Head of Repairs and Maintenance - Housing Association

VIVID Housing • Full-time • Portsmouth, ENG, GB • £88,000 / year • 3w ago

We’re VIVID! –We offer a vibrant, friendly, inclusive culture that supports, develops and attracts the best people!

We’re committed to providing safe and well-maintained homes for our residents. We are looking for a dedicated and experienced Head of Repairs & Maintenance to join our dynamic team to oversee and manage all repairs and maintenance activities across our housing stock. This is a full time, permanent role working 37 hours per week.

The Head of Repairs & Maintenance will be contractually based out of our Portsmouth or Basingstoke office. You’d be expected to work in the office 5 days a week when you start to enable you to build strong working relationships with your teams. When you are performing in the role, we’d offer flexibility in your work location, either the office or home and you’d be expected to work in the office as required.

Want to know what we can offer you?

30 days holiday (plus bank holidays), with the opportunity to buy or sell annual leave
A productivity-related bonus scheme to enhance your take-home
A generous contributory pension of 6%. We’ll match employee contributions between 7% and 10%
Life assurance paid at x 3 annual salary
Private medical insurance
Health care cash plan called Medicash
Enhanced pay for maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave
Access to counselling, legal and financial information
Electric car scheme
Huge variety of in-house & e-learning courses and a range of coaching and mentoring programmes

Here’s the facts about the role:
As Head of Repairs & Maintenance for VIVID, you’ll be accountable for the delivery of safe, efficient, compliant and customer-focused Repairs, Empty Homes, Grounds and Estates maintenance services across the housing stock.

You’ll ensure the safety of both staff and customers, leading a large and diverse workforce of 450 and a budget circa £30m, , driving business improvement through strategic and tactical management of budgets, supply chain optimisation, and the continuous improvement of services and KPIs. You’ll ensure that customer influence shapes and inform how services are delivered and the right outcomes achieved.

Key areas of responsibility

Provide inspirational leadership to a large workforce, ensuring engagement, well-being, and high levels of performance.
To manage all external contracts, setting performance targets and monitoring them, including budgetary control
Take ownership of the department’s budget, including setting, forecasting, and managing spend across maintenance operations.
Implement performance tracking systems to monitor service delivery and respond to feedback effectively.
Position to anticipate and respond to the changing external environment, government, and evolving internal priorities.
Identify, evaluate, and deliver business opportunities in accordance with our strategies and contribute to wider business objectives.
Lead and develop the portfolio of services, working with the Chief Operating Officer and Property Services Director on strategic matters, providing insight and guidance to inform robust decision-making
Create a culture of risk management which is embedded within day-to-day activities to ensure risks are identified and appropriately managed or mitigated.
Provide inspirational leadership to a workforce, ensuring engagement, well-being, and high levels of performance.
Develop a commercial approach to maintenance operations, ensuring cost-effectiveness and value for money.
Ensure the successful delivery of our empty property works throughout our existing portfolio including garages, commercial buildings and where there is any reason for a property to be empty
Drive the leadership and performance of the Grounds and Estates Services.
Be the advocate for excellent customer service throughout the organisation, ensuring ease of access for customers and high levels of satisfaction

Qualifications and Experience

Leadership, management, coaching qualifications or equivalent experience.
Chartered membership of CiH or a understanding of the requirements for CiH as well as a commitment to working towards it.
Proven experience in a senior leadership role within building maintenance, facilities management, or a similar environment, ideally within the social housing sector.
Demonstrable track record of managing large teams, including trades operatives, and fostering high engagement and staff welfare.
Strong understanding of compliance and safety regulations, including the “Big 6” areas of statutory compliance.
Commercially astute, with experience in managing substantial budgets and delivering cost savings without compromising on quality or safety.
Strong supply chain and contract management skills, with the ability to manage complex contracts and supplier relationships.
Excellent organisational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders, including contractors, customers, and internal teams.

This is a unique opportunity to make a real impact on the lives of our customers by ensuring their homes are well-maintained and their needs are met promptly. If you have a demonstrable track record of managing large teams, including trades operatives, and fostering high engagement and staff welfare, we encourage you to apply.

First stage interviews will take place in person on 9th January 2025
Second stage interviews will take place in person on 15th January 2025

We're a leading provider of affordable homes and extensive support services in the south of England. We believe that everyone has the right to a safe and secure place to call home, and from the moment customers move into their VIVID home we’re here to help with that and more.

Our customers have access to a wide range of tailored advice to sustain their tenancies and look after their wellbeing. We invest in our homes and communities for the long-term, and this means in the quality, safety and energy efficiency of existing homes and neighbourhoods, with a firm focus on improving services so they’re easy to use and access by our customers.

We’re addressing the shortage of affordable housing in the south, building the right type of homes to meet the needs of our local communities. We’re the sixth largest developer of new homes amongst housing associations in England, having built around 1,400 last year.

This is summed up in our vision “More homes, bright futures”.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £88,000.00 per year

Additional pay: