Job Description
Who we are & what we stand for
Do you want to lead the delivery of essential housing services that support tens of thousands of residents every day, from homelessness prevention to tenancy and estate management?
If that sounds like you, keep reading – we might be the perfect match.
These roles form part of a wider organisational redesign to ensure the Council is structured to deliver high-quality, efficient and sustainable services for the people of Gateshead. This supports our commitment to modernising how we operate, strengthening accountability and putting residents at the heart of everything we do, ensuring everyone in our borough can thrive.
At Gateshead Council, we take pride in delivering high‑quality services that make a real difference to residents’ lives. As a Head of Service, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across key functions, helping to shape services, drive improvement and support our Thrive agenda. You will be part of a collaborative leadership community that values innovation, integrity and strong partnership working.
Supporting services that make a difference to our communities
Our Housing Services function is responsible for a wide range of frontline and statutory housing activities that affect the everyday lives of residents across Gateshead. From homelessness prevention, temporary accommodation and allocations, to adaptations, rent management, tenancy and estate management, sheltered housing and community involvement, the service plays a central role in ensuring people can access safe, suitable and sustainable homes.
As Head of Housing Services, you will lead large operational teams, drive service improvement, ensure regulatory compliance, and deliver excellent outcomes for tenants, applicants, vulnerable households and communities.
What you will get to do
In this senior leadership role, you will:
Provide strategic and operational leadership across homelessness, housing management and frontline housing services, ensuring excellent customer outcomes and value for money
- Lead homelessness assessment, prevention and temporary accommodation services, ensuring statutory compliance and effective demand management.
- Lead asylum and refugee housing services, strengthening partnership working with statutory agencies and support organisations.
- Oversee the Housing Register, allocations, nominations, transfers and adapted property registers, ensuring fairness, transparency and compliance.
- Lead the delivery of the Council’s adaptations service, including HRA- and DFG-funded provision and development of the Home Improvement Agency.
- Lead tenancy and estate management services, including rent and service charge collection, tenancy sustainment, neighbourhood management and community involvement.
- Provide strategic leadership for older persons’ housing, including sheltered, supported and specialist accommodation services.
- Lead and improve end-to-end voids management and reletting performance, minimising void loss and improving turnaround times.
- Provide strategic and operational leadership for anti-social behaviour and safeguarding services, ensuring effective prevention, enforcement, partnership working and protection of vulnerable residents.
- Lead caretaking and handyperson services, ensuring they support safe, clean and well-maintained neighbourhoods and contribute to tenancy sustainment.
- Ensure compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing consumer standards, including self-assessment, monitoring and improvement planning.
- Drive continuous service improvement through systems mapping, process redesign, customer insight and tenant-led scrutiny.
- Monitor and respond to complaints, Housing Ombudsman decisions, FOI requests and regulatory feedback, embedding learning across services.
- Manage budgets, contracts and external funding streams (including grant funding), ensuring compliance with funding conditions and delivery of value for money.
- Ensure tenant voice and feedback influence service delivery and continuous improvement, with clear evidence of impact.
- Contribute to the wider Housing Services leadership team and corporate priorities, supporting integrated service delivery across the Council.
- Provide strategic advice to Elected Members, partners and senior officers, lead business continuity, risk management and emergency planning, and act as a member of the Council’s Emergency Response Team when required
What you will bring
We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate:
- Extensive knowledge of homelessness legislation, housing management practice, allocations policy and tenancy and estate management in a social housing context.
- Significant senior leadership experience across complex housing operations and frontline services.
- Proven ability to deliver high-quality homelessness, tenancy, estate and customer-facing housing services.
- Strong financial and performance management capability, including experience managing large budgets, contracts and funding programmes.
- Excellent partnership-building and influencing skills, working effectively with statutory agencies, Registered Providers and voluntary organisations.
- An approved Level 4 housing management qualification (or willingness to achieve within the Competence and Conduct Standard transition period).
- A degree-level qualification or substantial relevant experience that demonstrates the ability to operate at a strategic Head of Service level
What’s in it for you
- Competitive Salary: We offer fair and transparent pay that reflects your skills and experience.
- Outstanding Pension Scheme: We don’t just offer a great salary – we invest in your future too. Find out what benefits a Local Government Pension provides: https://twpf.info
- Generous Annual Leave: Enjoy 28 days of annual leave, rising to 32 days after 5 years (2 of which can be fixed by the Council), plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
- Hybrid & Flexible Working: We support a healthy work-life balance with flexible and hybrid working options.
- Learning & Development: Access a wide range of training, development, and progression opportunities to help you grow your career.
- Health & Wellbeing Support: From discounted gym memberships through our partner GLL to mental health resources, we care about your wellbeing.
- Cycle to Work Scheme: Save money and stay active with our tax-efficient cycle to work programme.
- Electric & Hybrid Car Scheme: Get behind the wheel of a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle through our salary sacrifice car scheme in partnership with NHS Fleet Solutions – a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to drive (after 12 months service).
- Exclusive Discounts & Salary Sacrifice: Through our VIVUP employee benefits platform, enjoy discounts on shopping, travel, and services – plus salary sacrifice options on white goods, electronics, and more, helping you spread the cost of essential purchases (after 6 months service).
Our commitment to you
We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to have a culture and a workplace where our people feel a sense of belonging, are respected and empowered to do their best work. We know that we deliver better services when our workforce reflects the full range of backgrounds and experiences in the society we serve. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation
How to apply
You can apply online using the apply now button below. Within the form, you’ll be asked for details about you, your career history, skills, experiences and qualifications.
We advise you to be as detailed and specific as possible, paying particular attention to any of the above which are relevant to the role to which you are applying.
If you have any questions about your application, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our recruitment team via recruitment@gateshead.gov.uk
Please note: As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. However, in high-volume recruitment situations, it may not always be practicable to interview every eligible candidate. In such cases, we may need to prioritise those who best meet the essential criteria, based on the information provided in the application.
Additionally, the Council reserves the right to close this vacancy early or adjust the shortlisting criteria, including the pass mark for interview selection, to ensure a fair and manageable recruitment process. We encourage early applications.