Assistant Director - Asset Operations

This job application is restricted to applicants in the UK only. An accomplished asset professional with passion and drive for providing high quality social housing to lead our specialist team which owns and manages complex strategic asset related issues for our social housing property portfolio across the Southeast of England. Our work encompasses non-freehold assets, disrepair, building remediation, lease arrangements, statutory notifications/obligations, stock rationalisation, stock investment, where technical expertise is critical for ensuring Paradigm assets are effectively managed, compliant and perform against financial and customer experience KPIs.

You will be required to exhibit passion, determination and innovation to drive our Asset Management and wider corporate strategies forward, using a range of resources and data driven interventions to achieve the best outcome for our customers and assets. Ownership and responsibility for the Lease, Asset Projects, Surveying and Asset Appraisal Teams, providing clear and measurable guidance to Heads of department and Managers to deliver a highly productive service. Responsible for 2 direct reports and a further 30 indirect reports in the team. Reporting to and working closely with the Deputy Director of Strategic Asset Management you will set and deliver the strategic aims and objectives of Asset Operations.

Delivering the Asset Management Strategy’s outcomes and contribute to the requirements for longer term evaluation and investment. Overall responsibility for Paradigm Housing Group’s (PHG) non-freehold portfolio including the enforcement of PHG held leases within the non-freehold portfolio. Providing oversight and a guiding hand on all third party and complex lease arrangements and delivering a programme of de-risking as required. Oversee and support the implementation of an Asset Optimisation (including land) and disposal strategy including a programme of national stock reviews and programmes of portfolio disposals and acquisitions which drive corporate, asset and customer performance.

Responsible for the delivery of Paradigm's Decarbonisation Strategy, incorporating existing and emerging government standards to improve the energy efficiency of our assets. Assess and improve Paradigm's EPC and decarbonisation data, advising and implementing on the required systems and processes required to maintain key information and drive proactive decision making. Review and validate PHG’s 3, 5 and 30-year investment plan, ensuring the investment/divestment assumptions are robust, evidenced and delivered to the Investment and Finance Teams in a timely manner to enable resource and work planning.

Oversee the implementation of a deeds and lease repository strategy, ensuring our Lease data is appropriately maintained and located in a secure environment and that key information within is digitised and accessible. Ensure Paradigm has a robust data and reporting arrangements on stock condition, decency, property and investment requirements and implementing the required systems and processes required to maintain this key information and drive proactive decision making. Maintain and build documented links and accountabilities with Development Team to ensure new assets are delivered to specified standards and integrated into existing asset management systems.

Accountable for associated budget planning, with clear alignment to programmed works delivery and the Finance Directorate to ensure the delivery of short and medium-term financial targets. Cultivate a high-performance culture that champions ownership, delivers results and is obvious in all internal (colleague) and external (customer) transactions and relationships. Foster and drive a culture of safety first for all team members, identifying and providing all necessary assessments and equipment to ensure colleague welfare.

Proactively engage with both internal and external groups such as Executive Board, non-executive, project boards, local authorities, regulatory bodies and resident groups in all aspects of Property or corporate requirements, preparing reports and delivering presentations as required. You should be able to demonstrate a high calibre of written, spoken and presentation skills to engage effectively with executives, non-executive Board members and strategic partners, managing expectations and challenging with sound logic and expertise when and where appropriate.

About you: You could be working as senior manager or ‘Head of’ or already an Assistant Director / Director in a smaller organisation looking for your next career move. Ideally, we are looking for the following experience and skills:

• Recognised relevant degree-level technical qualification OR equivalent experience, preferably in Strategic Asset Management, Surveying or Legal Services
• Experiencing operating at a Senior Leadership level with substantial professional experience in the required areas of expertise
• Substantial experience in a commercial or social landlord Property environment with clear application to the planning and delivery of Strategic programmes and major projects
• Comprehensive understanding of asset management and experience in dealing with the key accountabilities above
• Extensive knowledge of Asset Management principles, including building forensics and survey, statutory and regulatory requirements, and working knowledge of major works contracts
• Demonstrable experience of legislation, regulation and sector related issues including the development and implementation of policies and procedures required to ensure best practice
• Detailed understanding of strategic environmental and sustainability issues with the skills to drive the necessary assessment and implementation programmes to achieve the government’s Zero Carbon target.
• Experience of leading a diverse technical team, driving high performance levels with energy and purpose.
• An ability to inspire; develop and motivate, creating a culture of effective collaboration across the business
• A proven collaborator demonstrating a strong understanding of how Asset Management impacts the wider business and an agile approach to supporting the business
• Strong experience of procurement practices and processes, appointment of professional advisors and contract management
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including the ability to influence others and communicate complex technical topics
• Current driving licence

Paradigm Housing Group is one of the South East’s leading housing providers. We employ over 600 staff and manage over 17,000 properties, with an annual turnover of +£150million, we are a financially strong, safety conscious, and an environmentally aware social housing provider. We are a Best Companies 2 STAR accredited organisation in recognition of our high employee engagement and offer a welcoming and friendly environment. The organisation is clearly focussed on the delivery of its five-year corporate plan with ambitious and challenging objectives including improving our environment and sustainability targets to deliver quality homes to people who need them. We welcome applications from all sections of the communities we work in shortlisting will be conducted in line with the essential and desirable criteria set out in the person specification.

Shortlisting 08 April Initial interviews starting w/c 14 April 2025 TBC. We are Paradigm Housing Group. We manage more than 15,000 homes across the South East. We know that house prices in the areas where we work are high, both to buy and rent. We want to help more people have a safe and sustainable home that they can afford. As a charity, the money we make goes into building new homes and providing an excellent service for residents.