Head of Building Safety & Compliance

Local Space is seeking an experienced Head of Building Safety & Compliance to guide its statutory compliance, building safety and regulatory assurance function.

This is an important senior leadership role within the Assets & New Business directorate. The person appointed will help ensure Local Space meets its statutory, regulatory and corporate responsibilities across building safety and property compliance, while providing clear assurance to the Executive Team, Audit & Risk Committee and Board.

Local Space has a clear and important social purpose. The organisation exists to help tackle homelessness, particularly in Newham and across London, by providing safe, secure and well-managed homes for people in housing need. Its operating model includes a complex mix of directly managed homes, properties within third-party superior landlord blocks, and stock delivered through partnership arrangements. This creates a distinctive compliance environment requiring technical knowledge, careful judgement, reliable assurance processes and collaborative stakeholder management.

The organisation is also growing. As Local Space expands its housing portfolio over the coming years, this role will play an important part in strengthening systems, improving compliance data, developing assurance frameworks and ensuring the organisation is prepared for future regulatory expectations.

The role

You will guide the organisation’s approach to building safety and property compliance, with responsibility for the “Big 6” areas of fire, gas, asbestos, legionella, electrical and lift safety. You will help ensure clear systems are in place for monitoring, reporting, escalation and assurance.

An important part of the role will involve overseeing compliance arrangements in relation to third-party superior landlords. A large proportion of Local Space’s homes sit within blocks owned or managed by other landlords, including local authorities, registered providers, private freeholders and managing agents. While Local Space is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of its residents, some communal and block-level compliance obligations sit with those third parties.

This creates a nuanced assurance environment. The successful candidate will need to understand how to manage compliance risk where evidence may need to be requested, chased, escalated and verified through external landlords or managing agents. You will support the development of clear processes for identifying gaps, assessing risk, escalating concerns and putting appropriate mitigation in place where evidence is delayed or unavailable.

You will also guide Local Space’s approach to the Building Safety Act, Golden Thread principles, Safety Case preparation and future Higher-Risk Building requirements. While Local Space does not currently have Higher-Risk Buildings in its stock, the organisation wants to ensure it is prepared for future growth and any expansion in Building Safety Regulator scope.

Key responsibilities

You will:

• Oversee statutory compliance across fire, gas, asbestos, legionella, electrical and lift safety.
• Develop and maintain a clear compliance assurance framework.
• Provide evidence-based reporting to the Executive Team, Audit & Risk Committee and Board.
• Oversee compliance programmes, servicing, inspections and remedial works.
• Improve compliance data, systems and reporting arrangements.
• Support preparation for future building safety requirements, including HRBs, Safety Case Reports and Golden Thread principles.
• Manage compliance risks linked to leasehold, managing agent and third-party landlord arrangements.
• Oversee contractor performance, with a focus on quality, value for money and regulatory compliance.
• Work collaboratively with asset, repairs, housing and senior leadership colleagues.
• Act as a point of contact for building safety and compliance matters with regulators and external stakeholders.

About you

We are looking for an experienced building safety or compliance professional with a good understanding of statutory compliance in housing or a similarly regulated environment.

You may already be operating at Head of Service level, or you may be a senior compliance manager, lead compliance specialist or equivalent looking to move into a broader leadership role.

You will bring:

• A track record in statutory compliance across a housing portfolio.
• A broad understanding of the “Big 6” compliance areas.
• Good knowledge of fire safety, building safety legislation and landlord health and safety.
• Experience of providing assurance to senior leadership, Executive Teams or Boards.
• Experience managing contractor performance and compliance programmes.
• An understanding of complex landlord, leasehold or managing agent arrangements.
• Well-developed leadership, communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• A recognised qualification in building safety, construction, surveying, health and safety or a related discipline.

For more information please reach out to Luke Joy at Neemar Search lukejoy@neemarsearch.com.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

Local Space is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and values-led organisation. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Our recruitment process is fair and accessible, ensuring equal opportunities for all candidates. As a Disability Confident employer, we’re happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the process, please let us know if there’s anything we can do to support you

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