Housing Allocations Team Leader

Job introduction

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

About the role

We are looking for a dynamic, motivated, and experienced professional to lead our team of Allocation Officers and help shape the fair, transparent and lawful allocation of social housing within the Council’s framework.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role within the Council’s Housing Allocations Team. As a Housing Allocations Team Leader, you will be responsible for developing, updating and implementing clear, effective arrangements that support the delivery of a high‑quality, customer‑centred service. You will provide support to the Housing Allocations & Quality Manager and your work will ensure the Council meets its statutory responsibilities while continually improving outcomes for residents.

In this role, you will build and maintain strong working relationships with social housing landlords, ensuring the delivery of a compliant and efficient Housing Allocations Scheme that supports the Council’s strategic objectives.

As a Team Leader, you will inspire, guide and support your team to achieve service excellence. Your leadership will drive performance, promote best practice and contribute to positive, meaningful results for our communities.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to a Basic DBS certificate.

Additional information

• Proven experience working within a housing allocations service, with extensive knowledge of Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended), associated legislation, and relevant case law.
• Demonstrable experience delivering a statutory housing service, ensuring accurate and timely legal advice and assistance is provided on housing and related matters to achieve positive customer outcomes.
• A relevant qualification (e.g. HND or NVQ Level 4) or the ability to demonstrate equivalent professional competence. Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) membership at Level 4 or above, or commitment to work towards this.
• Substantial experience at team leader level (or equivalent) within a local authority, housing association, or voluntary sector organisation, including managing, mentoring, and supporting staff to deliver high‑quality, compliant services.
• Proven experience handling Stage 2 complaints, housing allocation appeals, and responding effectively to Councillor and Member of Parliament enquiries.

Company information

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.