Assistant Director - Property Services

Location: Essex
Salary: -58,000 rising to -64,368
Reports to: Executive Director - Property Services
Responsible for: Departmental Heads

Our client in Essex is a Homelessness Charity and Registered Social Housing Provider, supporting people to overcome homelessness and rebuild their lives. With a portfolio of supported accommodation, offices, and a small number of retail units, they are committed to providing safe, well-maintained environments that foster recovery and independence.
They are now seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to join the Senior Management Team as Assistant Director - Property Services.

This pivotal role carries overall responsibility for ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks, overseeing planned and responsive maintenance, asset management, and facilities services, while leading both in-house repairs/compliance teams and external contractor relationships.
The successful candidate will ensure all properties are safe, compliant, efficient, and fit for purpose, supporting service users to feel secure and respected in their homes. You will also play a key role in strategic decisions around asset management, sustainability, and capital investment, aligning with wider organisational objectives.
This is both an operational and strategic leadership position-perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, is passionate about service excellence, and wants to make a tangible impact in tackling homelessness.

Service Development & Delivery

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  Lead the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of property services.
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  Ensure full legal and regulatory compliance across all properties, including building safety, landlord obligations, H&S, and social housing standards.
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  Oversee responsive and planned maintenance, including contractor management.
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  Embed robust compliance monitoring and audit systems.
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  Champion a "right first time" approach, incorporating tenant feedback and co-production.

Leadership & People Management

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  Provide inspirational leadership to departmental managers and teams.
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  Recruit, develop, and performance-manage staff within Property Services.
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  Drive cross-departmental collaboration and service integration.
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  Contribute actively to the Senior Management Team, supporting strategic planning and transformation.

Governance & Compliance

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  Lead governance structures to manage property and capital projects.
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  Monitor and mitigate risks related to property, safety, and compliance.
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  Report to the Executive Team, Trustees, and regulators.
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  Ensure services operate within robust policies, procedures, and QA frameworks.

Finance & Budgetary Oversight

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  Manage departmental budgets with strong cost control and value for money.
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  Develop short- and long-term investment plans for asset management.
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  Work closely with Finance to align capital/revenue spend with priorities.
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  Approve procurement, contracts, and departmental spend within delegation.

Miscellaneous

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  Act as an ambassador for the organisation''s mission, values, and vision.
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  Build collaborative relationships with partners, funders, contractors, and stakeholders.
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  Ensure property services support strategic priorities such as sustainability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Essential Experience & Knowledge

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  Significant senior experience in property, housing, asset, or facilities management (social housing, supported housing, or charity sector preferred).
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  Strong understanding of regulatory and statutory requirements (housing, landlord compliance, H&S, building safety).
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  Proven track record of managing multi-disciplinary teams and contractors.
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  Budget management experience in resource-constrained environments.
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  Skilled in risk management and delivering high-quality, compliance-led services.

Skills & Competencies

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  Inspirational leader with strong people skills.
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  Excellent communicator across all stakeholders, including tenants and regulators.
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  Strategic thinker, commercially astute, with project management expertise.
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  Confident with data and analytics to inform decision-making.
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  Committed to inclusive, values-driven leadership and co-production.

Qualifications

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  Degree or equivalent in a relevant field (construction, housing, property management, surveying).
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  Membership of a relevant professional body (RICS, CIOB, IWFM) or equivalent experience.
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  Ongoing CPD and commitment to best practice.