RQ - Director of Regeneration, Housing Supply & Assets

Introduction

Tower Hamlets Council Executive Mayor has an ambition to deliver 1,000 new homes each year. This includes a series of capital projects linked to education and other non-housing related projects. It includes delivery of 5 mayoral key projects that will see an extra care development scheme.

The mayor's ambitions are challenging, while the Housing and Regeneration Directorate is embarking on a major restructure. This is following the collapsing of Tower Hamlets Homes (ALMO) back into the council, on 1 st November 2023. It signals a major restructuring that will see the current separation of housing supply and delivery come under one Director. The aim will be to create a more traditional property development function. This is with the discipline of development management in marshalling sites to the point of construction then passing to a project management capability, to deliver housing and regeneration construction schemes.

As part of the mayoral ambition of 1,000 new homes will require engagement with developers in seeking routes to secure development activity, working alongside Tower Hamlets Local Planning Authority. This will be inclusive of engagement with the GLA, in secure additional funding.

The interim Director of Regeneration and Assets within the portfolio will have responsibility for the councils real estate assets and the facilities management (FM) function. The restructuring of the directorate will be introducing a corporate landlord function to adopt a more strategic asset management approach in devising its future investment for its real estate.

This scale of ambition will need the expertise of a seasoned regeneration and development professional, with a strong proven track record of delivery at pace and under set timeframes, including an understanding of real estate assets and FM.

In Appendix A, illustrates the current directorate structure to give a sense of diversity of the directorate. This role takes up the position of Interim Divisional Director Property & Mayor Projects. As set out in the briefing there is a greater emphasis on capability linked to regeneration and housing expertise. Appendix 2 provides detail of the leadership and line management the Director will inherit but will be required to work in a matrix management environment to work along the housing supply team. This team essentially undertakes the marshalling of development sites, while the immediate reports to this role are the project managers managing a mix of capital marshalling and project management across capital non-housing and housing construction.

The Role

Working to the Corporate Director of Housing and Regeneration:

• Day-to-day leadership providing strategic direction to capital programme, corporate non housing asset management
• Delivery of the building of new homes on council land working collaboratively with the housing delivery team to progress sites for development with pace.
• Work with the housing director and their housing supply team to put in place housing development practices that bring significant improvement to current programme of new build.
• Oversee the delivery of the capital programme approved by mayor
• Leading the day-to-day operations of a regeneration and housing, including real estate asset and the FM functions
• Working collaboratively across all of directorate and council executive, including mayor's office.

Key deliverables

The key deliverables which the Interim Director of Regeneration and Assets will own, input and shape with the team, will include:

• Leading the dedicated regeneration and housing, including real estate and FM teams.
• Bring pace to the mayor's housing development programme.
• Establish a development programme for currently non funded housing development sites, with budgets established.
• Deliver 5 key mayoral priorities that delivers community facilities and an extra care new build.
• Set high standards in regeneration and housing development reporting, ensuring innovate practices are adopted to ensure delivery.
• Ensure the management of resources including capital spend next to monitoring operational and programme performance, inclusive of risk.
• Establishing a coordinated and collaborative working relationship with corporate and divisional directors, to ensure vacant possession of land and property is secured to deliver a major development agreement that sees new homes being built in 2025/26.
• Supports the Corporate Director of Housing and Regeneration puts in place a corporate performance management governance structure and reporting to inform the mayor of project performance and monitoring.

Person specification

This role requires an exceptional individual who has a strong track recorded of housing and regeneration delivery in a large, registered provider or public sector. They need to be adept at working within a public sector 'but familiar with commercial land and property development management practices' from inception to handover. The individual will require the ability both to see the strategic regeneration and housing picture where no standard template exists and be focused on delivery at pace.

The Interim Director Regeneration and Assets will have the necessary skills and experience, which:

• Has significant leadership experience in complex regeneration and housing developments and brings commercial solutions to development viability and partnership working.
• Has experience of leading a corporate non-housing real estate and FM as a corporate service or can demonstrate technical understanding, with strong corporate leadership capability from inception to completion.
• Can developed land and property strategies and then execute, including repurposing of land and assets.
• Can demonstrate and evidence strong land and development programme management in highlight and dashboard reporting, to evidence progress and mitigation actions.
• Effective budget and cashflow management.
• Can demonstrate political acumen, with experience of working directly with Leaders, Chairs, Mayors.
• Understands regulatory standards and governance and effective controls.
• The ability to work in complex, ambiguous times, whilst maintaining clarity of purpose.
• Ability to bring out the best of others

Within this environment, the behaviours of the individual are critical, including:

• Combining strategic understanding with some hands-on delivery
• Self-starter/self-motivation
• Teamwork, within a multi- functional directorate.
• Committed to skills transfer.

Conditions of engagement

• Length of contract: Commitment of 6 months, with possible extension to 12 months.
• Reports to Corporate Director of Housing and Regeneration.
• Hours/days: 5 days per week.
• Place of Work: This will be a flexible role - but presence in the region 2 days per week, with Wednesday being on site. Presence at the Town Hall is critical in order to develop a high-performing team.

If you think this job role is for you, please send your CV to