Assistant Director, Housing Employer Sutton Council Location(s) Other, Sutton Other Location Hybrid working model Contract Type Permanent Working Hours Full Time Grade 12 Hours Per Week 36 Salary Range £92,223 - £112,283 (£117,679 unconsolidated maximum) Salary Basis Per annum Leave Entitlement 31 days Application Deadline 05/01/2025, 23:55 Anticipated Interview Date(s) Please refer to the recruitment timetable on GatenbySanderson's website About the Borough In Sutton, there is much for us to be proud of both as a council and as a borough. This includes high levels of resident satisfaction, the quality of our services, our success in addressing our financial challenges to date, the way that we involve and engage with residents on key issues facing the borough, and the enthusiastic and motivated staff that we employ. Looking ahead, there are plans for the delivery of new homes and new schools and the London Cancer Hub is being developed, while the Council is also seen as a driving force within the South London Partnership of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration and investment. All of this demonstrates a good track record and an authority that is ambitious and set to deliver more improvements for the borough. We've set out our vision for the future of Sutton in our corporate plan - Ambitious for Sutton. This strategic plan will shape the outcomes we achieve, the services we provide, and the impact we have on residents, to make Sutton a great place to live, work and raise a family. Situated in Zone 5, Sutton is less than 30 minutes by train from central London, and south and south west London are easily accessible by public transport. There are 10 train stations which serve key neighbourhoods within the borough providing direct connections to London Victoria, London Bridge, London Blackfriars and St Pancras International. Sutton also has direct rail connections with Epsom, Dorking, Guildford and Horsham, as well as Wimbledon for an interchange with the London Underground and West Croydon for the London Overground. There’s also an extensive road network which provides close and easy access to the M25 and M23. About the Role and our Ideal Candidate About the role We are seeking an innovative and dynamic individual to join us as our Assistant Director of Housing. As the most senior housing officer within our organisation, you will play a crucial role in driving transformation across our housing services, ensuring we continue to deliver outstanding outcomes to our residents and those that need us the most. Following the decision to insource housing services previously delivered by our LATCo, Encompass, you will lead across homelessness prevention, allocation of housing, temporary and emergency accommodation services, supported housing management and more. As our new Assistant Director, you will work closely with key external partners such as Sutton Housing Partnership, the Council’s ALMO, and Sutton Living Limited, the Council-owned developer, to review what opportunities there are for service improvement and integration to deliver better outcomes. Despite having the best customer satisfaction levels in London, we aspire to be even better. We will look to you to work across our council, and borough, to review and shape a unified housing strategy and vision that has our residents at its heart, and that aligns with our corporate vision and values. This strategy will ensure our services remain responsive, integrated, and future-proofed. As we transform our high street and our borough, the opportunities in Sutton will be endless. About you We are looking for candidates with a strong background in delivering excellent housing services within a local authority setting. As our most senior housing professional, we are looking for a corporate leader that recognises how their services will interact with others, and how joint working between services will deliver better outcomes. You will be outward-looking, have a clear passion and energy for delivering the best services possible to residents, and be able to demonstrate alignment to our Council's values. At a time of increased demand and shrinking resources, you’ll be able to demonstrate a track record of delivering savings and efficiencies without impacting the quality of the services you have led, with strong analytical skills for options appraisal and cost-benefit analysis. Experience in leading successful major service change is crucial, as is excellent communication and interpersonal skills to foster strong partnerships. About Us We are renowned for our strong partnerships; our “One Sutton” approach emphasises our strong partnerships where we work, as a borough, to support our most vulnerable residents. Sutton is a vibrant and diverse borough, home to 210,000 residents, and known for its open spaces and outstanding schools. We are proud of our ambitious plans, including the development of the London Cancer Hub and the revitalisation of our High Street, reflecting our commitment to being “Ambitious for Sutton.” Sutton is evolving rapidly, driven by demographic changes, economic growth, and community-centred initiatives. We have resourceful and resilient communities, and we aim to work in partnership with them to create even more opportunities for residents to connect and thrive. Our staff are our greatest asset, and we are committed to supporting them in delivering the very best for our residents every day. 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. In addition, we offer a modern and flexible working environment for our staff, supported by our IT infrastructure, including Google Chromebooks and Google Apps. Our Flexible Working - Smarter Working Scheme embraces new ways of working. It provides improved work life balance for our staff as it allows staff to work from a variety of locations and staff are not required to work within the office 5 days a week. Employees have access to a wide range of benefits, some of which include: Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) Three volunteering days per year in Sutton Comprehensive learning and development programme Local and national discounts for shopping, eating out and leisure activities Interest free season ticket loans Local Government Pension Scheme Car parking scheme Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme Zip car scheme Free eye tests and contribution towards glasses Confidential wellbeing and counselling support Subsidised gym membership Application Process For a confidential discussion please contact Frazer Thouard (07834 810 743) or Marnie Lodhi (07795 654 812) from our partners at GatenbySanderson and visit https://www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe116836/Assistant-Director-of-Housing/ Additional Information We pride ourselves on being a diverse, inclusive and welcoming Borough and we aim to create a workforce which reflects the community we serve - the key highlights from our recent Equalities Workforce Report can be seen here. We are respectful of difference and realise the positive value of diversity in our workforce. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and disabled candidates, as these groups are currently under-represented in our workforce. As part of our Disability Confident Committed status, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. 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. The UK has introduced a new 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. Important Information - Political Restrictions This post has been deemed as politically restricted / sensitive and therefore applicants will be required to declare any interests that may be deemed political as part of their application.