Head of Housing Technology in Woolwich

To be jointly responsible to the Senior Assistant Director of Resources and the Director of Housing and Safer Communities, delivering (and ensuring proper governance of) a roadmap of technology-centric change and management of the Housing IT team. Providing strategic leadership and operational oversight of Housing Technology functions, ensuring that core housing systems and technologies are robust, secure, and continuously improved in alignment with council priorities. This role will lead the development of innovative digital solutions that enhance service delivery, drive transformation, and maximise value for money. The postholder will shape and deliver a forward-thinking technology roadmap, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to translate business needs into actionable system strategies. As a key member of the Housing IT leadership team, they will play a pivotal role in embedding a culture of excellence, accountability and innovation - nurturing a high-performing team and ensuring Housing IT contributes meaningfully to wider corporate and service transformation goals.

Management Responsibilities

• Direct Line Management of up to 4 staff
• Indirect Management of a team comprised of ~21 staff (Housing IT)
• Identify opportunities for digital innovation and service improvement, ensuring technology adoption supports efficiency, compliance, and improved resident outcomes.
• Lead the evaluation, procurement, and implementation of new systems or modules, ensuring strategic fit, cost-effectiveness, and successful integration with existing platforms.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders, including service heads, Digital leadership, and programme boards, to ensure systems developments are well-governed and contribute to service transformation.

Portfolio Leadership and Governance

• Oversee a portfolio of system-related projects, upgrades, and enhancements, ensuring robust project planning, stakeholder engagement, risk management and delivery to time and budget.
• Provide direction and oversight to project teams working across areas such as NEC Housing, DRS, Propeller, LMS and mobile working solutions.
• Act as a senior point of escalation for programme issues, working closely with suppliers, internal delivery leads, and business stakeholders to resolve risks or blockers.
• Ensure compliance with council governance frameworks, including report writing, PCR procurement processes, contract approvals and programme board reporting.

Stakeholder and Supplier Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with suppliers (e.g. NEC, Advanced, Civica), ensuring value for money, high performance, and responsiveness to the council's evolving needs.
• Lead on contract and performance management, chairing regular review meetings, tracking KPIs, and holding suppliers to account for delivery and quality.
• Represent Housing IT at cross-directorate and pan-council working groups and governance boards, acting as the strategic voice for Housing Technology.

Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure the delivery of a high-quality support service for all users, including second-line support, training, documentation, user groups and knowledge management.
• Oversee the management of data integrity, user access, data reconciliations, interfaces and system processes, ensuring robust audit trails and compliance with data protection legislation.
• Drive improvements in reporting and data intelligence across services through better use of reporting tools (e.g. Crystal Reports, SQL, Power BI), automation and dashboards.
• Ensure robust disaster recovery, system security, and business continuity processes are in place and regularly tested.

Leadership and Management Responsibilities

• Lead, inspire and manage a multidisciplinary Housing IT team, promoting a culture of collaboration, high performance, innovation and service excellence.
• Line manage senior officers and team leads (e.g. Principal Housing IT Officers, Senior Housing IT Administrators, Applications Support Manager), supporting their professional growth and development.
• Define priorities and allocate resources effectively to ensure operational resilience and the delivery of strategic objectives.
• Conduct regular one-to-ones, appraisals, performance management and professional development planning.
• Lead or support recruitment, succession planning and skills development to ensure the team is future-ready and able to respond to the council's evolving digital agenda.
• Champion diversity, equity and inclusion across the team, promoting a supportive and inclusive working environment.

To undertake any other work appropriate to the level and general nature of the post's duties. Where necessary for the job role or appropriate for continued development in the role, the post holder may be required to participate in training and development courses made available via the Council's Apprentice Levy funding. To undertake all duties with due regard to the provisions of health and safety regulations and legislation, Data Protection/GDPR, the Council's Equal Opportunities and Customer Care policies. To perform all duties in line with Council's staff values showing commitment to improving residents lives and opportunities, demonstrating respect and fairness, taking ownership, working towards doing things better and working together across the council. To ensure that appropriate levels of emergency planning and business continuity management preparedness are in place for the service, and that your teams are appropriately briefed on their roles in an emergency. To be responsible for undertaking employee investigations, hearings and appeals in line with the RBG policies and procedures. Responsible for providing mentoring opportunities to junior staff (e.g. graduates, apprentices etc.) To undertake supervision/management of staff as and when required. You may be required to undertake alternative, additional or ancillary duties from time to time or transfer to another service department within the Council as the Council may reasonably direct to meet service user demand in the event of a crisis or emergency.