Head of Housing Needs

Lead change. Support lives. Shape housing services in Medway.

At Medway Council, our One Medway Plan (2024–2028) sets out an ambitious vision for our communities—where everyone can live in safe, stable and affordable homes.

Housing is central to health, independence, and opportunity. As Head of Housing Needs, you will play a critical leadership role, ensuring our most vulnerable residents receive the right support at the right time—whether they are at risk of homelessness, in temporary accommodation, or require specialist housing solutions.

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Housing Officer, you will lead the strategic and operational delivery of Housing Needs services, ensuring the council meets its statutory responsibilities while driving better outcomes for residents.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading services covering housing advice, homelessness prevention and relief, temporary accommodation, allocations, and private sector housing
• Overseeing the housing register and ensuring a fair, transparent, and legally compliant allocations scheme
• Driving improvements in temporary accommodation, with a focus on reducing costs and improving quality
• Shaping and delivering the Council’s Housing Strategy and Homelessness Prevention & Rough Sleeping Strategy along with the upcoming Supported Housing Strategy
• Leading the commissioning of housing-related support services that promote independence
• Overseeing private sector housing standards, including our new additional and selective licensing schemes
• Ensuring full compliance with housing and homelessness legislation and regulatory frameworks
• Managing budgets and resources effectively, delivering value for money
• Bringing innovation and strong leadership

You will lead a high-performing service through four senior managers, working collaboratively with partners, Members, and stakeholders across Medway.

What you’ll bring

We are seeking a strong, values-driven leader with:

Experience

• Significant senior leadership experience in housing, homelessness, or a related statutory service
• Proven success in delivering improved outcomes for residents, particularly vulnerable groups
• Experience managing complex services, large budgets, and multi-disciplinary teams
• Strong track record of leading change, service transformation, and partnership working

Knowledge & Skills

• Expert knowledge of housing and homelessness legislation (e.g. Housing Acts [1985, 1996 etc], Homelessness Reduction Act 2017)
• Strong understanding of local authority statutory duties, governance, and compliance requirements
• Strategic thinker with the ability to interpret data, forecast trends, and drive service improvement
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including with Members and senior leaders
• Financial acumen with a focus on cost control and value for money
• A commitment to equality, safeguarding, and resident-focused service delivery

Qualifications

• CIH Level 4 (minimum) with commitment to achieve Level 5
• Professional membership (CIH or equivalent) desirable

Interviews will be held mid to end of June 2026.

If you would like to have an informal discussion with the recruiting manager, please call Claire Bonthrone to arrange an appointment on 01634 331507.

In return we offer you:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme package
• Access to wider training and development qualifications
• Flexible working scheme
• Travel plan discounts
• Car Benefit Scheme from Tusker
• Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
• Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers
• The Government has introduced new ways of supporting parents with childcare costs. Further details are available here: - https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

We're committed to making Medway carbon neutral by 2050. We have developed an action plan to ensure we play our part in addressing the climate emergency. Our declaration fits into our Council Plan priority of making Medway a place to be proud of. The main outcome being a 'clean and green environment'. All Medway Council staff can access an additional day’s paid leave to undertake a volunteering activity which supports climate change.

Our organisation:

Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.

Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.

We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

Important Information-

• Applicants must be able to demonstrate all criteria at level A which are essential for appointment to the role.
• Medway Council is not able to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship, so candidates must already possess the right to work in the UK.
• For further information, and for details of the benefits of working for Medway Council, please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online.
• Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.
• We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.

Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.