Independent Living Area Manager - Buildings in Watford

Location: Bedford

Contract: Permanent

Salary: up to £40,000 per annum depending on experience, plus £2,000 car allowance

Hours: 37 hours per week

We're looking for an experienced and people-focused Independent Living Area Manager - Buildings to oversee the day-to-day operations and maintenance of our Independent Living schemes. This is a key leadership role, ensuring our buildings are safe, compliant and welcoming, and that residents receive a consistently high standard of service. The role will involve close working with the in-house Maintenance Service, Health and Safety, and Compliance teams, particularly in relation to repairs, ensuring guidance is followed and cross-team activity is effectively managed. You'll lead and support operational teams including Compliance Officers, Maintenance Officers and Cleaning staff, coordinating both planned works and responsive issues while building strong relationships with residents and colleagues. Your work will directly contribute to safe homes, regulatory compliance and a positive customer experience.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop operational teams, providing clear direction, regular support and performance management
• Oversee day-to-day operations across Independent Living schemes, ensuring planned and reactive works are delivered efficiently and to standard
• Ensure all schemes meet health and safety, regulatory and organisational compliance requirements
• Maintain high cleaning and scheme standards through inspections, audits and effective feedback
• Build trusted relationships with residents, using feedback to drive service improvements and increase satisfaction
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation to resolve issues and deliver joined-up solutions
• Monitor performance, produce accurate reports and use insights to improve service delivery and efficiency
• Identify and manage operational risks, driving continuous improvement
• Contribute to operational planning and budgeting, balancing quality, affordability and customer expectations

About you

You'll be a confident and practical leader with experience in facilities, property services or maintenance environments, ideally within residential or Independent Living settings. You'll be customer-focused, organised and comfortable managing multiple priorities while leading dispersed teams. You'll bring:

• Proven leadership experience with the ability to motivate and develop operational teams
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to engage with residents, colleagues and contractors
• Experience in facilities, property services or maintenance operations
• Knowledge of health and safety, compliance standards and building systems
• An understanding of cleaning standards in residential or supported environments
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to analyse performance data
• A collaborative approach and commitment to inclusive, respectful working
• Basic financial awareness, with experience contributing to planning or budgets

Our Values:

At bpha, our values are at the heart of everything we do: We take responsibility: We do what we say and are accountable for our actions. We show empathy: We respect and listen to every colleague and customer. We are better together: We value diversity and achieve more as one team. We are ambitious: We strive for excellence and make a positive difference.

Why join us?

You'll be joining an organisation that puts people at the heart of what we do. We're committed to taking responsibility, showing empathy, working better together and being ambitious in improving services and making a positive difference for our customers. In return, we offer a supportive environment, opportunities to develop your leadership skills, and the chance to play a meaningful role in shaping high-quality Independent Living services.