Job Title: Director of Homes Compliance and Safety
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £Competitive
Working Hours: 35 Hours per week
Working Pattern: Monday-Friday/Hybrid
Location: Liverpool / London - UK wide presence required
If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.
Please note that whilst we will accept applications on the basis of any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK, we will be surrendering the Riverside Sponsorship licence, so for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to apply for any further sponsorships whether on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.
The difference you’ll make as a Director of homes compliance and safety
We are seeking a strategic and experienced leader with a strong track record of delivering building safety outcomes within an organisation of comparable size, scale and complexity. Experience of working in a regulated environment would be advantageous. The successful candidate will have significant senior leadership experience within a large and geographically dispersed organisation, with a proven ability to drive high performance, lead successful transformational change, and deliver excellent outcomes in their area of responsibility. They will also hold relevant professional memberships and qualifications, ideally including MRICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), membership of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), or Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) at GIFireE level or above..
Why Riverside?
At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.
We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.
Working with us, you’ll enjoy:
- Competitive pay & generous pension
- 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
- Flexible working options available
- Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
- A wide range of benefits
Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:
We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.
Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.
Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.
Role Profile
Leading our strategy and our people
- Through visibility as a brilliant leader, foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, empowerment and engagement. Inspiring and motivating the team to deliver high performance and ‘joined up’ services that lead to the highest possible standards and excellent customer outcomes.
- Lead and be accountable for strategy development and implementation across specific areas of responsibility identifying, promoting, and implementing projects and initiatives that achieve the effective and efficient running of respective areas within the respective directorate and across the Group.
- As a director, contribute and shape the corporate objectives and priorities of the directorate under the guidance of the Chief Property Officer.
- Live Our Riverside Way (values), leading in such a way as to have a positive impact on our people and support the achievement of our aspired culture.
- Deliver on our people promise, ensuring a great colleague experience, achieving high levels of engagement, with positive outcomes for customers, business, and colleagues.
- Ensure effective working relationships within the area of responsibility, the wider directorate and the Group.
- Demonstrate sector leadership in influencing central and local Government (where appropriate), other partners, and internal or external stakeholders as appropriate to the role.
- Actively coach and manage the performance of individuals, teams, and departments, providing clarity of direction, supporting the achievement of goals that positively impact colleague and the customer experience.
Service delivery, customer experience and performance
Responsible for the following areas
- The role sets our strategic approach to risk assessments and defining our safety framework in the context of our customers’ homes and group buildings. This will include setting out policy requirements and associated accountability frameworks. There will be a key focus on fire safety and land-lord H&S compliance to meet the safety & quality consumer standards.
- Lead responsibility for understanding fire risks in our homes and Group buildings and taking ap-propriate steps and actions to mitigate and manage those risks on an ongoing basis so that buildings can be safely occupied, with specific responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the structure and outside of the building, plant rooms and common parts.
- Lead a team responsible for fire safety inspections, day to day management of fire safety risk including servicing, maintenance and remediation, and building safety registration and management of our high-risk portfolio, building safety landlord compliance.
- Ensure there is in place an accountable person for all higher risk buildings where Riverside has the repair obligations in respect of its common parts under a lease or by virtue of an enactment and liaise with other organisations where they are the Principle Accountable Person.
- Lead on engagement with key strategic external stakeholders including local government, building safety regulator, housing ombudsman, fire and rescue service.
- Lead our strategic approach to incident management within area of accountability, ensuring business continuity plans are in place with recovery plans and scenario planning.
- Support the Groups duty-holders to understand their legal responsibilities at each stage of the building’s lifecycle including occupation to ensure the building is safe for its residents at different stages of the building life and provide specialist professional and technical advice to effectively coach and mentor to improve knowledge and understanding of fire safety, resident engagement and compliance aspects relating to property management.
- Oversee the design, planning, scheduling, and implementation of an effective and timely risk-based program of safety inspections on behalf of the Group, ensuring adherence to relevant regulatory, statutory and compliance frameworks.
- Register and maintain appropriate “Building Registration Certificate” for all in scope high risk buildings with the Building Safety Regulator on behalf of the Groups Licensed Duty Holder and ensure no buildings are occupied without the appropriate certification issued by the regulator. Ensure any mandatory, special, or voluntary conditions attached to the Building Registration Certificate are complied with to the satisfaction of the Building Safety Regulator. Develop and implement appropriate mandatory inspections and occurrence reporting regime both internally and externally with the Building Safety Regulator. Be responsible for the operational delivery of our Cladding Remediation Programme and other significant large-scale programmers required in the future.
- Act as the Duty holder in Occupation High Rise Blocks registered under the Building Safety Act. Coordination of the legal action to recover costs from the original contractors of which installed defective cladding.
- Develop our approach to all homes and Group buildings safety activities, shaping service delivery based on feedback, insight, business, and market intelligence to continually improve the customer experience and achieve desired growth.
- Drive a culture of continuous service improvement, promoting cross-organisational working, to de-liver best practice services and frameworks that meet developing and evolving customer and business needs. Enhance function capabilities by leveraging and leading a multitude of resources, both internally and externally. Leading and developing the following:
- Lead the team to be ambitious and aspirational regarding customer experience, ensuring clear expectations and outcomes through all channels of engagement and communication. Lead our customer engagement approach through development and implementation of customer engagement strategy and introduce individual customer engagement plans for our High-Risk Buildings.
- Ensure the optimisation of processes and systems that deliver strong operational performance, operating efficiencies, and consistent high-quality services for our customers.
- Keep up to date with innovations in area of accountability, both within and outside the housing sec-tor, reflecting best practice and driving efficiencies in a programme of continuous improvement.
Governance and risk
- Lead the approach across the Group for the safety of our homes and buildings, controlling all activities to ensure full compliance with the Building Safety Act including any secondary legislation, ensuring all statutory and regulatory obligations are met. The Appointed Duty Holder for (Circa 100) High Risk Building in occupation to ensure compliance with Riverside duties under Part 4 of the Building Safety Act 2022 or under regulations made under that Part.
- Ensure that all operational teams respond to internal audit recommendations and any service improvement plans arising from regulatory or legislative changes.
- Mitigate and manage the risks relating to homes and Group building safety by ensuring the appropriate policies, procedures and protocols are in place, embedded and audited regularly to ensure a positive assurance culture is in place. Develop, implement, and monitor the operational effectiveness of relevant policies, procedures, and guidance on behalf of the Group, including the provision of training considering up to date legislation, amendments to codes of practice, health and safety requirements and industry best practice, proactively adopting new and innovative ideas and solutions to ensure continuous improvement of the service.
- Ensure compliance with all Group policies and procedures.
Operational and financial management
- Provide timely and accurate data on services and performance for regulatory returns, stakeholder enquiries and the crafting of responses for homes and Group building safety.
- Hold budgetary responsibility and accountability for homes and Group building safety and all operational activity within area of responsibility.
- Establish and drive a culture of sound financial management ensuring the business is protected and services are delivered effectively and provide value for money.
- Increase business viability and margins whilst continuing to respond to the changing and challenging funding environment and specific strategic initiatives.
- Ensure effective contract management and efficient procurement of services.
Person Specification
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Essential
- A strategic leader, with a demonstrable track record in the provision of building safety, within an organisation of comparable scale and complexity. Preferably with experience of operating in a regulated environment.
- Substantial experience in a senior leadership role within a large, dispersed organisation and in delivering Building Safety, high performance and successful transformational change in area of ac-countability.
- Recognised industry memberships ideally MRICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), IFSM or CIOB, IFE at GIFireE or above.
- CIOB Level 5/6 Diploma in Fire Safety or Building Safety Management or Diploma in construction, building surveying, asset and building management compliance (Level 4 VRQ) or Fire Certificate / Diploma or Certified in Applied Fire Risk Assessment (previously FRA (Fire Risk Assessment) FRA (Fire Risk Assessment) and Fire Safety Management) or equivalent at degree level with ability to meet the proposed Accountable Person role competence requirements under the Building Safety Act.
- In depth knowledge of fire, building and structural safety within social housing, including government and industry guidance, British standards, building regulations and the requirements of Fire Safety Order 2005 (RRO), Building Safety Act 2022 and impacts for housing sector.
- Prior experience of undertaking the role of organisational lead for landlord and regulatory compliance managing building safety and delivering effective fire & structural safety services to a large and diverse portfolio of mix tenure properties within the housing or health and safety sector.
- A strategic thinker, with a clear appreciation of the role that building safety can play and who can translate the big picture into positive customer and business outcomes.
- Evidence of collaborative and visible people leadership and coaching in a diverse service delivery environment.
- A track record of ensuring an innovative data-led approach when it comes to the provision of first-class customer experience.
- Successful management of budgets/operations within the context of challenging financial circum-stances and/or competing priorities
- Balance commerciality with an empathy for and interest in the social mission of Riverside and that of the wider social housing sector.
- Knowledge of regulatory and legislative frameworks in the social housing sector.
- Evidence of strong customer focus, active listening and responding to business needs in a complex service delivery environment.
