Housing Needs Manager

Buckingham Futures is working with a Local Authority based in Essex as they are seeking a Housing Needs Manager on a 6-9month basis.

Job Title: Housing Needs Manager

Location: Essex (Hybrid – 2 days per week in the office)

Contract: Temporary / Interim (6–9 months)

Hours: Full Time

Rate: Up to £350 per day (Umbrella)

Closing Date: 5 March 2026

Seeking an Experienced Housing Needs Manager to provide strong operational leadership across Housing Options, Homelessness and Assessment services during a critical period of demand and financial constraint.

This is a hands‑on, delivery‑focused interim role
, responsible for ensuring high‑quality, customer‑focused housing needs services with a strong emphasis on early intervention, prevention
, and effective management of temporary accommodation and social housing allocations
.

The post holder will lead and support managers and officers, ensuring statutory compliance, service improvement, and effective use of resources while contributing to wider homelessness transformation activity.

• Lead, plan and develop housing needs services to meet changing customer needs and regulatory requirements
• Provide effective line management, supervision and cover for team managers and officers
• Maintain clear workload oversight, performance management and staff support
• Coach, mentor and support staff, including development of an annual training plan

• Ensure services operate fully in line with legislation, statutory guidance and safeguarding requirements
• Oversee the delivery of homelessness duties, including provision of suitable temporary accommodation
• Strengthen risk management, decision‑making and quality assurance processes
• Work across services and partner organisations to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping

• Monitor budgets, expenditure and cost pressures across the service
• Identify opportunities for efficiencies, cost avoidance and improved utilisation of accommodation
• Analyse performance data and produce clear, actionable reports for senior management

• Contribute to wider homelessness and rough sleeping transformation activity
• Support policy development and longer‑term service planning
• Support delivery of the Service Business Plan, Temporary Accommodation Improvement Plan and Service Team Plans

By the end of the contract, the Council expects to see:

• Stabilisation of the Housing Operational Service
• Improved contract oversight and provider performance
• Stronger budgetary control and clearer, more robust management information

• Up‑to‑date homelessness and temporary accommodation knowledge
  , including national policy and legislative developments such as the Supporting Housing Act and Renters’ Rights Act
• Procurement and negotiation expertise
  , with the ability to source and secure suitable temporary accommodation in a competitive market
• Contract management experience
  , including performance monitoring, compliance oversight and resolution of under‑performance
• Strong leadership and people management skills
  , with experience supervising, motivating and developing staff
• Analytical and data interpretation skills
  , using insight to drive service improvement
• Project management capability
  , delivering improvement plans, managing risks and reporting progress
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
  , able to build effective relationships with landlords, providers, registered providers and internal stakeholders

If this is of interest, please contact me on  or email me at