Head of Service Charge

Job description

Reporting to the Director of Service Charge & Specialist Leasehold Services, you'll provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of Southern Housing's Service Charge function. You'll lead the continued development and improvement of the service, ensuring service charge budgets, statements and related processes are delivered accurately, on time and in line with legislation and lease and tenancy obligations. You'll also focus on improving service charge recovery and delivering excellent outcomes for customers.

This role is an 18 month fixed term contract based at one of our main offices in Farringdon, Croydon or Sittingbourne, with hybrid working available when appropriate and agreed with your manager. You'll need to travel to Southern Housing offices and operational locations when required.

What you'll be doing

• Lead, develop and support the Service Charge team to deliver excellent customer outcomes.
• Drive service improvements that strengthen performance, customer satisfaction and service charge recovery.
• Ensure service charge estimates, budgets, actual accounts and communications are accurate and delivered on time.
• Act as Southern Housing's technical lead for residential and commercial service charges.
• Ensure service charges are administered in line with legislation, lease and tenancy obligations and recognised good practice.
• Use financial information, management information and performance measures to support decisions and improvements.
• Build effective relationships with homeowners, colleagues and internal and external partners.
• Oversee the proactive resolution of service charge complaints, disputes and enquiries.
• Create a culture of accountability, collaboration, learning and continuous improvement.
  What you'll need
• Proven experience leading operational and strategic service improvement in a complex, customer-focused environment.
• Strong experience leading, motivating and developing high-performing teams.
• Excellent knowledge of residential and commercial service charge management.
• A strong understanding of relevant legislation, lease and tenancy obligations and sector good practice.
• Strong financial and numerical skills, including experience managing budgets and interpreting performance data.
• The ability to explain complex technical and financial information clearly.
• Excellent organisation, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A degree-level qualification or equivalent experience, with demonstrable service charge experience in housing or property.

Closing Date: 4th November 2026 at 23:59

Interviews W/C 9th and 16th November 2026

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.