Operations Manager - Kent (South Coast), Birmingham B16 8TP

The vacancy

Hours: 35 hours per week

Want to make a positive difference to society whilst accelerating your career in Housing?

Life doesn't stand still, and neither do we. As a leading not for profit provider of Retirement Living and Extra Care for older people of modest means, we don't believe in doing things the way they've always been done - instead we look for how things can be better, always putting our residents and people at the heart of what we do.

We all know we have a growing ageing population and at Housing 21 we believe all older people should be able to access good quality affordable homes and services.

Retirement Living is a unique housing service with residents'wellbeing at the heart. We have one overarching aim - to provide high quality housing that is welcoming, comfortable, modern, safe and secure and has the right amount of support to help people live independently. Covid-19 has magnified the strengths and benefits of Retirement Living, showing the positive effect of community living in supporting individuals and reducing isolation.

We want to be able to offer this service to more older people, and have ambitious plans for growth. We're committed to significantly investing in Retirement Living to make sure we have the right structure to provide the best service for residents, as well as providing opportunities for internal and external candidates.

To help us achieve our ambitions we are recruiting for an Operations Manager who shares our passion for good quality homes for older people.

The Role

You will line manage an average of 10/11 customer-facing Local Housing Managers (LHM's) and will play a key role not only in ensuring that each scheme is compliant with legal requirements such as safety, but also in improving resident satisfaction, which is already at 91% across the country! Excellent customer service, resolving issues and truly engaging with our residents is of upmost importance to us and you will make this happen.

You will also play an important role in our organisation's performance, working with your teams to ensure that vacant properties are minimised, that we have a culture of tenancy sustainment and ensuring our services are affordable and costs are transparent.

An existing qualification in housing is not required - sharing our values and showing the right behaviours are what matter most to us. We're looking for positive, proactive people who challenge where needed, connect with residents and employees at all levels, and are transparent in all that they do.

We value difference, both among our employees, and our resident population, and it's important to us that all people from all backgrounds feel welcome in our schemes and among our teams. We are particularly keen to hear from candidates from diverse backgrounds. You will be encouraged to engage in projects across Housing 21, including being part of our internal networks that champion inclusion and diversity.

We believe that a good work life balance is important for you and the service you deliver. You will be required to travel, spending around 60% of your time on site with your teams and our residents, and will be empowered to decide when digital communication and video conferences are more appropriate.

The benefits

At Housing 21 we're proud to be actively recognising the importance of our employees and rewarding them accordingly. You will receive:
• Pension scheme
• Holiday pay
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Occupational Sick Pay
• Occupational Maternity/Paternity Pay
• Health Cash Plan
• Blue Light Card (offering discounts across retail, hospitality and leisure)
• Income protection
• Eye care vouchers
• Car lease scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Support to progress and develop

As part of our commitment to our employees and offering flexibility, Housing 21 now offer a nine-day fortnight, providing employees with the opportunity to work their hours across nine days. Further details on how this works, will be discussed with successful candidates upon on offer being made.

If you require more information before applying for this role, please see the attached job profile.

Closing date for applications 14 June 2026

Due to the nature of this role this advert may close earlier than the closing date listed and once sufficient applications have been received. Please apply early to avoid disappointment.

About us

At Housing 21 we pride ourselves on being passionate about people and are committed to investing in those who work for us to help them to be the best they can be.

When you work for us, you will be joining an organisation that holds the Investors in People Platinum standard and was rated the UK's third Best Place to Work in 2024 by Glassdoor. Our people are our foundation, and we know how important it is to support them to do what they do best, whether through flexible working, learning new skills or being part of a friendly and supportive workplace culture.

We are incredibly proud of the culture we have created and celebrate the positive difference we make to society. If you think you're ready for a new challenge and able to make a difference, then come and join us!

Benefits

Flexible working
including a nine-day fortnight

Holiday trade scheme and volunteer leave

Funded health
cash plan

Occupational maternity pay / paternity pay

Pension
contributions

Occupational sick pay

Lifestyle discounts

Car salary sacrifice and leasing scheme

Learning and development opportunities