Regional Director of Places in Carlisle

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

Please note that whilst we will accept applications on the basis of any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK, we will be surrendering the Riverside Sponsorship licence, so for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to apply for any further sponsorships whether on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.

The Regional Director of Places is responsible for leading integrated, neighbourhood-based services within a region, ensuring customers receive consistent, high-quality, and locally responsive support. The role involves translating organisational strategy into effective local delivery, while balancing standardisation with local needs.

As part of the senior leadership team, the Director oversees multidisciplinary teams, drives performance and continuous improvement, and ensures accountability for service outcomes. They also act as a key representative, building trust with communities, partners, and stakeholders through strong engagement and visible leadership. Ultimately, the role focuses on delivering safe, sustainable neighbourhoods, with a strong emphasis on customer experience, community safety, and local influence over priorities.

About you

• Proven track record of success in a senior leadership role, delivering strong operational performance within a complex customer-focused environment.
• Significant experience of leading place-based or geographically dispersed services, with accountability for performance, customer experience and outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience of working within a matrix or multi-disciplinary environment, bringing together services across organisational boundaries.
• Strong understanding of housing management and neighbourhood services, including tenancy management, community safety and customer engagement.

Why Riverside?

At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives. We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Flexible working options available
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues. Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview. This role also falls under our Ethnic Diversity guaranteed interview scheme. If you are Ethnically Diverse and demonstrate you meet the minimum criteria for the role you will be guaranteed an interview. Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to be considered.

Role Profile

• Strategic Leadership & Organisational Contribution Play an active role as a member of the Leadership Team, contributing to organisational strategy, service improvement and regulatory assurance.
• Provide visible, values led leadership across communities and colleagues, modelling high standards of accountability, collaboration and customer focus, aligned to Our Riverside Way.
• Lead and inspire geographically dispersed teams, embedding a strong culture of accountability, customer focus and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships across directorates and with external partners to resolve complex customer and operational challenges and improve joined-up service delivery.
• Act as Riverside's senior local representative within the region, building trust and confidence with customers, partners, stakeholders and local communities.
• Identify, assess, escalate or mitigate emerging risks, performance issues and community trends that could impact customer outcomes, service delivery or regulatory compliance.
• Be accountable for Director-level budgets, ensuring efficient use of resources and always striving to deliver increasing value for money.
• Provide clear, evidence based assurance and reporting to Executive Leadership Team, Board and Committees.

Neighbourhood Service Delivery

• Develop and lead high-performing multi-disciplinary teams that operate seamlessly across service boundaries, regardless of line management arrangements, to deliver integrated, place-based neighbourhood services, resolve complex local issues and improve customer and community outcomes.
• Provide visible leadership, local co-ordination, and oversight across services, promoting collective accountability for neighbourhood performance and customer outcomes.
• Face to Face Delivery of Housing Services Lead customer-facing neighbourhood housing management, lettings and income activity delivered within local communities as requested by The Customer Hub, ensuring services are responsive, consistent and aligned to organisational standards.
• Hold accountability for local service performance, ensuring risks, underperformance and service failure are identified early and addressed through effective recovery and improvement action.
• Hold accountability for overall customer satisfaction and satisfaction with the landlord's contribution to the Neighbourhood.

Community Safety & Cohesion

• Lead the Community Safety function, including the management of antisocial behaviour (ASB), domestic abuse and hate crime, safeguarding and support for vulnerable customers, partnership working with Police, local authorities, and specialist agencies.
• Promote a proactive, intelligence led approach to community cohesion and neighbourhood sustainability, ensuring customers feel safe, supported and connected to their communities.
• Hold accountability for satisfaction with how ASB is managed.

Customer Influence & Impact

• Ensure customers and communities have meaningful opportunities to influence local priorities, service delivery and neighbourhood improvement activity, and that we can evidence measurable improvements and changes as a result.
• Ensure customer experience, community safety, equity and neighbourhood sustainability are embedded within local decision making, service delivery and neighbourhood priorities.
• Use customer insight, operational performance information and local intelligence to inform service prioritisation, neighbourhood improvement and early risk mitigation.
• Hold accountability for customer satisfaction that they are listened to, and their feedback is acted on.

Person specification

Essential Knowledge & Experience

• Proven track record of success in a senior leadership role, delivering strong operational performance within a complex customer-focused environment.
• Significant experience of leading place-based or geographically dispersed services, with accountability for performance, customer experience and outcomes.
• Demonstrable experience of working within a matrix or multi-disciplinary environment, bringing together services across organisational boundaries.
• Strong understanding of housing management and neighbourhood services, including tenancy management, community safety and customer engagement.
• Experience of delivering services within a regulated environment, with a clear understanding of Consumer Standards and Ombudsman expectations.
• Experience of managing significant budgets and driving value for money, income maximization and cost control.
• Proven experience of driving service improvement, using insight, performance data and customer feedback to improve outcomes.
• Must be CIH qualified or equivalent, or prepared to work towards achieving the qualification.

Skills & Capabilities

• Customer & Community Focus Deep commitment to delivering excellent customer outcomes and experiences, responding to diverse customer needs and supporting equitable service delivery.
• Strategic Thinking & Decision Making Ability to understand and operate within a complex organisational system, balancing local priorities with organisational strategy.
• Leadership, Communication & Influence Proven ability to lead and inspire large, geographically dispersed and high-performing teams.
• Ability to build a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Resilient and adaptable, able to operate effectively in a complex and changing environment.
• Proven ability to lead and influence across multiple functions and teams, including where there is no direct line management, building alignment and collaboration across services to deliver joined up customer outcomes.
• Ability to lead visible, responsive, and locally rooted services, understanding the needs of communities and partners, with a strong track record of building relationships with local stakeholders including local authorities, police and community organisations.
• Highly effective communicator, able to engage and influence at all levels, including senior leaders, partners and stakeholders.
• Ability to represent the organization with credibility and build trust and confidence externally.

Performance & Delivery

• Strong focus on delivering results, with the ability to manage performance, address underperformance, and drive improvement.
• Ability to ensure services are delivered consistently and to a high standard in line with organisational expectations.
• Strong understanding of risk management in a service delivery context including identifying and escalating risks to customer outcomes.
• Ability to ensure compliance with regulatory standards while maintaining a focus on customer experience.