Strategic Housing Manager

Strategic Housing Manager

£57,350- £63,650 per annum

 37 hours per week, permanent contract

Cirencester/Agile & homeworking

Join us in tackling the housing emergency head-on!  In our district, the average price of a property is now a staggering 14 times higher than the average salary and the average private rent is now well over £1000. This alarming reality means that many locals are priced out of living in the communities they grew up in and cherish. Cotswold District Council is taking decisive action to change this narrative. 

Our top priority is to maximize the delivery of affordable homes. We believe that by significantly increasing the number of affordable homes, particularly social rented properties, we can begin to address this glaring imbalance. If you're passionate about making a real impact in housing delivery, we want to hear from you.

Cotswold District Council is seeking a Strategic Housing Manager to spearhead the acceleration of affordable home delivery across our district. We're on the lookout for a dynamic and driven individual who thrives on delivering results and is eager to implement innovative approaches that will make a tangible difference.

We are looking for a driven and enthusiastic delivery manager to design and implement innovative approaches to increase the number of affordable houses.

As we embark on an exciting service review, our aim is to cultivate an exemplary Strategic Housing team within the next 12 months. We need someone with the vision and determination to lead this transformational journey. If you're ready to drive positive change and shape the future of housing in our community, we invite you to join us.

About the role

We're seeking a candidate with a proven track record in housing policy and Strategic Housing development within either a Local Authority, Housing Association, or private sector setting. Your experience should demonstrate successful collaboration and the ability to effectively unite teams and partners to achieve impactful results.

As the Strategic Housing Manager, you will collaborate closely with the Chief Executive and the Leader of the Council to explore avenues for investing in affordable housing, whether through direct initiatives or collaborative efforts. Your role will involve forging partnerships with key stakeholders including Homes England, housing associations, and developers, to craft and execute affordable housing delivery programs for the Council.

Critical to success in this role are strong communication skills, both verbal and written, along with the capacity to generate precise and comprehensive information. We're seeking a motivated and innovative individual with a keen eye for detail, capable of proactive engagement with internal teams and external partners alike.

Key requirements

• Expertise in assessing housing needs.
• Strong negotiating skills.
• Successful track record in facilitating the delivery of affordable housing.
• Degree/HNC or equivalent qualification or significant experience in housing, planning or a relevant discipline.
• Knowledge of government policy and funding regimes in relation to affordable housing.
• Experience of developing housing related policies and strategies.
• Experience of working with Registered Providers and Developers, landowners and community groups.
• Political awareness.

Special conditions

• Ability to travel and have access to a vehicle for work purposes.
• This post is designated as politically restricted in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

For more information about this role please see the Job Description/Person Specification.
What can we do for you

• Agile working allowing a mix of home and office working
• Flexible working arrangements (depending on the role)
• 27 days paid annual leave (pro rata if you are working part time) plus bank holidays
• An extra two volunteering days off a year for you to support a charity of your choice
• Health cash plan giving you cash back on health, dental and eye-care
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, providing positive, preventative and supportive advice and counselling to deal with everyday events and issues
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice car lease scheme with huge tax and NI savings to be made on electric cars Access to digital financial advice (covering your pension scheme, mortgages and other finances)
• Generous sickness cover above statutory entitlements
• Additional income protection, covering 50% of your salary for potentially a further five years if you are unable to work due to sickness or injury
• Life assurance, currently four times your annual salary

To apply

If you believe that you are the person to help take our work and ambition to the next level we really want to hear from you. Email your CV and supporting statement (no more than two pages) to our HR partners, Publica, at join-us@publicagroup.uk.

• Closing date: Tuesday 16^th April 2024 at midnight
• Interview date: Tuesday 30^th April 2024
   

Interviews: we may interview candidates ahead of the deadline, so please aim to get your application in as soon as possible

It is important that our staff reflect the diversity of our community, and we therefore welcome and encourage applications from people of all genders and sexual orientation, those from Black, Asian, and other minority ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities.

Accredited of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies - Please state this within your covering statement or in a separate email.

Safer recruitment practices are applied to all job vacancies. Successful candidates will be required to complete a pre-employment medical questionnaire; provide references; proof of identity; nationality and immigration status; three years’ employment or education history (if applicable) and, in some cases, verification of criminal record.