Description
Interim Head of Complaints
London / National | Remote | Interim Contract
London: £513–£642 per day Umbrella
National: £453–£566 per day Umbrella
We are currently working with a major G15 housing association to appoint an experienced Interim Head of Complaints to provide senior leadership across its complaints and customer resolution function.
The organisation is one of the major housing providers operating across London and forms part of the G15 group of the capital’s largest housing associations, making this a high-profile opportunity for an experienced housing complaints leader.
This is an interim leadership position providing continuity and stability following the retirement of the current Head of Complaints. The successful candidate will lead the function through an ongoing period of operational transition, including the continued embedding of a new complaints operating model and management system.
The Role
As Interim Head of Complaints, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across the complaints and customer resolution function, ensuring residents receive fair, timely, empathetic and effective resolution when things go wrong.
You will lead 3 direct reports, with overall responsibility for a team of approximately 60, providing clear direction, performance management and coaching across an established complaints operation.
The role will have significant exposure to senior internal stakeholders, governance forums and executive-level audiences, with responsibility for ensuring complaints insight translates into meaningful service improvement, stronger accountability and better resident outcomes.
Key areas of complaints activity will include, but are not limited to:
- Repairs and maintenance
- Anti-social behaviour (ASB)
- Service charges
- Complex and high-profile complaints
- Customer resolution and remedies
- Ombudsman engagement and responses
- Complaint performance, trends and service improvement
- Governance, assurance and regulatory compliance
You will also be expected to produce high-quality Board and Committee papers, reports and briefings, communicate confidently with senior stakeholders and manage direct engagement with MPs and the Housing Ombudsman where required.
The role profile highlights the importance of using complaints data and customer insight to identify trends, drive measurable service improvement and reduce repeat failures, alongside maintaining compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code and wider regulatory expectations.
About You
This role requires demonstrable senior complaints leadership experience within a housing association.
We are specifically looking for candidates who have operated at Head of Service / senior management level within the social housing sector, with a strong understanding of housing complaints, resident services and the regulatory environment affecting registered providers.
You will need:
- Significant senior-level housing association complaints experience
- Experience leading sizeable complaints/customer resolution teams
- Strong knowledge of the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code
- Experience handling complex, high-risk and high-profile complaints
- Direct experience engaging with the Housing Ombudsman
- Strong senior stakeholder management and influencing skills
- Experience preparing Board, Committee, Executive or governance papers
- Confidence communicating with senior leaders, MPs and external stakeholders
- Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements within social housing
- Experience leading managers and established teams through operational change
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong judgement, resilience and emotional intelligence
- The ability to analyse complaints data and translate insight into tangible service improvements
- The gravitas and credibility to operate effectively at a senior level from day one
The successful candidate will need to be comfortable operating autonomously in an interim environment and providing immediate leadership and stakeholder confidence.
Working Arrangements
This is a predominantly remote role, and candidates do not need to be London-based.
However, you must be able to travel to the organisation's North London office for meetings when required. Attendance will be driven by business need, and some weeks may require up to three days of meetings in London.
Why Apply?
- Senior interim leadership position within a major G15 housing association
- Lead an established complaints function of approximately 60 staff
- Significant exposure to senior stakeholders, governance and executive forums
- Opportunity to influence the continued development of the complaints operating model
- High-profile role with responsibility for customer resolution, learning and service improvement
- Flexible hybrid working, with travel driven by business requirements
- Opportunity to provide strategic leadership during an important period of operational transition
- Potential opportunity to be considered for the permanent position, subject to the organisation's recruitment process.
If you are an experienced senior complaints professional with a strong housing association background and the gravitas to operate at this level, we'd be keen to hear from you.
Please note: Due to the specific requirements of this appointment, candidates without senior housing association complaints experience will not be considered.