Regional Operations Manager

We are the Housing Network (THN), a purpose-led organisation working in partnership with the YMCA to support our communities. We are in an exciting period of growth and have risen to 200th in the FT1000 Fastest Growing Companies in Europe! Homelessness is a vast and complex issue that does not have a single solution. In understanding that reality, we’ve learned the importance of perspective; appreciating that if we continue to innovate, collaborate, and give our best, we are playing our part in making a vital difference. We are a team that is absolutely committed to innovate, excel and be dependable in all that we do. Working hard together to achieve our mission of providing Better Accommodation, Better Support, Better Partnerships, and as a result Better Business.

The Regional Operations Manager (ROM) is responsible for overseeing and optimising operational activities across designated regions. This role ensures alignment with strategic objectives, drives performance improvements, and maintains high standards of service delivery. The ROM is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of our property portfolio and line managing the field teams that service the portfolio in the designated region. The role requires efficient management of staff, third party contractors, asset management, void management, and property compliance. The ROM will ensure that our properties are fully compliant as well as being safe and inspiring.

Responsibilities & Duties

• Strategic: Lead regional operations to achieve business targets and service excellence. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless operations. Proactively look at improvements to our maintenance and cleaning model and discuss ideas and recommendations with Head of Department and Director of Operations. Be an integral part of the THN strategy to build our portfolio to 10,000 safe and inspiring bed spaces by 2029. Focus on the company's social impact and identify how this can be captured across your area. Recommend the most effective way to capture social value and keep records accordingly. Proactively promote and deliver the company's net zero commitment, ensuring adaptation and continuous improvement.
• Staff Management: Line manage field teams (maintenance operatives and cleaners). We are an inclusive employer and actively encourage people who have lived experience to apply for roles within the company. Understand the importance of the lived experience voice within a company and how support is essential to the success of someone who has lived experience. Responsible for recruiting replacement and new members of the regional team; this will include reviewing CVs presented to you from our People Team, conducting interviews and making decisions on candidates who is the best fit for the role. Implement a 4-week induction program for all new starters, embedding the company's values and mission. Conduct regular performance evaluations, monthly 1-2-1s/catch ups, yearly staff appraisals. Invest in your team to ensure that you maintain a healthy culture where staff flourish. Investigate complaints relating to staff performance and lead disciplinary hearings when necessary. Scrutinise, approve, or reject expenses relating to field team activities ensuring compliance with company policy. Approve or decline field team holiday requests, ensuring business continuity during periods of absence.
• Property Maintenance, Standards & Void Management: Have full overview of your Region and advise the Head of Department on all key data relating to the portfolio, ensuring a consistent approach across all regions. In conjunction with the wider management team, implement and monitor operational policies and procedures. Take a proactive approach to managing all voids in the Region, ensuring properties are back in service in a timely manner as dictated by the contract and that the costs associated with damage, neglect and void loss are minimised. Conduct cost analysis exercises in areas with high void numbers to identify if it is more cost effective to instruct 3rd party contractors to carry out remediation works. Optimise and oversee operations to ensure financial and operational efficiency. Conduct regular quality assurance checks to ensure standards are met by field teams and 3rd party contractors. Source and vet new contractors, ensuring they meet the required standards before adding them to the approved contractor database using the approved process. Conduct contractor reviews and regular contract meetings. Ensure that the Region has FRA qualified operatives available to carry out FRA's as required. Understand and put into practice the companies fire safety policy.
• Health & Safety Compliance: Ensure all staff comply with safety regulations and are adequately equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for their roles. Conduct regular vehicle inspections to ensure staff maintain company vehicles according to the vehicle policy. Ensure compliance with legal and safety requirements, particularly fire safety, legionella and asbestos testing and carry out risk assessments as directed. Ensure staff fully understand COSHH and that they have the relevant COSHH sheets relating to their role. Ensure staff wear their operational lone worker alarms at all time while on duty.
• Customer Satisfaction & Quality Control: Review customer feedback and implement improvements as necessary. Manage resident complaints swiftly, ensuring high levels of customer service.
• Inventory & Asset Management: Ensure effective use of storage units within your area and conduct regular inventories to maintain oversight of company assets. Minimise storage requirements.
• Reporting & Recording: Maintain accurate records of inspections, risk assessments and staff performance. Present reports to the Senior Leadership Team on key metrics such as property standards, voids, staff performance and customer satisfaction. Analyse performance metrics (KPI's, SLA's) and initiate corrective actions where necessary.

Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge:

• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Be commercial; recognising the financial and operational limitations we operate within.
• Strong, confident communicator.
• Experience of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
• Experience of completing fire risk assessments and a sound knowledge of legislation.

Personal Characteristics:

• Proven track record as a Regional Operations Manager or Estate Manager covering a large portfolio preferably in a social housing or charitable setting.
• At least 3 years' experience of leading and organising a dispersed field team.
• Strong leadership, decision-making capabilities and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills - strong, confident communicator.
• Demonstrate composure under pressure and consistently make sound decisions aligned with the company's best interests, even in challenging circumstances.
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities.
• Adaptable and resilient in a dynamic environment.

We would expect you at all times to act with integrity, due skill, care and diligence, professionalism, and be open and co-operative with colleagues. We believe our values should reflect in our behaviour towards our colleagues, partners and residents while we work to achieve our Strategy 2024>29. These values are to be; Innovative, Dynamic, Dependable, Respectful, and Kind.

The Housing Network is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst the workforce. We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable. As an employer we welcome applications from candidates with lived experience, demonstrating our commitment to capturing the value of 'expertise by experience' and providing More than a Voice for our residents. All job offers are subject to a DBS check (level to be advised through the hiring process) and references.