Location
London, with regular travel across the country and occasional overnight stays. The role involves working from various sites including MHCLG offices and home-based working in line with MHCLG policies.

Hours
Full Time - standard civil service working hours apply.

Salary
£58,092 per annum plus a Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension contribution of £16,829.

About the Role
The Homelessness Adviser works directly with local authorities to support the delivery of high-quality homelessness services. Using sector expertise, the adviser builds relationships with senior managers to influence service design, drive improvements, and translate government policy into effective delivery. The role also contributes to shaping homelessness policy by sharing sector experience and local government delivery insights within government.

Key responsibilities include leading local authority engagement to deliver the National Plan to End Homelessness, supporting local areas to understand their needs and data, providing expert advice on service design and prevention, and supporting the development of local strategies with action plans and targets. The adviser provides challenge where performance concerns arise, oversees improvement plans, and champions the Homelessness Reduction Act to adapt local processes for different cohorts.

The role requires regular face-to-face contact with local authorities, stakeholders, and civil service colleagues across various locations, with travel and occasional overnight stays as necessary.

Experience
- At least 3 years senior management experience within a local authority setting.
- Expert knowledge of homelessness, rough sleeping, and housing-related support systems.
- Experience delivering, commissioning, managing, or influencing homelessness and rough sleeping services.
- Proven partnership working across public services and voluntary sector organisations.
- Experience analysing performance, risk, and delivery information to drive improvement.
- Experience providing advice, challenge, and support to senior stakeholders.
- Familiarity with homelessness legislation, statutory duties, rough sleeping policy, and prevention approaches.
- Knowledge of homelessness pathways, housing options services, temporary accommodation, outreach, and multi-agency support models.
- Ability to analyse local system performance, identify barriers, and recommend evidence-based solutions.
- Skilled in using data, intelligence, and local insight to inform decision-making and drive service improvement.
- Applies a strategic, place-based approach to prevention and rough sleeping reduction activities.

About You
You will be a strategic thinker with strong leadership skills and the ability to build effective relationships with senior stakeholders. You are committed to improving outcomes for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness and have a collaborative approach to working with local authorities and partners. You are confident in challenging performance issues and supporting service improvement through expert advice and practical solutions.

Qualifications
While specific qualifications are not detailed, the role requires demonstrable senior management experience and expert sector knowledge relevant to homelessness and rough sleeping services.