Senior Operations Manager (Property – Voids)

Salt Digital Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 140,000; Part time

Job summary

Salt Digital Recruitment is seeking a Senior Operations Manager (Voids) for a large London local authority to lead the Voids Service and drive performance across internal teams and contractors.

You will focus on reducing void turnaround times, improving contractor performance, reducing backlog and protecting rental income, while providing visible operational leadership and managing Contracts Managers and support functions.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading social housing voids, repairs or property maintenance operations.
• Strong understanding of social housing operational environments.
• Experience delivering operational recovery or service improvement programmes.
• Proven experience managing operational management teams.
• Extensive contractor and supplier management experience.
• Strong knowledge of KPIs, SLAs, productivity and performance management.
• Experience working within regulated housing or property environments.
• Strong stakeholder, leadership and escalation management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the Voids Service.
• Manage and hold Contracts Managers accountable for performance and delivery.
• Oversee Surveyors, Service Managers and operational teams.
• Drive improvements in void turnaround times, backlog reduction and weekly property completions.
• Manage contractor performance, capacity, productivity and service delivery.
• Challenge underperformance and lead recovery activity where targets are not being achieved.
• Oversee workforce deployment, resource planning and operational workflows.
• Identify and remove delays and bottlenecks across the end-to-end void process.
• Monitor KPIs, SLAs and operational performance data.
• Lead operational and contractor performance meetings.
• Manage escalated operational risks, issues and service failures.
• Ensure properties are returned to a safe, compliant and lettable standard efficiently.
• Drive operational efficiency, value for money and reductions in void-related rental loss.
• Promote a high-performance, accountable and collaborative working culture.

Skills

Social housing operations

Contractor management

Performance management

Stakeholder leadership

Voids management

Job description

Contract Details

Type: Contract
Duration: 24 weeks
Rate: £500 per day Inside IR35
Location: South London
Working Pattern: On-site
Hours: 36 hours per week
Target Start: 28 September 2026

Role Overview

A large London local authority is seeking an experienced Senior Operations Manager (Property – Voids) to lead the day-to-day operational delivery of its Voids Service. The role will be responsible for driving performance across internal teams, contractors and support functions, with a strong focus on reducing void turnaround times, improving contractor performance, reducing backlog, increasing housing availability and protecting rental income. You will provide visible operational leadership, manage Contracts Managers, oversee service performance and support the delivery of the wider Voids Recovery Programme.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the Voids Service
• Manage and hold Contracts Managers accountable for performance and delivery
• Oversee Surveyors, Service Managers and operational teams
• Drive improvements in void turnaround times, backlog reduction and weekly property completions
• Manage contractor performance, capacity, productivity and service delivery
• Challenge underperformance and lead recovery activity where targets are not being achieved
• Oversee workforce deployment, resource planning and operational workflows
• Identify and remove delays and bottlenecks across the end-to-end void process
• Monitor KPIs, SLAs and operational performance data
• Lead operational and contractor performance meetings
• Manage escalated operational risks, issues and service failures
• Ensure properties are returned to a safe, compliant and lettable standard efficiently
• Drive operational efficiency, value for money and reductions in void-related rental loss
• Promote a high-performance, accountable and collaborative working culture

Essential Experience

• Significant experience leading social housing voids, repairs or property maintenance operations
• Strong understanding of social housing operational environments
• Experience delivering operational recovery or service improvement programmes
• Proven experience managing operational management teams
• Extensive contractor and supplier management experience
• Strong track record of improving service performance and reducing operational backlogs
• Experience managing multiple operational workstreams and competing priorities
• Strong knowledge of KPIs, SLAs, productivity and performance management
• Experience working within regulated housing or property environments
• Strong stakeholder, leadership and escalation management skills

Important Information

• Applicants must have the Right to Work in the UK
• Applicants must be UK residents
• This is an on-site role in South London
• Candidates must be able to commute to and work on-site for the required working pattern
• Interviews will be conducted on-site, with details to be confirmed
• Strong demonstrable experience within social housing voids, repairs or property maintenance operations is essential
• A full Job Description will be shared with applicants whose skills and experience closely align with the requirements of the role.
• *Rates depend on experience and client requirements