Home Ownership Officer

CIH International Housing Group; Kettering; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid and flexible working

Pension scheme

Generous leave entitlement

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

North Northamptonshire Council is seeking an experienced Housing professional to deliver Right to Buy and Leasehold services to tenants and leaseholders. The role combines income management, casework, inspections and service improvements to ensure high-quality customer outcomes.

You will work with internal teams and external partners to manage applications, handle complex enquiries, and ensure compliance with legislation while maintaining a focus on safeguarding and community engagement.

Qualifications

• Min GCSE X 5 incl Maths and English or equivalent
• CertCIH - Membership Achieved = CIH Qualification or Equivalent Level 3 or above.
• Experience of working with a local authority or registered provider in a similar role. Minimum 3 years.
• Knowledge of the housing legislation, regulation and case law
• Understanding county court possession/Money Judgement orders and claims procedures.
• Experience of working with people who may find themselves in difficult situations and who may have multiple/complex needs including challenging behaviours
• Experience of managing and prioritising own workload without supervision to meet demands and targets
• Excellent communication skills over several disciplines
• Ability to demonstrate a firm but fair approach to managing customer services and relationships whilst maintaining a professional attitude
• Excellent interviewing, file note taking, negotiation and compromising skills to achieve solution-focused outcomes
• Ability to explain complex matters clearly to customers in plain english terms.
• Ability to build relationships with individuals who have multiple or complex needs
• Able to produce clear, concise, factual and persuasive written letters and reports
• Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people's behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.
• Excellent IT and keyboard skills
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle for work
• Willing to work outside normal office hours as necessary
• This post is subject to a DBS check

Responsibilities

• Delivering a professional, customer-focused Right to Buy and Leasehold Management service.
• Acting as the Council's subject matter expert on Right to Buy legislation and processes.
• Managing leaseholder service charges, ground rents, billing, income collection, and debt recovery activities.
• Administering annual service charge accounts and ensuring accurate, transparent financial records.
• Supporting leaseholders with enquiries, disputes, financial challenges, and complex lease-related issues.
• Preparing and presenting cases at First Tier Tribunals and supporting legal action for debt recovery when required.
• Providing budgeting guidance, debt prevention support, and signposting customers to specialist advice services.
• Managing Right to Buy applications from initial enquiry through to property sale completion.
• Conducting property inspections and ensuring compliance with relevant Right to Buy legislation and timescales.
• Responding to complaints, enquiries from elected members and MPs, and customer correspondence.
• Working collaboratively with internal teams, legal services, contractors, and external stakeholders.
• Monitoring performance, producing management information, and contributing to service improvements.
• Engaging with leaseholders and residents to encourage participation and influence service delivery.
• Promoting safeguarding, health and safety, and identifying risks to customers, properties, and the Council.
• Keeping up to date with best practice, legislation, and developments in Right to Buy and leasehold management.

Job description

About the role

Help customers navigate home ownership and leasehold services while making a positive difference to local communities.

Join North Northamptonshire Council's Housing team and play a key role in delivering high-quality Right to Buy and Leasehold services. This customer-focused position supports tenants and leaseholders throughout their journey, ensuring excellent service delivery, effective income collection, and positive community engagement. You'll help enhance customer satisfaction, strengthen relationships with residents, and contribute to creating thriving neighbourhoods across North Northamptonshire.

What will you be doing?

Join our Housing team and play a vital role in delivering high-quality Right to Buy and Leasehold services to tenants and leaseholders across North Northamptonshire. This varied and customer-focused role combines specialist expertise, income management, customer engagement, and service improvement to ensure residents receive responsive support and excellent service throughout their journey.

• Delivering a professional, customer-focused Right to Buy and Leasehold Management service.
• Acting as the Council's subject matter expert on Right to Buy legislation and processes.
• Managing leaseholder service charges, ground rents, billing, income collection, and debt recovery activities.
• Administering annual service charge accounts and ensuring accurate, transparent financial records.
• Supporting leaseholders with enquiries, disputes, financial challenges, and complex lease-related issues.
• Preparing and presenting cases at First Tier Tribunals and supporting legal action for debt recovery when required.
• Providing budgeting guidance, debt prevention support, and signposting customers to specialist advice services.
• Managing Right to Buy applications from initial enquiry through to property sale completion.
• Conducting property inspections and ensuring compliance with relevant Right to Buy legislation and timescales.
• Responding to complaints, enquiries from elected members and MPs, and customer correspondence.
• Working collaboratively with internal teams, legal services, contractors, and external stakeholders.
• Monitoring performance, producing management information, and contributing to service improvements.
• Engaging with leaseholders and residents to encourage participation and influence service delivery.
• Promoting safeguarding, health and safety, and identifying risks to customers, properties, and the Council.
• Keeping up to date with best practice, legislation, and developments in Right to Buy and leasehold management.

About you

• Min GCSE X 5 incl Maths and English or equivalent
• CertCIH - Membership Achieved = CIH Qualification or Equivalent Level 3 or above.
• Experience of working with a local authority or registered provider in a similar role. Minimum 3 years.
• Knowledge of the housing legislation, regulation and case law
• Understanding county court possession/Money Judgement orders and claims procedures.
• Experience of working with people who may find themselves in difficult situations and who may have multiple/complex needs including challenging behaviours
• Experience of managing and prioritising own workload without supervision to meet demands and targets
• Excellent communication skills over several disciplines
• Ability to demonstrate a firm but fair approach to managing customer services and relationships whilst maintaining a professional attitude
• Excellent interviewing, file note taking, negotiation and compromising skills to achieve solution-focused outcomes
• Ability to explain complex matters clearly to customers in plain english terms.
• Ability to build relationships with individuals who have multiple or complex needs
• Able to produce clear, concise, factual and persuasive written letters and reports
• Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people's behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.
• Excellent IT and keyboard skills
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle for work
• Willing to work outside normal office hours as necessary
• This post is subject to a DBS check

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we're transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You'll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

• Customer-focused
• Respectful
• Efficient
• Supportive
• Trustworthy

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Our Employment and Disability Service provides bespoke support to individuals facing barriers to employment, helping them work towards their goals to start, stay and succeed in employment. For further information please click here The Employment and Disability Service (EADS) | North Northamptonshire Council

Armed Forces Community

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)