Acquisitions Officer

We have big aspirations here in Thanet as we seek to tackle the shortage of affordable housing in our district. Last year, we decided to acquire at least 400 homes before 2027—in addition to our own affordable homes new-build programme. We are already well over a quarter of the way to reaching that target. We are building relationships with developers. We are also thinking holistically internally, smoothing out processes for colleagues who need to consider management, maintenance, and allocation for these homes.

We’re looking for someone who has:

• Ambition that matches ours
• Experience in spotting an opportunity
• Sound communications skills
• The ability to take ownership of the acquisition process
• Experience in inspecting homes for quality of construction.

With a background in property, local government, or the social housing sector and related qualifications, you will understand why councils intervene in the housing market and acquire properties and land. You will be at the forefront of identifying opportunities, negotiating with developers and ensuring the smooth handover of those homes to our operations team.

Main duties

• Lead on compliance-related matters to ensure the safe handover of all acquired off-plan, section 106 and ‘buy-back’ homes, playing an active role in the ‘snagging’ process
• Support the Acquisitions Manager and finance colleagues in the production and review of business cases and feasibility studies for properties in the Council’s pipeline
• Act as an ambassador with agents and developers to encourage further opportunities for the Council to intervene in the market and unlock site delivery
• Regularly attend site meetings with developers and employers’ agents, working with internal and external partners and providing regular updates to the Acquisitions Manager, the Strategic Housing Manager and the Head of Housing & Planning Services
• Assist in aspects of contract management and budget monitoring to ensure value for money across all acquisitions
• Keep project management records up to date, monitoring risk analyses, project plans and computer records, ensuring a full audit trail for decisions and that information is properly filed and organised

Tasks will include

• Acting opportunistically, but alongside colleagues from registered providers (RPs) to source many leads for the Council to acquire land and properties to deliver affordable housing, easing the pressure on its temporary accommodation spend and housing register waiting list
• Considering energy efficiency in all new acquisitions
• Taking a holistic approach to how homes will be maintained or managed when they become Thanet District Council’s and liaising with relevant colleagues in the Council - across directorates - to ensure that the handover from developer to Housing to operational teams is seamless
• Taking responsibility for your own work, performance, development and behaviours, using your own initiative to ensure that expectations are met
• Putting the customer at the heart of all that the Council does

Thanet is a great place to live and work...
Our historic seaside towns of Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs and surrounding villages are rich in heritage and opportunity. With 19 miles of stunning coastline, our beautiful Blue Flag beaches, the internationally renowned Turner Contemporary, and the UK’s only Royal Harbour are all just a short train ride from central London, thanks to the high-speed rail link. Our proximity to the port of Dover and the Eurotunnel at Folkestone means Europe is literally on our doorstep, too.

All of this, combined with a flexible approach to work, makes it an exciting time to join Thanet District Council. We have set our sights high. We want our residents to enjoy the highest-quality services. We want to ensure that by listening to local people, working in active partnership, and innovatively doing things, we can accelerate improvement to meet the challenges ahead.

Due to the nature of the role, the successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS check as part of their pre-employment checks.

For an informal discussion about this post, please contact Mark James at mark.james@thanet.gov.uk or 01843 577290

Job Posting Acquisitions Officer with Thanet District Council in Margate advertised on The JobsBoard.

All applications are forwarded to Thanet District Council and they will contact you directly.