Strategic Housing & Subsidy Maximisation Lead

Post title

Strategic Housing & Subsidy Maximisation Lead

Post No

TBC

Salary

Starting from £57,347 to £62,832 per annum

Grade

Grade 10

Hours

37 hours per week

Place of work

Worthing Town Hall /Sussex Based with Blended Working

Closing date

18th March 2026 at 23:55 pm

Interviews

TBC

If you have spent your career navigating the complexities of Housing Benefit subsidy, temporary accommodation, and the "exempt" market, you know the current system is under unprecedented pressure for many councils. Because of this, Adur and Worthing and Arun Councils’ have created this new role to help us move beyond managing the status quo; we are seeking a specialist who wants to fundamentally change how our councils operate.

This is a senior strategic role for someone who understands housing benefit subsidy and housing needs and who believes that financial viability and quality for our residents are both fundamental. We need an expert strategic lead who can bridge the gap between Revenues, Benefits, and Housing to ensure we are not only reducing subsidy loss but also maximising income and driving up the standard of the accommodation our residents live in.

You will sit at the intersection of Adur, Worthing, and Arun councils, working to resolve the "subsidy gap" that often leaves local authorities to cover costs that should be reimbursed. Your focus will be on:

• Income Maximisation & Debt Reduction: You will lead the strategic review of subsidy returns and temporary accommodation models to identify where income is being lost and how we can ethically recover costs through robust, chargeable service models.

• Driving Up Standards: We want to move away from high-cost, low-quality placements. You will use your expertise to scrutinise provider costs and support charges, ensuring every pound spent translates into genuine, high-quality support for our residents.

• Preparing for the New Regulatory Era: You will be our authoritative voice on the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. This means preparing all three councils for a new era of local licensing and enforcement, creating standards where no national precedent yet exists to hold providers to account.

Who we are looking for

You are likely a technical expert in Housing Benefit Subsidy Law or Strategic Housing Management who is frustrated by silos. You are looking for the autonomy to build a 2 year roadmap that addresses structural financial issues rather than just patching them year-on-year.

• Technical Authority: You understand DWP regulations and subsidy frameworks inside out but also recognize the human impact of housing policy.

• Collaborative Leader: You will work with a multi-disciplinary team across Revenues, Finance, and Housing and work with many other strategic partners from other councils to local providers.

• Strategically Minded: You have the analytical skills to map our current supply and demand and the vision to prepare us for the regulatory shifts coming in 2026 and beyond.

Why Join Us?

We are an ambitious and kind leadership team. Managed by Adur & Worthing but shared with Arun, this role offers a rare level of influence across the Sussex region. We value professional autonomy and offer a blended working environment that respects your expertise.

The successful candidate will be subject to a Basic DBS clearance check.

If this sounds like the role for you, we look forward to receiving your application!

At Adur & Worthing, we are committed to supporting care leavers, in accordance with the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Children and Social Work Act 2017. To that end, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for anyone meeting the essential criteria of the role they are applying for. In order to be considered for this, you will need to be a care leaver under the age of 25 at the time of application. Please confirm that you are a care leaver in the "Showing how you meet the person specification and job description" section of the application form.

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of applicants declaring a disability, that meet the essential criteria for this position, will be offered an interview.

Staff are our most important asset and we therefore have a benefit package which reflects our continuing commitment to our employees. This includes:

• Generous leave entitlement; a minimum of 26 days + Bank Holiday entitlement

• Local Government Pension

• Training & development

• Occupational Health

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• Employee resource groups/networks

• Buddy Support Programme

• Flexible working options

We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. Staff work in a supportive and safe environment, recognising their responsibility to value and respect each other’s contributions. Standards of conduct must be of the highest level to ensure that no-one is harassed, bullied or victimised. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, staff engagement forums and are keen to hear from applicants from a variety of different backgrounds.