Governance and Regulatory Assurance Leader

James Stevens Associates are delighted to be working with a small but mighty Social Housing organisation that are now looking for their first Governance & Regulatory Leader.

• Format: Hybrid 3 days per week in office X 2 days from home
• South London Offices
• Salary: £58,000 - £68,000
• Industry: Social Housing
• Type: Permanent Opportunity
• Innovation-led non for profit organisation
• Hire Required ASAP so this will be a quick process

The organisation is a multi-award-winning, Great Place to Work certified organisation transforming the way social and supported housing is delivered. They are 95% paperless, operate with no internal emails, and use modern platforms like Asana, Pleo and Informed by Homeless Link to stay agile and effective. They were also the first UK organisation to introduce VR-based mental health and wellness programmes for residents, in partnership with Meta. They embrace regulation, innovation and change without the bureaucracy of large corporates.

The Opportunity

We're genuinely excited to be hiring their first Governance & Regulatory Assurance Leader at a pivotal stage of their journey. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with a highly engaged Board, this role will lead the organisation through end-to-end registration with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and embed strong, future-fit governance and assurance frameworks as they grow. This is a hands-on, high-impact role which is ideal for someone who enjoys building governance frameworks from the ground up rather than inheriting them.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the organisation through end-to-end registration with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), acting as the primary point of contact and managing all regulatory engagement, submissions and follow-up
• Ensure ongoing compliance with RSH standards and housing legislation, including building safety, fire safety, tenant standards and wider regulatory requirements
• Oversee regulatory returns, business plan assurance and financial compliance, working closely with Finance to ensure long-term viability and regulatory assurance
• Design, implement and continuously improve the org's governance and assurance framework, aligned to the NHF Code of Governance and regulatory expectations
• Provide full Board and company secretarial support, including governance reporting, schemes of delegation, terms of reference and statutory records
• Lead the development and embedding of policies, internal controls and compliance monitoring, including governance reviews and regulatory self-assessments
• Own regulatory risk management and assurance, coordinating audits, maintaining risk registers and ensuring robust regulatory evidence
• Act as the organisation’s internal authority on housing regulation, supporting Board and leadership training and embedding a strong regulatory culture
• Maintain forward regulatory and governance planning, KPIs and continuous improvement as the organisation grows
• Provide governance and regulatory oversight for bids, tenders, funding and contractual commitments, ensuring risk, compliance and assurance throughout

This role will suit someone who:

• Has end-to-end RP registration experience
• Has strong experience in social housing governance and housing management compliance
• Comes from a small to medium-sized organisation (not a large corporate)
• Is highly organised with excellent attention to detail
• Is comfortable being the first governance lead on the ground
• Enjoys working at pace and wearing multiple hats
• Is confident engaging with Boards, regulators and senior stakeholders
• Thrives in digital-first, paperless environments

Ways of Working

• Hybrid model: 3 days in the office (Mon/Tue/Fri), 2 from home
• Office locations: Sydenham (primary) and Bromley
• We value meaningful in-person collaboration over endless Teams meetings
• Small teams, minimal hierarchy, fast decision-making

Why Join them?

“They strive for excellence to improve ourselves, transform services, enhance lives and advance society.”

At the organisation, governance isn’t about ticking boxes it’s about enabling impact, innovation and trust. If you’re looking for a role where your work will truly shape an organisation’s future, this one is worth a conversation.