£85,000 (pay rise pending) + pension. Hybrid working.

About Thirteen Housing

We are a housing association that provides around 100,000 people in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber region with homes, support, and opportunities to grow. We invest millions of pounds each year to keep our homes safe, secure, and well maintained. We support people who need help to get onto the housing ladder, pay rent and to keep their home in good repair.

We have an excellent track record of building new homes for rent and shared ownership. We build hundreds of high-quality and modern homes that meet the needs of local people. As a Homes England Strategic Partner, we are delivering an ambitious five-year affordable homes programme, which runs until 2026.

We don’t just rent and build homes. We support our customers and communities by investing in services to help people to live their best lives.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Head of Repairs to lead and transform our repairs and maintenance services. This is a critical leadership role, responsible for ensuring operational excellence, delivering a customer-focused service, and driving continuous improvement across the repairs function.

As part of Thirteen Housing’s leadership team, you will contribute to our strategic goals, ensuring our homes meet the highest standards of safety, quality, and sustainability while maintaining cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

You

You will bring substantial experience in leading repairs and maintenance teams within the housing sector or a comparable field. With a proven track record of delivering customer-centric services, managing complex operations, and embedding a culture of performance and accountability, you will be ready to take on this exciting challenge.

Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to engage and motivate teams are essential. Your technical knowledge, commercial acumen, and commitment to excellence will enable you to make a lasting impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the delivery of responsive repair services across a large portfolio, ensuring customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
• Directly manage a team of ~200 staff.
• Develop and monitor budgets, repair demand forecasts, and performance KPIs to maintain and improve service quality.
• Drive structural improvements and process enhancements to align with organisational goals and compliance requirements.
• Ensure excellent health and safety standards across all repair activities.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Technical Background: Experience in housing repairs or private-sector construction/technical roles.
• We will consider applications from the equivalent property services candidates in Higher Education and the NHS.
• A qualification in a relevant field (e.g., surveying, building maintenance) is advantageous.
• Leadership Experience: Proven ability to manage large, dispersed teams, including frontline operatives and back-office staff.
• Strategic Thinker: Experience in shaping service delivery models, process improvement, and change management.
• Customer-Centric: A focus on delivering high-quality services and improving customer outcomes.
• Compliance Knowledge: Familiarity with housing standards, safety regulations, and performance reporting frameworks.

Why Join Us?

This is an outstanding opportunity to join an ambitious organisation that plays a vital role in supporting communities across the region. As Head of Repairs, you will lead a key function that directly impacts the lives of our customers, ensuring safe, quality homes and outstanding service delivery.

You will be part of a supportive, dynamic leadership team, driven by a shared vision to make a difference. If you are ready to shape the future of repairs at Thirteen Housing and leave a legacy for our communities, we want to hear from you.

For further information and to arrange a discussion please contact, Jim Allcroft, jim@allcrofta.com on 07783 701 922.

Applications should be made via email to jim@allcrofta.com and must include on separate documents:

Closing date for application: Thursday 30th January, 1200

Final stage interviews will be held in person in Stockton, on the 3rd and 4th of March

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Thirteen, we believe everyone is an individual. That is why we don’t just provide properties; we offer a home to suit each person’s needs.

We are responsible for promoting inclusivity for everyone, particularly people from underrepresented or marginalised groups.

We aspire to have inclusive working culture and embrace diversity across ‘Thirteen’ for both our customers and colleagues. In 2024 we were awarded a Bronze Talent, Inclusion and Diversity Evaluation (TIDE) Award for our approach to embedding an inclusive work culture.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia, a medical condition or an individual need which you believe may affect your performance at selection, we’ll be happy to adjust our processes to enable you to perform at your best.

In making an application for this role we ask you also to view our Privacy Notice which outlines our compliance to General Data Protection Regulations and the use and storage of your data.

Personal Data is held and processed on the lawful basis that such action is in the Legitimate Interest of the company in pursuing the purposes described and has been considered through the use of a Legitimate Interest Assessment utilising the Balance Test to not be outweighed by risks to the rights, freedoms and interests of the Data Subject.