & Office Services Manager in procuring any new estate maintenance contracts as and when required.
• To support the Estates Service Manager on day to day running of ongoing project work, including:
  • Managing and coordinating fire risk assessment (FRA) actions and associated works to ensure timely completion and regulatory compliance.
  • Overseeing the tree management programme, including inspections, contractor liaison, and ensuring works are carried out to agreed standards.
  • Toassistin preparing plans, obtain quotations and set up Estate Services on new developments.

What you will need

• Previous experience in the housing sector, ideally in an Estate Services background.
• A proactive approach to work with a keen eye for detail.
• Ability to establish good working relationships with external partners and internal teams.
• Ability to prioritise effectively and work on your own initiative.
• Ability to deal effectively with difficult conversations and situations.
• Excellent communication, numeracy and IT skills.
• Full driving licence and use of a vehicle.

Part-time hours will be considered - minimum 25 hours per week

The Company

Soha Housing is a successful, award winning, community-based mutualised housing association working in and around Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties. Our team help to provide homes and services for affordable rent and properties for shared ownership.

With exciting changes in the way we’re working, we are now expanding our team. If you are interested in joining a friendly, supportive organisation and you share our vision for strong, vibrant and sustainable communities, where everyone can find a home, then we’d like to hear from you.

• Residents First

We put people at the heart of our decisions, which are made with humanity.

• Constantly Learning

We are constantly learning and restless about excellence. We incentivise curiosity, and act to make things better, as we learn from every experience.

• One Team

We take ownership of our work and lead from the front.

• Kindness in Truth

We strive for honesty, clarity, and kindness in all our relationships and we treat feedback as a gift, wanting to see staff, residents and communities fulfil their potential.

• Fewer Better Rules

We operate with fewer, better rules as we value simplicity, expecting everyone to solve problems, exercise good judgement and take responsibility.