Assistant Director Housing in Northallerton

Our People, Our Places, Our Homes. As Corporate Director of Community Development, I believe this is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced and highly capable housing leader to join us at a pivotal moment. Housing is one of the most high‑profile and closely scrutinised areas in local government, and the context in North Yorkshire is both uniquely challenging and rewarding. Three years on from Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), we have made significant progress in our improvement and integration journey, providing a great platform for career advancement.

You will be joining geographically the largest and one of the highest performing Councils in the country, providing the opportunity to work at scale, with complexity and ambition. The Council is the third most productive local authority in the country in the IMPOWER Index. The highest ranking in the North of England, evidence that the move to create a single unitary authority for North Yorkshire is paying off.

The leadership of landlord services has rapidly grown in importance as national regulatory standards continue to evolve. The service brings together a wide and diverse workforce delivering frontline housing management, tenant involvement, sheltered housing, repairs and maintenance, compliance, and asset management across more than 8,500 council homes. As we continue to align with evolving regulatory expectations, we are strengthening and modernising the service to support even greater clarity, accountability and strategic direction. This is an area where resilient, confident and experienced leadership will make a really positive impact.

You will lead a housing service with much to be proud of. Our homelessness, housing renewal and strategic teams are well‑established and continue to deliver high‑quality services, from private sector enforcement to supported housing improvements and housing development. Significant opportunities lie ahead including decarbonisation programmes and new council house building, as well as expanding our rural housing initiatives and using our healthy Housing Revenue Account to drive sustainable investment. We are fortunate enough to have the budget and the resources to deliver on our ambitions.

Whilst a lot of the ground has been laid in the three years since LGR, there is still much to do. This means that the role offers an exciting leadership opportunity to shape a large and complex housing service, bring people with you through continued cultural and operational change, and drive improvements that will directly benefit our residents. You will also work closely with colleagues across the council, with partners across the region, and with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority as new powers and investment opportunities develop.

You will drive forward our Housing ambition framed through three key themes: Our People, Our Places, Our Homes. The main priorities are to prevent homelessness, grow affordable supply, improve stock quality and energy performance, and to be an exemplar social landlord.

We are a Council that is prepared to make the bold decisions, such as charging an additional rate for second homes council tax and reinvesting the income into housing initiatives, delivering a £40m housing investment programme and building an additional 500 council homes. I am looking for a strategic, resilient and forward‑thinking leader — someone who understands the realities of landlord services, can navigate regulatory expectations with confidence, and can inspire a large and diverse workforce. You will need to be politically astute, collaborative, and able to “hit the ground running” in an environment where expectations are high and the pace of change is significant.

In return, you will join a committed and supportive team, working in a modern, hybrid way across a county that blends national‑level strategic importance with a high quality of place. We provide a solid base for you to build your career; high‑performing authority including Children’s Services assessed as Outstanding by Ofsted and share their practice nationally, Health and Adults services that have one of the highest scores from recent CQC inspections. Plus many innovations awards for our technological advancements. The stunning backdrop of North Yorkshire, one of the most desirable places in the country. Unparalleled quality of life in a county rich with culture, heritage, and landscape. The chance to shape a new council—your way, in a place where Housing underpins our critical ambitions. Operate at scale, and depth across a varied portfolio of services, beyond a ‘typical’ housing role. You will be welcomed by a strong leadership team and political leadership, together with talented teams. This role is an ideal platform for emerging Housing leaders and those aspiring to be future Directors.

If you are excited by the opportunity to shape and strengthen a housing service at such a crucial point in its development, we would be delighted to hear from you.