Senior Operations Manager (void) (Project)

Job description

Role Purpose

The Senior Operations Manager is the senior operational leader for the Southwark Voids Service and is responsible for the day-to-day management, control, performance and delivery of the entire void’s operation.

The role exists to create dedicated operational leadership capacity, enabling the Interim Voids Business Development Lead to maintain overall accountability for service delivery whilst focusing on strategic planning, transformation, service redesign, contractor mobilisation, systems development, organisational change and long-term recovery initiatives.

The Senior Operations Manager will be responsible for ensuring that all operational teams, contractors and support functions work collaboratively as a single integrated service focused on returning vacant properties to a safe, compliant and lettable condition as quickly as possible.

The postholder will provide visible leadership across the service, driving pace, accountability, productivity, contractor performance and operational excellence whilst supporting delivery of the wider Voids Recovery Programme. The role is critical to reducing void turnaround times, protecting rental income, increasing housing availability and embedding sustainable service improvements.

Management Principles

The structure has been designed around a clear separation of responsibilities:

Business Development Lead

• Strategic leadership.
• Service transformation.
• Business change.
• Systems development.
• Organisational design.
• Executive stakeholder engagement.
• Recovery programme leadership.
• Overall service accountability.

Senior Operations Manager

• Operational leadership.
• Service performance.
• Daily delivery.
• Workforce management.
• Contractor management.
• Escalation management.
• Resource deployment.
• Delivery of operational recovery targets.

This arrangement creates dedicated operational leadership whilst maintaining strategic capacity to deliver long-term service improvements.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Operational Leadership

Act as operational lead for the Southwark Voids Service.

Translate strategic objectives set by the Business Development Lead into operational delivery plans.

Ensure the service operates in line with recovery programme objectives.

Lead operational delivery across all geographic areas, workstreams and contractor arrangements.

Provide visible leadership and management presence within operational offices and contractor locations.

Create a culture of accountability, ownership and high performance.

Promote the "One Team" approach across Voids, Lettings, Contractors and Support Services.

Ensure operational activity supports the overarching objectives of reducing turnaround times, increasing housing availability and protecting rental income.

Management of Contracts Managers

The Senior Operations Manager will directly manage the Contracts Managers and hold them accountable for operational performance.

Responsibilities include:

• Setting operational priorities.
• Monitoring delivery against targets.
• Reviewing performance metrics.
• Managing escalated operational issues.
• Reviewing workload allocation.
• Driving consistency of delivery standards.
• Conducting performance reviews and development conversations.
• Ensuring operational compliance across all teams.
• Holding managers accountable for service outcomes.

The Contracts Managers will be expected to lead operational delivery within their allocated portfolios whilst escalating significant issues through the Senior Operations Manager.

Operational Oversight of Surveyors and Service Managers

Whilst reporting directly into the Contracts Managers, Surveyors and Service Managers will maintain a functional reporting relationship with the Senior Operations Manager.

The Senior Operations Manager will:

• Set operational direction.
• Establish service priorities.
• Review operational performance.
• Authorise service interventions.
• Escalate performance concerns where required.
• Maintain oversight of work allocation and productivity.
• Ensure consistency across all operational teams.
• Lead recovery activity where workflows fall behind target.

The role will have a strong focus on achieving measurable operational improvement through structured performance management and rigorous operational control.

Workflow, Resource and Productivity Management

The Senior Operations Manager will maintain oversight of all operational workflows from property vacation through to hand back to Lettings.

• Responsibilities include:
• Daily operational performance reviews.
• Capacity planning.
• Workforce deployment.
• Productivity management.
• SLA monitoring.
• Escalation of delays.
• Workflow balancing across teams.
• Resource optimisation.
• Monitoring contractor workloads.
• Maintaining operational visibility of all live void properties.

The postholder will ensure workflow controls operate effectively throughout the end-to-end void process.

Technical Administration and Lettings Coordination

Whilst the Technical Administration Team will be supported and managed through the Lettings Manager, the Senior Operations Manager will retain operational oversight to ensure administration activity fully supports service delivery.

This includes:

• Workflow administration.
• Document control.
• Purchase order management.
• Certification management.
• Hand backpack administration.
• Reporting support.
• Operational data quality.
• System accuracy.
• Audit readiness.

• Extensive contractor management experience.
• Experience managing multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Experience delivering significant performance improvements.
• Experience operating within highly regulated housing environments.
• Experience using data and performance information to drive operational improvement.

Critical Success Measure

The ultimate measure of success for the Senior Operations Manager will be the creation of a high-performing operational service that consistently delivers properties back to letting standard at pace, achieves recovery programme objectives, reduces rental income loss and enables the Interim Voids Business Development Lead to focus on the strategic transformation and long-term development of the Southwark Voids Service.