Head of Asset Compliance

Job description

At Southern Housing, we're committed to providing safe, high-quality homes and services for our residents. We're looking for an exceptional Head of Asset Compliance to join our Asset Compliance leadership team and play a pivotal role in ensuring our properties remain fully compliant, safe, and fit for the future. You'll be leading a substantial multidisciplinary service through six to eight direct reports.

As one of three Heads of Service within our Asset Compliance function, you'll lead a specialist team responsible for electrical safety, domestic alarm safety, water hygiene, and a broad range of mechanical and electrical compliance activities. This is a strategic leadership opportunity where you'll influence policy, drive innovation, manage major contracts and budgets, and provide assurance to the Executive Team and Board.

In this role, you'll lead the delivery of critical compliance services across our housing portfolio, ensuring statutory obligations are met while continually improving service quality and resident outcomes.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing a high-performing Asset Compliance team.
• Driving compliance performance across electrical safety, domestic alarms, water hygiene, and wider M&E compliance services.
• Managing complex compliance contracts and strategic supplier relationships.
• Overseeing audit programmes, risk management, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
• Developing policies, procedures, and management plans that reflect best practice and legislative requirements.
• Managing significant budgets and investment programmes, ensuring value for money and robust financial control.
• Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, including residents, contractors, regulators, and executive teams.
• Supporting the development and delivery of Southern Housing's strategy documents.

This role can be based at one of our offices at Croydon or Sittingbourne office and offers hybrid working as agreed with your Line Manager.

About You

We're looking for an experienced compliance leader with a strong track record of managing asset compliance services within social housing, property, or a similarly regulated environment.

You will need a valid UK driving licence, access to a vehicle and the ability to travel between Southern Housing sites and offices, subject to reasonable adjustments where applicable.

What you'll bring:

• Significant senior-level experience leading asset or property compliance services within housing or another highly regulated environment.
• Strong knowledge of electrical safety, water hygiene, domestic alarms, and wider property compliance.
• Experience of procuring and managing major contracts, budgets, audits and compliance programmes.
• Experience managing large contracts, budgets, audits, and compliance programmes.
• Proven people leadership skills with the ability to inspire, develop, and motivate teams.
• Relevant professional or academic qualification in Health & Safety, Building Services, Engineering, Surveying, Maintenance, or a related discipline.
• A CIH Level 4 housing qualification*, or a willingness to work towards one in line with the Competence and Conduct Standard requirements.

This is an excellent opportunity to shape compliance strategy, drive service excellence, and make a real difference to the safety of our residents and homes.

Closing date: 1 st Novem ber 2026, Sun day at 23:59

Shortlisting: from 2 nd Novem ber 2026

Interviews: in-person interviews will be held on 10 th and 13 th of Novem ber 2026 in our Sittingbourne office

*This role is subject to a qualification requirement under the Competence & Conduct Standard (C&CS) for Social Housing. Click here for more information. All candidates will need to either hold a qualification that meets the criteria or be willing to commence or undertake top up modules of the qualification within the first 9 months of joining Southern Housing.

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application and supporting statement as soon as possible so your application can be reviewed and considered.

About Us

At Southern Housing, our residents are at the heart of everything we do. As one of the largest housing providers in the UK with over 77,000 homes across London, the Southeast, the Isle of Wight, and the Midlands, we give over 167,000 people somewhere affordable to call their own! We also understand the difference that safe, secure, and affordable homes can make to people's lives.

A career at Southern Housing will allow you to make a difference every day you come to work. Working in the housing sector with us will bring fresh challenges and give you the opportunity to grow and develop, too.