Principal Specialist - Homes Strategy, Planning & Budget

Principal Specialist – Homes Strategy, Planning & Budget

This is a rare opportunity to lead the strategic thinking behind one of Southampton's largest and most important public assets.

We're looking for an exceptional leader to head our newly established Homes Strategy, Planning & Budget function, helping to determine how Southampton's housing stock evolves over the next 5, 10 and 30 years. You'll influence major investment decisions, regeneration programmes, acquisitions and disposals, and help ensure that every pound invested delivers the greatest possible benefit for residents, communities and the city.

Working at the heart of the Housing Directorate, you'll bring together asset intelligence, financial planning, customer insight and delivery experience to develop short-term and long-term housing strategies that are ambitious, affordable and deliverable.

The opportunity

Grade 13|Quality Homes – Strategy & Planning|Southampton City Council

Shape the future of Southampton's housing stock

Southampton faces significant challenges and opportunities. Around a quarter of the Council's housing stock is currently classified as non-decent, while increasing regulatory expectations, financial pressures and changing resident needs require bold and informed decisions about future investment priorities.

As Principal Specialist – Homes Strategy, Planning & Budget, you will lead Housing's strategic planning capability and act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, elected members and partners. You'll help answer fundamental questions about where Housing should invest, regenerate, acquire, improve, retain or dispose of assets to achieve the greatest long-term impact.

This role combines strategic leadership, financial planning, business planning and major-project client oversight, offering the opportunity to shape the future direction of Southampton's housing portfolio.

What you'll be doing

You will:

• Lead the development of Southampton's long-term housing asset strategy and investment plans.
• Translate strategic priorities into realistic, funded business plans, budgets and investment programmes.
• Develop frameworks that support investment, regeneration, acquisitions, disposals and stock improvement decisions.
• Provide strategic leadership on Housing Revenue Account investment planning and long-term financial sustainability.
• Present evidence-based recommendations and business cases to senior leaders, councillors and governance bodies.
• Work across Housing, Finance, Development, Corporate, Estates and external partners to ensure strategic decisions are grounded in robust evidence and professional judgement.
• Maintain oversight of investment programme performance, risks and delivery outcomes.
• Lead the client role for major projects, including regeneration, acquisitions and disposals.

About you

We're looking for a strategic thinker with the credibility, commercial awareness and leadership skills to influence high-profile decisions in a complex environment.

You will have:

• Significant experience in housing asset management, housing investment planning, property strategy or a comparable role involving large-scale property or infrastructure assets.
• Strong expertise in long-term strategic planning, financial planning and business planning.
• Experience working with complex investment decisions, affordability considerations and long-term funding strategies, ideally within a Housing Revenue Account environment.
• The ability to analyse complex information and turn it into clear strategic recommendations and investment choices.
• Experience working effectively with senior leaders, finance professionals, elected members and external partners.
• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• A degree-level qualification in…