Head of Housing

Principal People Recruitment; Birtley; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 10% employer pension

Private medical insurance

Discretionary bonus

Income protection

Life assurance

Share schemes

Pension contributions (3%/6%)

Private Medical Insurance

Travel Insurance

Cycle to Work Scheme

Health Care Cash Plan

Refer a Friend scheme

Job summary

Principal People Recruitment is seeking a Head of Affordable Housing for a leading for-profit Registered Provider. Based in Aldershot with hybrid working, you will provide senior operational leadership across housing operations, governance, regulatory assurance and Board reporting.

You will lead the housing management team, oversee budgets and performance, and maintain regulatory relationships with Homes England, the GLA and Local Authorities, while driving value for money and strategic delivery.

Qualifications

• Senior experience in affordable housing or a housing association environment.
• Strong governance, regulatory, and board reporting capability.
• Leadership experience and strategic oversight of housing operations.
• Financial and commercial awareness with a focus on value for money.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership across housing operations, governance and regulatory assurance.
• Report to the Board on performance, regulatory compliance and portfolio developments.
• Oversee budgets, financial performance and asset-management activity.
• Lead the housing management team and collaborate with corporate functions.

Skills

Senior leadership

Affordable housing

Regulatory compliance

Board reporting

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Financial & commercial awareness

Education

Degree level or commensurate experience

MRICS / CIH preferred

Job description

Head of Affordable Housing / Registered Provider

Aldershot / Hybrid £80,000-£85,000 + Excellent Benefits Permanent

Why apply to this Head of Housing role?

This is a rare opportunity to take on the senior operational leadership role for an established for-profit Registered Provider, combining affordable housing, regulation, governance, assurance and strategic oversight within the backing of a major FTSE 250 residential property organisation.

You will benefit from:

• Direct exposure to the Board and senior leadership team.
• The opportunity to influence the direction and performance of an established affordable housing portfolio.
• A broad remit spanning housing operations, governance, regulatory assurance, risk and commercial performance.
• Leadership responsibility for an established housing services team.
• Support from wider specialist functions including finance, treasury, property management and lettings.
• The opportunity to operate strategically while remaining close enough to operational delivery to see the impact of your decisions.
• A strong benefits package including up to 10% employer pension contribution, private medical insurance, discretionary bonus, income protection, life assurance and share schemes.

The organisation is a major UK residential property business operating within the private rented and Build to Rent market. Its affordable housing division operates as a for-profit Registered Provider, with a portfolio of approximately (phone number removed) homes across Aldershot, Waterlooville, London and Bristol.

This is a senior and influential position providing oversight across housing operations, regulatory compliance, governance, risk and Board-level reporting.

Rather than personally delivering every aspect of day-to-day housing management, you will provide leadership, challenge and assurance, ensuring the Registered Provider continues to deliver strong outcomes for residents while meeting regulatory requirements.

In this Head of Housing role, you will be responsible for:

• Ensuring the Registered Provider continues to meet the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing.
• Providing regulatory, governance and risk assurance to the Board.
• Reporting to the Board on performance, regulatory compliance, policy changes and portfolio developments.
• Producing Board papers and ensuring actions are appropriately progressed.
• Maintaining oversight of housing-management performance across the portfolio.
• Monitoring areas including complaints, repairs, voids, income, arrears, ASB, damp and mould and wider housing performance.
• Maintaining the risk register and relevant regulatory returns.
• Supporting reporting requirements involving Homes England, the GLA and Local Authorities.
• Providing leadership and support to the in-house housing management team.
• Overseeing budgets and financial performance.
• Maintaining oversight of planned works and asset-management activity without acting as the day-to-day technical asset manager.
• Driving strong customer outcomes, value for money and appropriate commercial performance.
• Working collaboratively with wider corporate functions.

We would like to speak with candidates who can demonstrate:

• Senior experience within affordable housing, a Registered Provider or housing association environment.
• Strong housing-management knowledge.
• Experience of regulatory compliance, governance or assurance.
• Strong Board-level reporting capability.
• The ability to interpret regulatory change and translate this into action.
• Leadership experience.
• Strong stakeholder-management and communication skills.
• Experience interpreting housing-performance information and identifying areas requiring intervention.
• Strategic thinking alongside a good understanding of operational housing delivery.
• Financial and commercial awareness.

Previous experience specifically within a for-profit Registered Provider is not essential.

Degree-level or commensurate experience is sought, alongside a minimum of five years' relevant managerial experience. MRICS / CIH is preferred rather than essential.

Location

The preferred base is Aldershot, with travel required across Waterlooville, London, Bristol and the wider portfolio.

The organisation operates a flexible working model, although this is a visible senior leadership role and candidates should expect a strong office and operational presence.

Salary & Benefits

Salary: £80,000-£85,000

Flexibility: Up to £90,000 is workable for the right candidate.

Benefits include:

• 24 days' annual leave.
• Increasing to 25 days after 2 years' service.
• Increasing to 27 days after 5 years' service.
• 8 bank holidays.
• 3 additional company days for the Christmas closure between Christmas and New Year.
• Pension: 3% employee / 6% employer contribution.
• Enhanced pension option: 5% employee / 10% employer contribution.
• Private Medical Insurance, subject to scheme rules and treated as a taxable benefit.
• Discretionary bonus based on company and individual performance.
• Travel Insurance.
• Income Protection providing up to 75% of basic salary in the event of qualifying long-term illness or injury, subject to scheme rules.
• Life Assurance at 4x annual salary.
• Health Care Cash Plan.
• Share Schemes.
• Digital health and wellbeing support through .
• Eye Care Vouchers.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Travel Loan.
• Shopping discounts.
• Refer a Friend scheme.
• Refer a Resident scheme.

If you are a senior affordable housing professional looking for a broader leadership role where you can influence operations, regulation, governance and strategy, we would be keen to speak with you.