Housing Operations Manager in Darlington

Location: Darlington

Salary up to £42,020.69 per annum including company vehicle and fuel card or £3,500 company car allowance.

Contract: Full time - Permanent, 40hrs per week, Monday to Friday.

Mears provides temporary accommodation to asylum seekers whilst their claim is being assessed in three regions: Northeast, Yorkshire and Humber, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. At the end of May 2021, Mears had over 19,000 service users across the three regions. Mears works in partnership with central and local Government, registered providers, tenants, landlords and investors to find solutions to homelessness, provide more social and affordable housing and create specialist housing for people with care needs.

About the Role:

We are seeking a motivated and experienced manager to lead a team of Housing Support Officers within the AASC contract. This role is pivotal in supporting frontline service delivery to our service users, many of whom may be vulnerable or have specific housing needs. You will oversee the full-service lifecycle, from property nomination through to move-out and reletting, while ensuring safeguarding practices are embedded across all operations. As part of the leadership team, you will also participate in the on-call rota as an Escalation Manager, supporting frontline teams in delivering high-quality, compliant, and compassionate services.

• Lead, manage, develop, and support Housing Support Officers to deliver contractual requirements in line with Mears policies and values.
• Oversee quality assurance within property management, including regular property visits and service user engagement.
• Ensure safeguarding and contractual compliance, achieving KPIs and commercial targets through effective team management.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying, developing, and embedding best practices across teams and the wider contract.
• Work collaboratively with senior leaders, partnership managers, and local services to deliver exceptional service and safeguard service users.
• Manage risk through effective planning, monitoring, and reporting, escalating issues promptly to senior management when required.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records and IT system data in line with contractual requirements.
• Support wider Mears Housing Management teams by undertaking ad hoc projects and providing cover as needed.

Role Criteria:

• Leading and motivating people in a performance management culture.
• Leading a team of frontline support staff which deliver person-centred services.
• Experience of managing team member related issues, e.g. personnel related tasks.
• Communicate effectively - relaying key messages to teams regularly.
• Evidencing outcomes of service delivery.
• Working with a diverse and vulnerable client group.
• Flexible and willing to travel between sites.
• Knowledge of the AASC contract.
• Hold a full UK driving licence.
• Happy to participate in the on-call rota as an Escalation Manager on a rota basis.

Benefits we can offer you:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
• Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment.
• Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more.
• Family friendly policies.
• Company Vehicle and Fuel Card.
• Access to EAP Counselling sessions.

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK; Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship. Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment. As part of the recruitment process for this role, we will carry out a Background, Identity, Security clearance & BPSS check. For these checks to be completed, we will require from you the relevant identification, including Proof of Address, References, a valid passport and proof that you have lived in the UK for the last 5 years.

If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all. We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this; we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.