Head of Housing Enabling & Development

About the Borough

The London Borough of Sutton is situated less than 30 minutes by train from Central London, with direct connections to London Victoria and London Bridge. Found in zone 5 with good transport links in and out of London, Sutton boasts award winning parks and open spaces, low crime rates, affordable housing and great schools. As well as high levels of resident engagement and satisfaction, providing quality services and success in addressing our financial challenges, whilst involving residents in key issues and high street changes.

Sutton is continuously investing in the health, wellbeing and education of our residents and the future generation, as set out in the “Ambitious for Sutton” corporate plan. We are home to the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research. Together with the development of the London Cancer Hub, Sutton will be the world’s leading life-science district, specialising in cancer research and treatment. Our vision will create around 13,000 jobs while contributing £1.2bn to the UK economy each year, a vibrant community of scientists, doctors and innovative companies intended to deliver real benefits for cancer patients and drive economic growth. With the regeneration of the local areas with new homes and schools, Sutton is passionate about working closely with our residents and vulnerable groups to help them maintain their independence and create a balance between support and independent living.

The Council is seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment. As we strive to improve our services and spaces for our residents as set out in the ‘Ambitious for Sutton’ corporate plan, Sutton aims to shape the future of the borough and adapt to the needs of its residents to make our Borough a great place to live, work and raise a family.

About the Service and Team

Sutton is a borough defined by ambition, community and change.

We are proud of our strong local identity, vibrant neighbourhoods and commitment to delivering services that make a real difference. Sutton is one of London’s greenest and safest boroughs, with excellent schools, thriving businesses and a strong sense of community. It is a place where people want to live, work and invest, and where we are determined to ensure everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home.

Housing is central to that mission and we are now looking for four senior leaders to help us stabilise, modernise and transform. We have come through a major transition and are embedding the Sutton culture across teams who have previously worked under a different operating model. Our priorities are clear: Secure and safe affordable homes, reducing the use of temporary accommodation, strengthening and improving systems and compliance and working in partnership with Sutton Housing Partnership and other stakeholders to put our residents first. If you want to lead change with purpose and pace, this is your moment.

About the Role and Our Ideal Candidate

This is a role with real impact. You’ll lead our new homes programme and take responsibility for maximising affordable housing supply across the borough. This means shaping the delivery of Sutton’s Local Plan and driving forward opportunities for growth and regeneration that will define the future of our communities. You’ll identify and progress new sites, oversee land acquisition, and secure funding from external sources including the GLA and other partners. You’ll work closely with developers, Registered Providers and Sutton Living Ltd to deliver high-quality homes and vibrant places that reflect our ambitions for sustainability and design excellence.

With a significant capital programme under your leadership, you’ll ensure projects are feasible, affordable and meet the highest standards – while embedding robust governance and risk management. This is a chance to influence strategic direction, pioneer innovative delivery models and create a housing legacy that transforms lives.

About you

You’ll bring substantial senior experience in housing development and enabling, with a proven track record of delivering complex programmes from concept to completion. You’ll understand the challenges and opportunities of working within a political environment and be confident advising elected members and senior stakeholders. Strong commercial acumen and the ability to negotiate effectively with developers, funders and partners will be essential, alongside the creativity to unlock new funding streams and delivery vehicles.

You’ll be collaborative and inspiring, able to lead cultural change and motivate teams to achieve ambitious goals. Above all, you’ll combine strategic vision with operational grip, ensuring that every project delivers value for money and positive outcomes for residents. If you have the ambition, expertise and drive to make a lasting impact, we’d love to hear from you.

If you want to lead change with purpose and pace, and help us deliver homes that transform lives, we’d love to hear from you.

Our Offer to You

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable staff to achieve a work life balance, some of which include:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 32 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply)
• Enhanced Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
• Two volunteering days per year
• Flexible Working - Smarter Working Scheme (dependent on the role)
• Adjustable and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle car leasing scheme
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support

Application Process

For more information and details on how to apply, please visit www.joinsutton.co.uk or contact our retained recruitment partners at GatenbySanderson:

kembi.coakelin@gatenbysanderson.com
frazer.thouard@gatenbysanderson.com

Additional Information

We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming Borough and we strive to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve, and instil a sense of belonging in our staff. We celebrate and respect differences and appreciate the value of having a diverse workforce, therefore we welcome applications from under represented groups.

To support our workers and their families we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums and inclusive staff networks who help drive our diversity agenda.

We are also proud to be a disability confident employer and guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria for a role. As an accredited London Living Wage Employer all our employees are guaranteed the London Living Wage regardless of their length or type of contract.

The UK has a points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance. Sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.