Strategic Housing Specialist

About The Role

Contract: Fixed-term contract until 31 March 2028 

Are you passionate about helping to deliver quality social and affordable housing? If so, we want to hear from you.

Join the Strategic Housing team at Cotswold District Council in a rewarding and fulfilling role which will help provide more social and affordable housing to local people and key workers.

As a Strategic Housing Specialist, you will contribute to the implementation of the Council's Housing strategy and delivery plans. You will play a key role in influencing and managing housing-related policy, programmes and partnerships, helping to maximise the delivery of affordable housing across the district.

Working closely with internal teams, developers, registered providers and external partners, you will ensure that social and affordable housing provision is evidence-based, robust and aligned with local need.

Key responsibilities

• Support the development and delivery of housing strategy, policy and partnerships
• Provide advice on housing-related planning matters
• Negotiating and implementation of the Housing aspects of Section 106 Agreements
• Work with developers, landowners and partners to maximise affordable housing delivery
• Collaborate with Registered Providers, Homes England, the Gloucestershire Rural Housing Partnership and other stakeholders
• Contribute to Local Plan development and housing policy work
• Monitor the delivery of affordable housing and ensure compliance with relevant frameworks
• Develop and maintain housing data, intelligence and insight
• Support programmes that improve access to housing for key groups, including vulnerable residents

About you

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A degree-level qualification or equivalent relevant experience
• Significant experience (around 5 years) within housing or a related field
• Experience within a local authority, registered provider, housebuilder or similar organisation
• Strong knowledge of housing policy and affordable housing delivery
• Experience working with developers, planning teams and key stakeholders
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills
• Strong analytical skills and ability to work with data and housing intelligence
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively to deadlines
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office

Special Conditions

• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Requirement to travel across the district and attend meetings
• Ability to work additional hours in line with business needs
• This is a politically restricted post

For more information about this role please see the Job Description/Person Specification.

What can we do for you

• Flexible working arrangements (depending on the role)
• 27 days paid annual leave (pro rata if you are working part time) plus bank holidays, which increases to 30 days after five years of service
• An extra two volunteering days per year to support a charity of your choice
• A health cash plan giving you cash back on health, dental and eye care
• Generous contributory local government pension scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, providing positive, preventative and supportive advice and counselling to deal with everyday events and issues
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice car lease scheme with significant tax and NI savings to be made on electric cars
• Generous sickness cover above statutory entitlements 

About The Organisation

We are rightly proud of the businesses, communities and residents who live in this beautiful part of the world, putting them first and at the heart of everything we do. We're busy recreating a council set up for success, which can deliver for the needs of our communities in a fast-changing environment. That means we need to be 'fleet of foot' and look for innovative and creative ways to deliver against our Corporate Plan priorities.

That plan focuses on a range of important priorities including delivering good services for residents, responding to the climate emergency, supporting strong local communities, and evolving the district’s vibrant economy.

Accredited of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies - Please state this within your covering statement or in a separate email. 

Our organisation is committed to meeting its statutory and moral duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, young people under 18 years of age and adults at risk who are the recipients of its services and/or activities.

Safer recruitment practices are applied to all job vacancies. Successful candidates will be required to complete a pre-employment medical questionnaire; provide references;  proof of identity; nationality and immigration status; three years' employment or education history (if applicable) and, in some cases, verification of criminal record.