Assistant Director of Assets

Bernicia is all about helping people in need of housing. We believe a good home makes lots of other things possible, so we provide great homes and services that do just that. We’ve built Bernicia to be a business that people want to be a part of. We’re one of the North East’s largest and most successful housing providers; building, renting, selling and managing homes as well as providing services to over 60,000 customers. Everything about Bernicia is people focused, that’s why we’ve held the Investors in People Gold Award since 2010. We operate within a set of simple, but effective values, which blend perfectly to create our unique ‘Bernicia Way’ culture. This ensures we are customer focused, through working together, respecting each other, being accountable for our actions and demonstrating integrity and leadership.

We are now seeking an exceptional Assistant Director of Assets, a critical role of strategic importance in achieving our ambitions, and you will be key in ensuring the successful delivery of our core purpose of investing in homes, services, people and partnerships to make a positive impact on the communities of the North East. In this influential role, you will use your strengths and passion in the provision of strategic leadership across asset management and the related ‘client’ property functions of planned investment, retrofit, environmental sustainability and strategic asset management, ensuring the organisation delivers a best‑in‑sector service. You will deliver continuous improvement across services, embedding customer engagement/involvement, commercialism and continuous improvement within your teams. A key focus will be the delivery of circa £121m investment over 5 years across our 14,000 homes and 151 estates, maintaining our robust and comprehensive understanding of our housing stock through on-going analysis of condition survey, repairs data, complaints and other customer insight.

Accountabilities

• Lead the development and implementation of the Asset Management Strategy and associated plans which support and enable the delivery of the Corporate Strategy and the aims and objectives of Bernicia.
• Ensure customers are meaningfully involved in shaping and influencing services and property‑related decisions.
• Work collaboratively across internal and external stakeholders to deliver high‑quality, value‑driven services.
• Oversee the creation of reconciled short‑, medium‑ and long‑term investment plans, working collaboratively to influence and supporting the development of the business plan.
• Ensure delivery of investment programmes on time, within budget, and to required quality standards and associated KPI/MPI.
• Lead the successful delivery of procurement, design, and contract administration for investment and planned works programmes.
• Responsible for carrying out the duties of Commercial Client and Designer/Principal Designer in accordance with the requirements of the Construction, Design and Management Regulations, ensuring full compliance and management of risk across all programmes.
• Guarantee all statutory approvals, surveys, and pre‑contract activities are in place prior to works starting.
• Act as lead data owner/controller for all property‑related data systems.
• Ensure property, regulatory compliance, and stock condition data is accurate, validated, timely and provides a single version of the truth.
• Maintain and enhance asset databases, ensuring cost assumptions and lifecycles remain current, being based upon high quality, accurate, validated and timely data.
• Use high‑quality data and trend analysis to inform priorities, scenarios, and future planning.
• Lead retrofit and decarbonisation programmes aimed at achieving affordable warmth, environmental sustainability, and least‑regret investment.
• Oversee the development and application of strategic asset management, including sustainability modelling/matrices, applying the principles of active asset management in optimising value in delivery of the strategic objectives.
• Lead the development and delivery of options appraisals, including neighbourhood planning, targeted interventions, regeneration options, and disposal decisions.
• Identify and secure external funding streams, particularly for retrofit and sustainability initiatives.
• Lead the delivery of statutory returns and ensure compliance with relevant legislation, and as a minimum Decent Homes, MEES, Heat Network and Billing Regulations, working collaboratively to support other leads.
• Deliver continuous improvement across services and ensure commercial, customer‑focused outcomes.
• Drive effective management of contractor performance, ensuring services delivered meet service specifications, agreed standards and customer requirements, driving innovation and seeking out efficiencies and cost reduction opportunities, including the identification, implementation and monitoring of service level agreements and improvement targets as appropriate.

About you

• Chartered Status or Degree or significant demonstrable and relevant experience at a similar level.
• A strong and proven track record of leading client construction technical and asset management services, including procurement, project management, contract administration, and management/control of large budgets.
• Experience of leading professionals (in relevant disciplines) and successfully delivering the required outcomes in a performance driven culture.
• Demonstrable experience of developing a customer facing property team, embedding customer engagement/involvement, commercialism and continuous improvement at its core.
• Ability to interpret and analyse complex data and information, making clear decisions/ recommendations to ensure delivery of the asset management strategy and compliance in full.
• Experience of the development, delivery and review of short- and medium‑term financial plans.
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of the current and emerging key regulatory requirements within the housing sector, including a comprehensive knowledge of current and future challenges.
• Provide inspirational leadership and be a role model for others.
• Strong leadership that creates purpose and supports the vision and values of the organisation.
• Create an environment that builds trust and open communication.
• Inspire, motivate and guide others to achieve objectives.

The Benefits

• 36 days annual leave (including bank holidays).
• Opportunity to work from home up to 2 days a week, where applicable to your post.
• Make big savings on day‑to‑day expenses with discounts on shopping, groceries, holidays and days out.
• Health cash plan.
• You will be required to drive for business, and must hold a current and valid driving licence.
• The Asset & Property team operates across our Ashington, Durham and Berwick offices. The primary office base for the role is Ashington, and this is where the majority of corporate meetings take place. There is also opportunity to spend time with the teams in the other office locations.
• The Group is fully committed to the promotion of equal opportunities and we particularly welcome applicants from groups who are currently under represented at Bernicia.