PRINCIPAL MANAGER (MAINTENANCE & COMPLIANCE) in Suffolk

The Principal Manager (Maintenance & Compliance) is a senior leadership role responsible for ensuring a residential property portfolio remains safe, compliant, well-maintained, and fit for occupation at all times. The postholder will lead the compliance and safety function, ensuring all statutory, regulatory, and landlord obligations are met. They will oversee compliance programmes, asset safety management, service improvement initiatives, and strategic planning activities while maintaining a zero-tolerance approach to compliance failures. Working within a large operational property maintenance environment, the role is responsible for protecting residents, managing risk, driving continuous improvement, and ensuring services are delivered efficiently and effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership and Strategic Management
  • Act as the Principal Responsible Manager for compliance and property safety, ensuring residential properties remain compliant with all relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.
  • Provide strategic leadership for safety and compliance services, ensuring residents remain safe in their homes at all times.
  • Lead, manage and develop a multidisciplinary compliance team, ensuring staff are competent, supported and able to meet organisational objectives.
  • Contribute to business planning, performance management, service transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Develop, implement and monitor compliance strategies, policies, procedures and performance frameworks.
• Compliance and Safety Management
  • Lead and oversee all activities associated with key landlord compliance areas, including: Fire Safety, Lift Safety (LOLER), Emergency Lighting, Alarm Systems, Gas Safety, Damp and Mould, Electrical Safety, Asbestos Management, Water Hygiene and Legionella Control.
  • Ensure all statutory inspections, testing, servicing and remedial works are undertaken within regulatory timeframes.
  • Monitor compliance performance and implement corrective actions where risks or failures are identified.
  • Ensure hazards identified through stock condition surveys, building inspections and risk assessments are managed appropriately.
  • Maintain effective systems for compliance monitoring, reporting, auditing and assurance.
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant housing, building safety, health and safety, and landlord regulatory requirements.
• Asset Management and Service Delivery
  • Support the effective delivery of planned maintenance, repairs, refurbishment and improvement programmes.
  • Monitor contractor and consultant performance to ensure compliance, quality, value for money and customer satisfaction.
  • Manage allocated budgets and resources in accordance with organisational objectives.
  • Develop long-term approaches to maintaining safe, sustainable and compliant homes.
  • Oversee risk management arrangements and ensure appropriate mitigation measures are implemented.
• Stakeholder Management
  • Build effective working relationships with residents, contractors, consultants, regulators and internal stakeholders.
  • Provide professional advice and guidance on compliance-related matters to senior management and operational teams.
  • Prepare and present performance reports, business cases and recommendations to senior leadership.
  • Represent the organisation in meetings with external regulators, industry bodies and partner organisations.
• Continuous Improvement
  • Lead service improvement projects to enhance compliance performance, customer outcomes and operational efficiency.
  • Identify opportunities for innovation and best practice within property compliance and maintenance services.
  • Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and resident safety.
  • Ensure lessons learned from audits, inspections, incidents and complaints are incorporated into service delivery.

Person Specification

• Qualifications
  • Essential: Degree qualification in Building Surveying, Construction, Engineering, Property Management, Asset Management, Health & Safety, or a related discipline. Membership of a relevant professional body or equivalent professional experience. Evidence of continuing professional development.
  • Desirable: Health and Safety qualification (NEBOSH, IOSH or equivalent). Chartered status or professional membership with a recognised institution (RICS, CIOB, CABE, IFE, CIBSE, IWFM or equivalent).
• Experience
  • Essential: Significant experience in a senior management role within property maintenance, asset management, compliance, housing, facilities management or a similar operational environment. Experience managing compliance programmes and safety-related services. Experience managing staff, budgets and performance. Experience of maintaining regulatory compliance within residential properties. Experience in business planning, change management and continuous improvement. Experience managing contractors, consultants and service providers.
  • Desirable: Experience managing large-scale housing or residential property portfolios. Experience working within a highly regulated environment. Experience managing statutory compliance across multiple safety disciplines.
• Knowledge
  • Essential: Strong understanding of landlord compliance responsibilities and property safety requirements. Knowledge of legislation and best practice relating to: Fire Safety, Gas Safety, Electrical Safety, Water Hygiene, Asbestos, Lifting Equipment, Building Safety, Health and Safety. Understanding of risk management and compliance assurance frameworks.
  • Desirable: Knowledge of social housing regulations and consumer standards. Understanding of stock condition data and asset management planning.
• Skills and Competencies
  • Essential: Strong leadership and people management skills. Excellent organisational and planning skills. Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to influence and build effective relationships at all levels. Strong financial and budget management skills. Ability to drive organisational change and continuous improvement.
  • Desirable: Experience leading large-scale service improvement programmes. Advanced report writing and presentation skills.
• Personal Attributes
  • Positive and proactive approach to leadership. Strong commitment to resident safety and customer service. High standards of professional integrity. Results focused with a commitment to continuous improvement. Ability to make sound decisions under pressure. Flexible and adaptable to changing business needs.
• Special Requirements
  • Flexibility to attend meetings and site visits outside normal working hours when required. Willingness to travel between sites and operational locations. Commitment to ongoing professional development and maintaining technical competency.

This version is suitable for housing associations, registered providers, local authority housing services, property management organisations, build-to-rent operators, and other residential property owners or managers.