Buckingham Futures is working with a Local Authority based in Essex as they are seeking a Housing Needs Manager on a 6-9month basis.
Job Title: Housing Needs Manager
Location: Essex (Hybrid – 2 days per week in the office)
Contract: Temporary / Interim (6–9 months)
Hours: Full Time
Rate: Up to £350 per day (Umbrella)
Closing Date: 5 March 2026
Role Purpose
Seeking an Experienced Housing Needs Manager to provide strong operational leadership across Housing Options, Homelessness and Assessment services during a critical period of demand and financial constraint.
This is a hands‑on, delivery‑focused interim role, responsible for ensuring high‑quality, customer‑focused housing needs services with a strong emphasis on early intervention, prevention, and effective management of temporary accommodation and social housing allocations.
The post holder will lead and support managers and officers, ensuring statutory compliance, service improvement, and effective use of resources while contributing to wider homelessness transformation activity.
Key Responsibilities
Service Leadership
* Lead, plan and develop housing needs services to meet changing customer needs and regulatory requirements
* Provide effective line management, supervision and cover for team managers and officers
* Maintain clear workload oversight, performance management and staff support
* Coach, mentor and support staff, including development of an annual training plan
Service Delivery, Improvement & Compliance
* Ensure services operate fully in line with legislation, statutory guidance and safeguarding requirements
* Oversee the delivery of homelessness duties, including provision of suitable temporary accommodation
* Strengthen risk management, decision‑making and quality assurance processes
* Work across services and partner organisations to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping
Financial & Performance Management
* Monitor budgets, expenditure and cost pressures across the service
* Identify opportunities for efficiencies, cost avoidance and improved utilisation of accommodation
* Analyse performance data and produce clear, actionable reports for senior management
Strategic Contribution
* Contribute to wider homelessness and rough sleeping transformation activity
* Support policy development and longer‑term service planning
* Support delivery of the Service Business Plan, Temporary Accommodation Improvement Plan and Service Team Plans
What Success Looks Like
By the end of the contract, the Council expects to see:
* Stabilisation of the Housing Operational Service
* Improved contract oversight and provider performance
* Stronger budgetary control and clearer, more robust management information
Essential Experience & Skills
* Up‑to‑date homelessness and temporary accommodation knowledge, including national policy and legislative developments such as the Supporting Housing Act and Renters’ Rights Act
* Procurement and negotiation expertise, with the ability to source and secure suitable temporary accommodation in a competitive market
* Contract management experience, including performance monitoring, compliance oversight and resolution of under‑performance
* Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience supervising, motivating and developing staff
* Analytical and data interpretation skills, using insight to drive service improvement
* Project management capability, delivering improvement plans, managing risks and reporting progress
* Excellent communication and influencing skills, able to build effective relationships with landlords, providers, registered providers and internal stakeholders
If this is of interest, please contact me on 0208 125 4321 or email me at kapil@buckinghamfutures.com.
#J-18808-Ljbffr