Head of Housing | London, UK

Head of Housing

A housing leadership role with real purpose

There are housing roles where you inherit a settled service. This isn't one of them.

Tandridge District Council is looking for an experienced and credible housing leader to take on a significant improvement brief, strengthening services, driving transformation and making sure residents see and feel the difference.

As Head of Housing, you will be the Council's lead housing professional, with responsibility across landlord services, housing needs and homelessness, allocations and lettings, private sector housing, resident engagement and the long-term sustainability of the Housing Revenue Account.

Central to the role will be leading the Housing Transformation Programme, driving sustained improvement against the Social Housing Regulator's Consumer Standards and strengthening governance, compliance, performance and resident confidence.

This needs someone who understands what good looks like, can quickly get underneath the issues that matter and turn improvement plans into tangible change.

The role

You will provide strategic leadership across Housing, with responsibility for:

• leading the Housing Transformation Programme and delivering measurable service improvement;
• strengthening assurance against the Consumer Standards and maintaining inspection readiness;
• ensuring the long‑term sustainability of the HRA;
• maintaining strong oversight of landlord compliance, building safety, repairs and asset management;
• strengthening resident engagement and ensuring resident voice genuinely shapes services;
• providing trusted professional advice to Members and senior leaders;
• developing a confident, accountable and high‑performing Housing workforce.

The remit is broad, spanning Housing Management and Neighbourhoods, Housing Needs and Strategy, Assets and Property, and a dedicated Housing Transformation Programme.

Shaping what comes next

This appointment also comes at a defining point for local government in Surrey.

Tandridge District Council is preparing to become part of the new East Surrey Council alongside Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley and Reigate & Banstead. The previous recruitment material states that the new councils are expected to be created in April 2027.

For the incoming Head of Housing, that creates a different kind of leadership opportunity: to improve and strengthen the service now, while helping to shape how housing moves into the future organisation.

You will need to balance immediate improvement with longer‑term thinking, ensuring progress is embedded and the service enters its next chapter from a stronger position.

About you

We are looking for a senior housing leader with the credibility and experience to take on a role of this breadth.

You will bring significant leadership experience across housing services, alongside a strong understanding of landlord services, housing needs and homelessness, regulation and the Consumer Standards. You will have led meaningful transformation and service improvement and bring strong HRA financial understanding and experience of operating in a political environment.

But this role is about more than technical housing expertise.

We need someone who can take people with them. Someone who can build trust with residents, colleagues, Members and partners, bring clarity where things are complex and create the conditions for people to deliver.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to make a very visible difference: improving services for residents today while helping to shape the future of housing in East Surrey.

For a confidential discussion contact and

The package

• Salary: Up to £100k for an exceptional appointment
• Location: Oxted / Agile
• Contract: Permanent, 37 hours per week
• Annual leave: 36 days, plus 8 statutory bank holidays
• Benefits: Local Government Pension Scheme, flexible working including the opportunity to work from home for up to three days a week, flexi-time, payment of a relevant professional subscription and access to a discounted health scheme.

Contacts

Kembi Coakelin: Tim Hills:

Recruitment Timetable

• Sunday 15 November - 11.59pm
• Sunday 15 November - 11.59pm

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