Head of Operations (Responsive Repairs)

Housing Diversity Network
Overview

Job Title: Head of Operations (Responsive Repairs)

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £79,524.94

Working Hours: 35 hours per week, Full Time

Working Pattern: Monday-Friday, Hybrid

Location: London

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

Responsibilities

Responsible for leading and managing the Responsive Repairs Service, with direct line management of the Operations Management team to ensure the provision of an effective and efficient repairs service. Develop, implement, and manage an auditable performance matrix to enable the organization to monitor performance across the repair’s delivery model.

The role is senior leadership in nature and will be part of the Repairs and Maintenance senior leadership team. Work pro-actively and collaboratively with Heads of Service, Planning and Performance, Customer Experience, Compliance and Commercial to ensure continuous improvement across all workflows and KPIs delivered by Riverside Property Services.

Ensure all works delivered by the Direct Labour force and subcontractors meet a consistently high standard, representing value for money and excellent customer service.

About you

We are looking for someone who holds a degree in building or surveying, contract management or equivalent and/or extensive experience of working at a senior level within Social Housing Repairs and Maintenance. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of building construction and common defects in residential housing, and strong experience working with contractors and managing performance against SLAs.

Why Riverside?

At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives. We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 25 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Flexible working options available
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:

We are inclusive. Riverside values diversity in all its forms and fosters a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.

Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role they will be guaranteed an interview. This role also falls under our Ethnic Diversity guaranteed interview scheme. If you are Ethnically Diverse and meet the minimum criteria for the role you will be guaranteed an interview.

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.

Role Profile

• Manage and oversee a high performing direct labour force and sub-contractor management framework across the directorate by embedding a high-performance culture including practical risk and opportunity management processes which are simple to apply and add value.
• Ensure the customer experience is central to all activities by adopting a professional manner when communicating with service users, clients, and internal/external stakeholders, including appearance, company ID, and maintaining a high standard of Health & Safety requirements.
• Effective line management of the Repairs operations team to deliver a customer focused service.
• Provide leadership to the team through coaching, mentoring, 121s and team meetings; ensure team members understand their roles and responsibilities and share good practices as BAU.
• Ensure service compliance with all statutory and health and safety regulations for directly employed operatives and maintenance contracts.
• Develop the reactive maintenance team to adapt to changing services.
• Influence decisions to support continuous improvement and understand market trends.
• Produce and manage the budget for the team with Value for Money considerations.
• Induct and train team members; ensure personal development plans are reviewed.
• Support Senior Manager colleagues to monitor third party contractor performance against service levels and KPIs.
• Produce timely management reports to support service delivery.
• Ensure capacity within the Repairs operations team to cover pre-booked and unforeseen absence; attend meetings and trainings as required.
• Ensure IT systems, PDAs, and schedule of rate codes are used correctly; monitor job status and ensure follow-on actions are completed daily.
• Manage high-profile repairs, including complaints and Housing Ombudsman inquiries; take learning to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Collaborate with scheduling teams, senior managers, supervisors and subcontractors to deliver an efficient service and maintain high customer satisfaction.
• Maximise productivity with strong resource management and ensure subcontractors comply with Group standards and safety procedures.
• Manage subcontractor performance to meet KPIs, minimise penalties, and maintain quality and customer service. Participate in out-of-hours rota as required. Hold a current UK driving licence. Be prepared to work flexibly during operating hours.

Person specification Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Degree in building or surveying, contract management or equivalent and/or extensive senior-level experience in Social Housing Repairs and Maintenance
• Knowledge of building construction and common defects in residential housing
• Strong experience working with contractors and managing performance against SLAs
• Health and safety regulations knowledge
• Management experience of staff or teams to achieve high performance targets
• Good IT skills and literacy
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written
• Ability to build effective links with related departments, suppliers and customers on technical issues
• Detailed knowledge of building services, including whole life cost design
• Solution-focused with quick grasp of technical concepts
• Experience managing a significant annual budget
• Demonstrable track record of managing a maintenance service
• Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills
• Proactive approach with focus on continuous improvement

Desirable

• Ability to design and run a lean service delivering value for money
• Experience in managing change programmes
• Knowledge of National Housing Federation Schedule of Rates
• Experience using IT systems including mobile working, job management and performance systems
• Experience of partnership working

Job Summary

• Location: London
• Organization: Riverside Housing
• Job Type: Permanent
• Closing Date: 19/09/2025
• Reference ID: 35947

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