Strategic Lead: Benefit & Homeless Prevention

Hackney is London's most diverse and dynamic borough. Stretching from the edge of the City to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it is an area of rapid economic growth, particularly in the tech, media, fashion, and other creative industries. Hackney has more green space than any other inner London borough, some of the capital's best schools, and first-class transport connections, which combined with excellent local public services and a thriving arts, cultural and retail sector, are fast making it one of London's most popular areas to live, work and visit.

Our challenge is to make sure that our borough's economic growth provides benefits for everyone who lives here, and to create opportunities that will transform the lives of local people.

We know that staff are key to our success, and we are seeking people with ambition, creativity, and commitment to our values to help us achieve the best for the people of Hackney.

Our Benefits and Homeless Prevention Service has responsibility for all areas of homelessness; from rough sleeping to housing allocations as well as the assessment of Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and the Here to Help Service. This innovative approach is helping us provide a more joined up service and more focused support for those in Hackney that are at risk of homelessness.

We are currently recruiting for an additional Strategic Lead to join a team of 7, specifically to manage our Housing Supply area. The Housing Supply area is responsible for the procurement and contract management of temporary accommodation providers, as well as sourcing privately rented homes for homeless households.

A large part of this role is negotiation, contract management and establishing and maintaining good relationships with landlords. You will be the face of the Service to private rented sector landlords nationwide and you will lead on the development to source new properties, both in and out the borough. You will have good commercial acumen, and be financially astute exercising effective control over budgets, quality, and performance.

The Council regularly tenders for new providers under a Dynamic Purchasing System and this role is responsible for leading on the evaluation and scoring of new tenders and bringing them on to the framework. Part of the role is managing a team who are responsible for visiting and inspecting properties.

With the introduction of the Renters Reform Act this year, you will also lead on implementing changes to ensure compliance and closer working with Private Sector Housing colleagues on enforcement, inspections, licensing, and tenancy sustainment for tenants. We are looking for those with significant knowledge and experience managing within a housing supply environment.

The new manager will possess strong negotiating skills and knowledge of relevant legislation which must include a working understanding of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. You will need to be confident and passionate about outstanding customer service and making sure delivery standards are achieved providing critical support for local people.

You will possess good political awareness skills and be articulate, organised, and resilient. The ability to multi-task and be a strategic thinker is imperative. Strong contract management experience is essential encompassing a strong and professional attitude delivering creative and innovative solutions.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values, so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CVs.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application. As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency-based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications: 08 July 2025 (22.59).

Interview and assessment date: W/C 21 Jul 2025.

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included, and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk