Wokingham Borough Council are looking for an experienced Housing and Community professional to join our leadership team as the Service Director - Housing, Specialist Housing and Community Safety. The Opportunity We have a fantastic opportunity available for a Service Director to join our Leadership Team within our Place and Growth service here at Wokingham Borough Council, on a full-time, permanent basis. As the Service Director for Housing, Specialist Housing and Community Safety, you will hold a key leadership role and be responsible for leading and managing the Housing Operations, Strategic Housing, Community Safety, Licensing and Environmental Health teams to achieve great outcomes. The ability to effectively work cross council and with external partners will be critical to this role as you will be leading the Council’s strategic approach and delivery of specialist accommodation to meet social care and children services’ needs - driving out costs and increasing security and quality of housing for those in most need. The post holder is also responsible for ensuring an effective joint working relationship with key internal and external partners to further the community safety agenda and Community Safety Partnership. The Service is at the forefront of our corporate approach to prevention and demand management. Using data and insight to forecast demand and implement innovative cost-effective solutions to reduce future demand, reduce costs and secure better longer-term outcomes for residents and service users. Benefits Not only is this an excellent opportunity, but it’s a fantastic time to join our team. You will receive an extensive range of employee benefits including: ⭐ A generous annual leave entitlement of 31 days (rising to 36 days after 5 years continued local government service), plus Bank Holidays ⭐ Enrolment to an excellent local government pension scheme ⭐ An employee assistance programme including 24/7 wellbeing helpline ⭐ A range of local & lifestyle discounts ⭐ Use of a free onsite gym (located at Shute End office) ⭐ Salary sacrifice car & cycle to work schemes ⭐ And much more The Person As our Service Director for Housing, Specialist Housing and Community Safety, you will be a confident leader with experience of inspiring change and developing high performing teams, to positively impact and improve outcomes for residents across the borough. Your political acumen will be key to enable you to manage the political interface, whilst ensuring you deliver cost effective results, generating income and efficiencies. Your approach and visible leadership should ensure you build strong relationships and credibility with the wider leadership team, partners, key stakeholders and the community. Our Vision As part of our vision within Place & Growth, we are delighted to continue building a permanent senior leadership team to deliver key strategic improvements across our services. This approach will further strengthen our workforce in our bid to ensuring Wokingham Borough is a great place to live, learn, work, and grow and a great place to do business. Our progressive and ‘be inspiring’ mindset, drives our ambition to make a difference and provide a stronger, more sustainable and inclusive environment for all colleagues, businesses and residents across the borough. Our Area Wokingham Borough is set in the heart of Berkshire with excellent transport links to Reading and central London. Our area comprises of a vibrant and historical market town, attractive villages, and miles of beautiful countryside. We’re home to a range of high performing schools including 69 primary and 21 secondary, a host of international businesses and an incredible, increasingly diverse community. We have a strong local economy with accelerated growth, a range of excellent public facilities and low levels of crime, offering an exceptional quality of life. If you are a strategic leader with a passion for making a positive impact and delivering change, we would like to hear from you. Click the link below and apply today Alternatively, for more information or to arrange an informal discussion with Giorgio Framalicco, Director of Place & Growth, please contact Luke Adams, Executive Personal Assistant on luke.adams2wokingham.gov.uk. Closing Date: Sunday 9 th March 2025, 11pm For the interview schedule and process, please click the link at the bottom of this page. If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer. Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.