Housing Growth Lead

Housing Growth Lead

Fixed Term, Full Time

£43,850 to £51,589 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 20th January 2025

Please note that this is a fixed-term contract / secondment opportunity until the end of March 2026.

This role is focused on promoting housing growth across Essex and delivering tangible improvements in the quality of life for residents through high quality housing provision.

The role sits in the team responsible for implementing the Council’s housing strategy: accelerating housing supply, diversifying housing delivery and securing provision which meets the diverse needs of Essex residents. The role will be responsible for a number of programmes to improve housing delivery, working with a wide range of partners to create the right conditions to support housing growth.

The role will require effective management and co-ordination of workstreams delivered in partnership, including contact with housing developers, housing associations, and local and central government partners. The role will focus on enhancing Supported and Specialist Housing provision in Essex through collating evidence, drafting and promoting policy guidance, and building relationships to assure effective provision.

As an “Anywhere Worker”, this role relies on the postholder being ‘remote first’, with a need to travel occasionally to various locations in Essex to perform the role effectively. Primarily, this includes the housing team spending Mondays based at County Hall in Chelmsford.

Key Responsibilities:

• Developing housing growth interventions of significant strategic importance including preparing quality bids for funding where necessary.
• Effectively managing partnership groups focused on ensuring the implementation of shared work programmes around housing delivery.
• Actively highlighting and promoting opportunities for collaboration and joint-working with public and private sector partners to improve housing related services.
• Leading County Council engagement with a portfolio of developers and housing associations, joining up engagement across ECC and district colleagues.
• Engaging with developers and external funding agencies to ensure development viability concerns are addressed, and infrastructure is secured.
• Supporting commissioning outcomes for key Essex resident cohorts to ensure diverse and high quality provision in the housing system, with particular reference to Supported and Specialist Housing.
• Ensuring business cases for housing interventions are robust; developing clear well-evidenced recommendations for key projects.
• Working collaboratively across professional groups to ensure that programmes are implemented including through acquisitions and/or land disposals, working closely with the Council’s property team.
• Providing clear, well-argued advice to elected members and senior officers on progress.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience:

• A relevant degree or equivalent by experience and continuing professional development.
• A successful track record of housing related policy, project development and implementation.
• Experience and understanding of housing markets, investment, management and operations.
• Knowledge and understanding of the planning system, and care and support sectors.
• Project management experience and budgeting skills.
• Experience of partnership building/working relationships together with good oral and written communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to present complex information clearly and concisely in a way that others can understand.

Understanding of the major factors, influences, and legislation facing local government and/or the challenges for its regeneration and housing activity.

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us here.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the link.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.