Disrepair Manager

We have a fantastic opportunity to join Sovereign Network Group as Disrepair Manager on a fixed term basis for 12 months. You'll be based from our office in either Hertfordshire or Wembley – London. This role will combine office and home working to ensure a positive work/life balance.

It's a really exciting time to join us as Sovereign have joined forces with Network Homes to form SNG (Sovereign Network Group). Together we provide over 84,000 homes and invest in communities across London and the South of England – our purpose being to provide quality affordable homes and places that people love for generations.

The Role

We are seeking a detail-oriented, assertive and proactive Disrepair Manager to oversee all actions and case management following the receipt of letters of claim and court or enforcement orders, under the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Claims (England) and Environmental Protection Act (EPA) across London and Hertford.

You will act as the primary contact and escalation point for liaison and relationship management with external solicitors and consultants representing SNG. Manage contractor and consultant engagement to address disrepair and environmental health cases, aiming to avoid legal proceedings. Oversee cost claims related to contractor liability and lead the annual budget for disrepair costs, with regular status and expenditure reporting. Providing expert support to ensure structured case management compliant with Fitness for Human Habitation Act 2018, Disrepair Protocol and Environmental Health Act. Responsibilities include:

• Manage cases in accordance with protocol deadlines and settlement agreements, providing updates and mitigating risks, preventing escalation to the courts.
• Audit and approve works, compensation, damages, solicitor and claimant costs.
• Overseeing work and case progress to ensure compliance with agreements. Implementing early warning measures to prevent litigation.
• Lead on root cause analysis and service improvement partnering with legal teams and contractors to ensure future prevention of claims and improved management of cases using data to inform strategic decisions.
• Lead on the preparation of evidence bundles and witness statements, attending court to represent SNG where necessary in defence of disrepair (civil) and EPA (criminal) claims as principal advisor to counsel, or as a key witness in a trial, keeping key stakeholder updated.
• Lead on the design, development, maintenance and monitoring of systems, ensuring necessary visibility to the organisation.

What we need from you

• Extensive sector appropriate experience in legal disrepair claims and / or EPA management and contract administration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, sufficient to write complex reports and analyse / inform action to identify issues, themes and recommend action.
• Demonstrable gravitas and credibility at executive level.
• Ability to analyse complex situations, define problems, produce acceptable solutions and subsequently implement against tight deadlines.
• Ability to instigate change within a complex environment.
• Commercial experience in negotiating and managing high value service contracts.

What you'll receive from us

We have some fantastic benefits on offer at SNG including:

• £450 flex-pot annually, discounted shopping & cycling scheme
• 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays (with an extra day every year up to 30 days)
• Company pension scheme matched up to 12%, life cover at 4x your salary
• Flexible working - we're committed to giving people flexibility as widely as possible
• Options for private medical insurance, dental insurance & critical illness cover

We are committed to our Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and believe that you can truly be yourself at Sovereign Network Group. Take a look at our careers site to learn more about us and our values.

This is a great opportunity to join the team as we progress through an exciting period of change at SNG. We pride ourselves on having a relaxed, supportive and forward-thinking culture, working collaboratively to achieve success.