Executive Director of Housing

Lewisham London Borough Council; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Lewisham London Borough Council seeks an exceptional Executive Director of Housing to lead housing strategy, homelessness and temporary accommodation, asset management, repairs and maintenance. The role directly oversees around 12,000 social rented homes, 5,300 leasehold properties and 1,800 homes via PFI, with an HRA of about £300m and a workforce of ~650 FTE.

You will strengthen regulatory readiness, comply with building safety standards, deliver major works and drive performance.

Job description

Lead improvement. Build trust. Deliver for residents.
A good home is the foundation to a good life. In Lewisham, it means safety, security and opportunity for thousands of residents. We're looking for an exceptional Executive Director of Housing to turn our ambition into services residents can see, feel and trust.

We've made significant progress in strengthening our housing services. Now we need a leader to accelerate improvement. You'll inherit committed teams, considerable capability and a strong platform to build on, alongside challenges that call for clear priorities, assured leadership and the determination to deliver lasting change.

This is a broad leadership portfolio. You will be responsible for housing strategy, housing needs, homelessness and temporary accommodation, housing management, private sector housing, asset management, repairs and maintenance. As landlord, we directly manage around 12,000 social rented homes and 5,300 leasehold properties, with a further 1,800 homes managed through a PFI contract. You will also oversee an HRA of approximately £300m and a workforce of around 650 FTE.

We will look to you to strengthen regulatory readiness, compliance and building safety; improve repairs, major works, data and performance management, raise the quality of homelessness and temporary accommodation services; and work across the Council to reduce the number of residents who experience who experience homelessness or housing insecurity. With our Brockley PFI returning in-house, you'll also lead a significant organisational integration agenda.

But this role is about more than systems, structures and assurance.

Our ambition is to create housing services that residents trust: services that listen, care and get things done. You'll lead with clarity and compassion, being honest when things are not working and setting higher expectations for performance. Where possible, you'll look to support communities to play a bigger role in managing homes, engaging with what our residents are asking for and ensuring transparency and accountability translate into action.

We want our Executive Director to bring housing closer to residents and communities, ensuring their experience is understood at every level of the service.

You will also be a corporate leader. As a member of the Executive Management Team, you will work across organisational boundaries and ensure housing is connected to the wider resources, expertise and ambitions of the Council. The ability to bring people together will matter enormously.

You'll combine a strong record of improving complex housing services with regulatory expertise and operational grip. You'll understand the fundamentals of landlord services, asset management, compliance and building safety, with the breadth to lead housing needs, homelessness and temporary accommodation.

Just as importantly, you'll know how to lead through others. You'll unite teams behind a shared purpose, build confidence and capability, and deal openly with difficult issues. Politically astute, resilient and collaborative, you'll bring the emotional intelligence to connect different personalities and professional disciplines, creating a culture where accountability and care reinforce each other.

This is an opportunity to lead one of London's most significant housing portfolios and make improvement count in residents' daily lives. Bring the ambition to lead change - and the determination to make it last.

Closing date: Sunday 6 December 2026