Operations Manager (Repairs and Maintenance) - 18 month FTC in Chelmsford

We are looking for an Operations Manager (Repairs and Maintenance) for an 18 month FTC to be responsible for the effective day‑to‑day leadership and delivery of the responsive repairs service, ensuring that repairs are completed safely, compliantly, right‑first‑time and within target, while maintaining a strong focus on customer satisfaction, workforce performance, and cost control. The role oversees in‑house and contracted repairs, managing Supervisors and Contracts Managers, tracking work in progress (WIP), resolving repeat repairs and complaints, and allocating efficiently. It leads repairs performance by turning organisational priorities and compliance needs into consistent service delivery, while supporting and enabling Supervisors to focus on productivity, quality, and staff wellbeing.

What you’ll be doing:

• Maintain strong control of Work in Progress (WIP), prioritising jobs effectively, addressing overdue and high‑risk repairs, and ensuring service demand is balanced against available resources.
• Manage and motivate the team to deliver excellent customer focused empty homes, planned programmes of work services and grounds maintenance, resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Lead and manage the repairs budgeting and forecasting process, ensuring delivery and submission of budget and forecasts.
• Accountable for repairs performance and KPIs, including completion within target, customer satisfaction, cost of service delivery, quality of works, and productivity across all repair’s activities.
• Manage our out of hours service, setting out the rotas and managing the teams and process for our out of hours service and providing report on the service.

What we are looking for:

• Full, clean driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.
• Strong people management skills with managing in‑house teams and contractors.
• Ensure compliance with all statutory, regulatory, and health and safety requirements, maintaining up‑to‑date knowledge of relevant legislation and best practice and ensuring these are embedded in operational delivery.
• Excellent knowledge of the social housing sector, including government and industry guidance, British standards, building regulations and safety requirements.
• Experience of successfully leading, managing and motivating teams, including managing team performance and the work of contractors.
• Ability to influence senior leadership.

Please note the office expectancy of this role is as follows: This role will require you onsite full time initially for a period of training before adopting hybrid working practices where you will be required in the office for a minimum of 3 days a week.

The salary for this post will be £59,086 Per Annum. Learning and development opportunities. Robust employee reward and recognition programme. Free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme. 25 days annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays, 3 extra days between Christmas and New Year and 1 wellbeing day per annum. 37 hours per week - employees may be able to work flexibly by agreement with their line manager, taking account of business need. We operate a hybrid working policy at CHP.

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications or successfully appoint a candidate before the closing date. We encourage early applications to avoid disappointment.