Head of Support Services (Property)

Head of Support Services (Property)

Sunderland

£75,000 (plus pending pay award)

About the Company

We are a values-led, charitable organisation that provides more than 60,000 people in Sunderland with a place they can call home. We have a clear vision and a social purpose. We believe that everyone has the right to live in a good quality home that they can afford. We invest millions of pounds every year to keep our existing homes safe and decent. We also play our part in helping to deal with the UK housing crisis by building hundreds of new, modern homes for rent in Sunderland. There has never been a better time to be a part of Gentoo. Our property directorate has been brought together into one knowledgeable and experienced team, working together to maintain and invest in our portfolio of 28,500 homes, serving 60,000 customers. We are also focussed on the future and we are currently developing our new Corporate and Property Strategy which will set a clear direction of future travel for the organisation.

About the Role

The Head of Support Services (Property) is responsible for the overall operational management and delivery of Gentoo’s support services functions within Property Maintenance. This includes responsibility for the overall performance and the financial management of all services which support the delivery of maintenance services to customers’ homes including; Materials Management, Fleet Management, Customer Contact, Administration, Work Scheduling, Customer Access and Performance ensuring all relevant performance indicators are achieved with suppliers, and ensuring all support functions are delivered to a high quality, are centred around customers, and achieve high levels of customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Leadership – the ability to develop high performing teams, with a collaborative style which inspires others to deliver a great service to customers.
• Engagement - Open and inclusive approach to customer and colleague feedback on how to improve services to customers.
• Commercial - Demonstrable experience of budget management and value for money.
• Customer - A customer focused and commercial mindset ensuring Gentoo delivers great services to customers and spends our money wisely.
• Contract Management – Significant experience of managing external suppliers delivering materials and fleet.
• Governance - High level of written, presentation and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to tailor to a variety of audiences.

Qualifications

Leadership – Extensive relevant experience in a similar asset or property role, managing colleagues, IT systems, suppliers, and key stakeholders.

Contract management – Experienced In managing with key suppliers, setting and achieving KPIs and managing resources effectively.

Financial management – Experienced in large budgets, operates commercially, and committed to ensuring value for money.

Reporting – The ability to manage, challenge and act on underperformance.

Communication – A good communicator with colleagues, stakeholders, and contractors

A strong record of demonstrable achievement, at senior level in an organisation of comparable size and complexity to Gentoo, in property maintenance.

Track record of effective leadership of a professional staff team working under pressure to deliver excellent results in a property-based environment.

Experience of managing a large number of support functions, including a detailed understanding of resource management systems and effective staff deployment

Knowledge

• Knowledge of DRS or similar, and how to maintain and maximise the use of such systems.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of issues affecting property maintenance and how to improve performance in this area.
• An understanding of how to successfully deliver materials supply to a large workforce.
• Knowledge of the management and delivery of services from a ‘mobile’ workforce operating services from ICT platforms. Reporting and analysis of these systems
• An understanding of how to successfully deliver materials supply to a large workforce.
• Knowledge of the management and delivery of services from a ‘mobile’ workforce operating service from ICT platforms.

Attributes

• Communication - The ability to communicate effectively in a range of settings and to write clear, concise reports, which have clear conclusions and recommendations.
• Customer focus – Experienced in working with a diverse range of customers, with continuous engagement and delivering best in class services.
• Leadership – A supportive and visible leader who provides clear direction, develops professionalism and high performance in others.
• Challenge – Possesses the interpersonal skills to challenge constructively, build rapport and influence senior leaders.

We are committed to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. Equality ensuring people from all communities have equal opportunities to access services. Diversity is about respecting and valuing people’s differences and treating them in a suitable way. Inclusion is about making sure that people feel comfortable to be themselves.

Further details and information on how to apply can be found on the microsite: https://gentoo.castlepeak-group.com/ or by emailing our retained consultancy Castle Peak Group: james.carss@castlepeak-group.com