About Karbon

At Karbon we build, manage and look after homes for people across the North. And then we go further, we give them the strong foundations they need to get on with life.

Since our creation in 2017, we’ve been focused on delivering on our three strategic aims – to provide good quality homes, to deliver excellent service to our customers, and to shape strong, sustainable places for our communities. You can read more about this in our Stronger Foundations Strategy.

Our footprint covers the North East of England and Yorkshire, with around 34,000 homes across diverse communities where customers face differing opportunities and challenges.

Some customers just need an affordable home, or a way onto the property ladder. Others might need a bit more – financial advice, community services, sheltered accommodation or even training that can lead to a new job. Whatever people need to feel more secure, confident and happy with where they’re at, we aim to provide it.

We always make the effort to really understand our customers. We believe that everyone deserves respect. Everyone’s voices should be heard. And everyone deserves someone in their corner now and then. We believe that by focusing on our three strategic aims, combining a sound business head with a strong social heart and staying true to our values, we will build strong foundations for even more people.

Karbon’s history

We were formed in 2017 through a merger of three housing associations. Since then, we’ve grown thoughtfully over time, always taking a considered approach to how we develop as an organisation. Today, our Karbon Group structure includes Karbon Homes, 54North Homes and Leazes Homes and we provide services on behalf of other housing associations in the North.

Alongside this, we’re creating two new subsidiaries this year that will strengthen our impact and support our mission. This includes Karbon Foundation, our charitable arm, and Graphite Living – a partnership between us and an investor partner, designed to help us deliver more much needed affordable housing in the North.

The Opportunity

This is a significant operational leadership role at the centre of a high-volume, high-impact service.

As Head of Operations – Responsive Repairs, you will lead the delivery of circa 120,000 responsive repairs annually, overseeing a £21m budget and a workforce of more than 150 colleagues and contractors.

You will operate in a fast-paced, reactive environment where performance, customer experience and compliance are constantly in focus. Around 80% of services are delivered through a directly employed workforce, alongside external partners and delivery for third parties, adding further scale and complexity.

Alongside day-to-day delivery, you will play a key role in ongoing transformation—driving improvements in performance, productivity and value for money, while shaping how the service evolves over time.

This is a leadership role that requires the ability to step back from the detail—moving beyond purely operational delivery to think strategically about service design, commercial performance and long-term improvement.

A Broader Talent Pool

Karbon is deliberately open to candidates from outside the housing sector.

If you bring relevant experience from environments such as:

• NHS estates and facilities
• Local authority operations
• Higher education estates or property services
• Or other large-scale, regulated, customer-facing environments

This role will still be of interest.

What matters is your ability to lead complex, reactive operational services at scale, manage risk and compliance, and drive performance across large teams. A traditional trades or housing background is not essential.

The Impact

This role sits at the heart of Karbon’s customer experience.

You will:

• Lead a critical frontline service that directly impacts customers’ homes and daily lives
• Drive performance across key metrics including first-time fix, timeliness and customer satisfaction
• Lead and develop a large, multi-layered operational workforce
• Navigate a demanding, reactive environment that requires resilience and sound judgement
• Ensure compliance with evolving regulatory requirements, including damp and mould
• Contribute to wider transformation, particularly around service efficiency and commercial performance
• You will be operating in an environment where scrutiny is high, regulatory expectations, ombudsman standards and customer expectations all play a central role

Location & Working Pattern

Hybrid working with an expectation of 2 days per week in the office. Based from Karbon’s Stanley or Newburn office

Candidates will ideally be based within reach of the North East, with travel broadly not extending beyond the Middlesbrough to York corridor

The Person

You will bring a track record of leading large-scale, operationally complex services within a regulated or customer-focused environment.

Your experience is likely to include:

• Leading high-volume, reactive operational services
• Managing large teams across multiple locations
• Budget responsibility within a demand-led environment
• Driving service improvement, performance and efficiency
• Working within regulated environments with strong governance expectations
• Building effective partnerships across internal teams and external providers

You will also demonstrate:

• The ability to move between operational detail and strategic oversight
• Strong resilience and the confidence to operate in a high-pressure environment
• Commercial awareness, with an understanding of cost, value and service delivery models
• A leadership style that engages, motivates and builds accountability

Knowledge of housing repairs is helpful, but not essential. A broader understanding of compliance, regulation and service delivery in complex organisations will be equally valuable.

Why This Role?

This is an opportunity to lead a critical, highly visible service within an organisation that combines scale, purpose and ambition.

If you are looking for a role where you can apply your operational leadership experience in a complex, regulated environment, and play a key part in shaping service delivery for the future, this is a compelling next step.

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

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 27th May, 12pm

Final stage interviews will be held in person in Newcastle, week commencing 15th June (final dates to be confirmed)

Here at Karbon Homes, we’re renowned for our warmth and our welcoming, passionate and inclusive nature.

We promote equity, celebrate diversity and champion the rights of our customers and colleagues. We are promoting and embedding equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do – whether that’s building or adapting homes to make them accessible for all; making certain everyone can understand the communications we send; or working with local charities to ensure the voices of any underrepresented groups are heard – the list is endless.

We’re proud to be an inclusive employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria, you’ll be guaranteed an interview. Need a reasonable adjustment to apply? Contact us at jim@allcrofta.com

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.