Homelessness Lead Worker

Crisis; Oxford; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A national charity for overcoming homelessness in Oxford is seeking a Structured Coach (Landlord Liaison) to support individuals at risk of homelessness into the Private Rental Sector. The role requires excellent negotiation and relationship-building skills to secure good quality housing. The ideal candidate will have experience in relevant sectors like mental health or homelessness. Strong understanding of the local housing market and effective mediation skills are important.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Interest free loans for travel and cycle to work

Pension scheme with 8.5% employer contribution

28 days’ annual leave increasing with service

Enhanced parental leave

Wellbeing Leave

Qualifications

• Experience of working within a relevant sector (e.g. homelessness, mental health, drug and alcohol treatment).
• Excellent understanding of the rental housing market local to Skylight Oxford.
• Understanding of both the needs of social and private landlords.

Responsibilities

• Supporting people who are at risk of homelessness into the Private Rental Sector.
• Finding, securing and maintaining relationships with landlords.
• Building collaborative relationships with individuals supported.

Skills

Experience in homelessness or mental health

Understanding of rental housing market

Effective negotiation skills

Ability to mediate

Job description

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We have embarked on our 10-year strategy for ending homelessness. We know it is not inevitable. We know together we can end it.

Location: Based in Skylight Oxford, Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford, OX1 2AQ

Job title: internally this role is known asStructured Coach (Landlord Liaison)

Crisis Skylight Oxford is located in the Old Fire Station in the centre of the city. Our team provide a one to one specialist housing led service to help people find and secure affordable housing. We offer person centred support and will help people with anything that will support them to end their homelessness, such as mental health and well‑being, finances or finding employment.

The Old Fire Station building also accommodates a range of flexible arts spaces which are run by an independent arts company.

About the role

In this role you will carry your own caseload and be supporting people who are at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness into the Private Rental Sector.

You will be part of a supportive and established team who have knowledge and experience of accessing the PRS sector. With a specialism in landlord liaison you will be finding, securing and maintaining the relationships we need with private and social landlords to provide a supply of good quality and affordable homes for Crisis members.

The key to success will be your ability, as part of the Crisis team, to make collaborative, consistent and persistent relationships with each person you support and have good partnership working skills.

About you

To be successful in this role you will have :

• Experience of working within a relevant sector (e.g. homelessness, mental health, drug and alcohol treatment) and have good knowledge of relevant housing, homelessness and welfare legislation
• Excellent understanding of the rental housing market local to Skylight Oxford and experience of sourcing and procuring properties including demonstratable knowledge of the legal requirements when letting a property
• Understanding of both the needs of social and private landlords and the barriers and opportunities faced by people moving out of homelessness and into housing.
• Effective negotiation skills with the ability to mediate between parties who may have different priorities and to broker agreements

You may have experience in; Homelessness, Mental health, Drug and Alcohol or the Criminal Justice System

Please see the full Job Pack linked below, for a full list of requirements for this role. We realise that long lists of criteria can be daunting, and you may not want to apply for a role unless you feel 100% qualified. However, if you feel you have relevant examples to answer the screening questions, we encourage you to apply.

We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds.

Working at Crisis

Our values, Bold, Impactful, Collaborative and Equitable, are at the heart of everything we do as we continue in our mission to end homelessness.

Our staff, members and volunteers are vital to getting the right government policies in place, providing breakthrough services, and building a supportive community. We’ll lead by example to nurture a positive and ambitious workplace guided by ending homelessness.

Employee Benefits

• A competitive salary. Please note our salaries are fixed to counter inequity and we do not negotiate at offer stage.
• Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy.
• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%
• 28 days’ annual leave (pro rata) which increases with service to 31 days and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay.
• Wellbeing Leave to be used flexibly
• And more! (Full list of benefits available on website)

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career.

When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.

How do I apply?

Please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below. Our shortlisting process is anonymised as part of our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We do not ask for CVs, instead we ask you complete the work history section and answer the screening questions for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively. At least two members of staff score all applications.

Closing date : Sunday 30 November 2025 at 23 : 59

Interview date and location : Tuesday 9 December2025, either in person at our Oxford Skylight, Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford, OX1 2AQ or online Microsoft Teams

Interview process : Competency-based interview

AI in Job Applications

We understand some candidates use AI tools when applying. Whilst we welcome the use of technology to support clear communication and structure, we want to learn more about you, so please ensure that your application reflects your own skills, knowledge and experiences

Accessibility

We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email our Talent Acquisition team to discuss how we can help.

Registered Charity Numbers : E&W1082947, SC040094