Area Manager - Housing Strategy

18 Month Secondment

Purpose of the Role

To support the delivery of all Housing Strategy programmes including Get Britain Building (GBB), working with the Head of Area and Head of Strategy, Programme and Performance in managing the development, delivery and monitoring of the programme on a day-to-day basis as part of the wider Housing Strategy GBB Project Team.

Provide a property professional lead on relationships with partners and provides impartial, solution focused advice within partnerships to achieve agreed and responsive Housing Strategy and GBB outcomes.

To work with local customers and partners to facilitate effective delivery of agreed investment priorities on GBB.

The primary focus will be to ensure that the Operating Area achieve agreed objectives and targets, understand the strategies of local partners (e.g. Local Authorities) and use such knowledge to plan and deliver relevant projects and programmes, adding maximum value to the GBB programme. In addition the jobholder will ensure that the GBB programme is delivered within agreed aspirations and target outputs.

Main Duties and Key Accountabilities of the jobholder

List the main duties below

• Work with partners on the development of GBB bids and projects and HCA business plan priorities in local areas, understanding local market conditions and housing needs.
• Progress and deliver GBB bids identified through the due diligence stage and ensure they are aligned with HCAs corporate business plan priorities, with LEPs and LAs to deliver their targets for growth and regeneration, and to deliver government initiatives.
• Support partners to ensure the delivery of overall housing supply and regeneration, decent homes, land and property development, public and private sector financial investment.
• To develop and maintain effective relationships with partners within the area and to support communities in meeting their local priorities and aspirations by ensuring the effective management and deployment of their expertise and resources.
• Ensuring that the relationship with the HCA is for the long term, the full duration of a strategy or lifecycle of a project, and maintaining flexibility in the offer to our partners as new challenges arise.
• Using commercial and professional experience to evaluate, manage and deliver the GBB and HCA programmes and to provide technical expertise to maximise HCA investment.
• Using commercial and professional experience to act a critical friend to provide constructive challenge and work with partners to evaluate local priorities and targets.
• To support the effective use and management of public land assets to the maximum benefit of local communities.
• To support the Head of Area and HoSPP in providing financial and option appraisals, commercial skills, business acumen and innovation to partners to deliver cost effective development solutions.
• Manage the procurement of services required by the programme or project in line with the HCA’s procurement procedures.
• To report monthly, and as required, to the Head of Area and HoSPP on the delivery of GBB.
• Participate positively in maintaining and strengthening relationships with Local Authorities, housing and regeneration partners in the Area through regular communication and feedback with all partners.
• Build on our knowledge about local areas to effectively target our offer of support to meet local needs.
• Manage the GBB programme and projects to bring development schemes forward and keep delivery on track. This includes being accountable for all expenditure and targets in terms of outputs, receipts and milestones and monitoring, maintaining progress and reporting against priority targets and milestones
• Work on area, national and corporate thematic projects as specified.
• Support local authorities to build capabilities and capacity in the delivery of high quality sustainable developments through robust project management, master planning and collaborative design. This will include resolving issues that are slowing or preventing the achievement of partners’ ambitions
• To support the Head of Area and HoSPP, wider project team and HCA operating area delivery teams in managing all delivery aspects of the programme on a day-to-day basis
• To contribute to ensuring consistency across all aspects of programme delivery through ongoing contact with key partners, including developers/RP’s, project managers and other members of operating area teams and other GBB delivery teams
• To liaise with the HCA’s operating area delivery teams to ensure a two-way flow of information about activity, issues and outcomes on the GBB programme
• To manage specific programme activities/workstreams on a day-to-day basis, liaising with internal and external customers as necessary
• To support the Head of Area and HoSPP in developing the GBB programme, implementing and monitoring all current and future competition rounds as required
• To work with the Head of Area and HoSPP to analyse and report on programme performance against agreed targets and to respond to ad hoc requests from both internal and external customers, including, for example, CLG, Ministerial and Parliamentary Questions
• To contribute to the Housing Strategy and Get Britain Building Programme communications strategy, working with the Corporate and Operating Area Communications teams as necessary
• Manage appraise or mentor team members as required

Working Relationships and Contacts

Day-to-day liaison with a wide range of internal and external partners, including DCLG, the HCA’s Operating Area delivery teams and the Programme Management Office (PMO) for the Housing Strategy and GBB.

Role Requirements

Qualifications (academic and professional, knowledge, skills and experience required to do the job

Qualifications

Degree level qualification and/or appropriate professional qualifications/membership

Strategic Thinker

• Understands and links unrelated, complex or diverse issues and has a sound corporate overview (e.g. understands how own role and function aligns with other areas of the agency)

Innovative Thinker

• Contributes to and delivers on innovative approaches while managing identified risks.

Analysis and Planning

• Project manages effectively using appropriate tools and techniques to ensure programmes/projects are delivered to time and standard
• Works to and applies a good understanding of commercial principles (e.g. understands how financial benefit is created for the Agency)

Networking & Influencing

• Demonstrates commitment to an inclusive and flexible approach through team working.
• Enjoys a high internal and external profile; builds networks and relationships to broker effectively across partnerships

Communication

• Communicates a depth of knowledge and experience at local level that engenders trust and confidence
• Shows effective communication skills (e.g. active listening, written and verbal skills) and varies style and method appropriate to context

Focus on Results

• Works at pace to deliver local programmes and projects; models a sense of measured energy in delivering goals