Location
London Borough of Sutton, The Old Rectory, Festival Walk, Carshalton.

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
Not specified

About the Borough
The London Borough of Sutton is located less than 30 minutes by train from Central London, with direct connections to London Victoria and London Bridge. Situated in zone 5, Sutton offers excellent transport links, award-winning parks and open spaces, low crime rates, affordable housing, and great schools. The borough is known for high levels of resident engagement and satisfaction, delivering quality services while addressing financial challenges and involving residents in key local issues and high street developments.

Sutton is committed to investing in the health, wellbeing, and education of its residents and future generations, as outlined in the “Ambitious for Sutton” corporate plan. Home to the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton is developing the London Cancer Hub, aiming to become the world’s leading life-science district specializing in cancer research and treatment. This vision is expected to create around 13,000 jobs and contribute £1.2bn annually to the UK economy, fostering a vibrant community of scientists, doctors, and innovative companies. Alongside regeneration efforts including new homes and schools, Sutton prioritizes working closely with residents and vulnerable groups to support independence and balance between support and independent living.

The Council plays a leading role within the South London Partnership, a collaboration of five outer south west London boroughs focused on strategic growth, regeneration, and investment. Sutton strives to improve services and spaces for residents, shaping the borough’s future to make it a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

About the Service and Team
Sutton is a borough defined by ambition, community, and change. It boasts a strong local identity, vibrant neighbourhoods, and a commitment to delivering impactful services. Recognized as one of London’s greenest and safest boroughs, Sutton has excellent schools, thriving businesses, and a strong sense of community. The borough is dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to safe, secure, and affordable housing.

Housing is central to this mission. The Council is seeking four senior leaders to help stabilise, modernise, and transform housing services. Following a major transition, the Sutton culture is being embedded across teams previously operating under different models. Priorities include providing safe, secure, and affordable homes; reducing temporary accommodation use; strengthening systems and compliance; and working in partnership with Sutton Housing Partnership and other stakeholders to prioritise residents. This is an opportunity to lead purposeful and rapid change.

About the Role
This role offers significant scale, complexity, and opportunity. You will lead housing allocations and temporary accommodation services during a period of acute demand, managing over 1,100 households in temporary accommodation with substantial nightly-paid usage. Responsibilities include managing statutory duties under the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, overseeing multi-disciplinary teams and budgets, and driving innovation in procurement and service delivery.

You will play a key role in reducing temporary accommodation numbers, strengthening compliance and performance, and leading the Housing Allocation Scheme. Collaboration across the Council, Sutton Housing Partnership, Regulatory Services, Adults’ Social Care, Children’s Services, and voluntary and faith sectors will be essential to create sustainable move-on pathways and improve outcomes for families. This is a chance to lead transformation in one of the most pressured areas of housing.

The Council acknowledges progress made but recognises further improvements are needed. Internal audits have identified areas for development, and the organisation is committed to learning and adopting best practices. This role is central to that journey, requiring a leader who combines operational control with strategic vision and can inspire a team ready for change.

Our Offer to You
We value and nurture talent, offering a supportive, friendly, and collaborative environment to grow your career and skills. We encourage ideas of all sizes and support innovation through a dynamic and experienced management team.

Employees benefit from a wide range of offerings to support work-life balance, including:

- A generous annual leave entitlement of 32 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time)
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption, and dependents leave
- Two volunteering days per year
- Flexible working through the Smarter Working Scheme (role dependent)
- Adjustable and agile working arrangements with Google Chromebooks
- Access to a learning and development portal with various courses
- Discounts at local shops, restaurants, gyms, and leisure centres
- Interest-free season ticket loans
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
- Electric vehicle car leasing scheme
- Confidential health, wellbeing, and counselling support

Experience
Extensive expertise in housing allocations, income collection, temporary accommodation, and homelessness law. Proven track record of leading service transformation and managing complex budgets.

About you
Collaborative and data-driven with strong political astuteness. Comfortable working across multiple systems and partners. A visible leader who delivers results, builds trust, and inspires teams ready for change.

Qualifications
Not explicitly stated, but a strong background in housing management, statutory duties, and leadership is essential.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Council is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the community it serves. It welcomes applications from underrepresented groups and supports family-friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, and inclusive staff networks. Sutton is a disability confident employer and guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria. As a London Living Wage Employer, all employees are guaranteed the London Living Wage regardless of contract type or length.

Additional Information
The UK’s points-based immigration system affects sponsorship availability, which is subject to eligibility and budget. Sponsorship requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.