Head of Housing Complaints

Head of Complaints

Location: Flexible (Hybrid working model with travel to meetings as required) Job Type: Interim Salary: £640 per day (umbrella)

We are seeking an experienced Head of Complaints to provide interim leadership following the retirement of the current post holder. This role is crucial for ensuring that our residents receive fair, timely, empathetic, and effective resolution when things go wrong. The successful candidate will lead the organisation’s complaints function, providing strategic leadership across complaint handling, customer resolution, learning, and service improvement in a large, complex housing association.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Lead the organisation’s complaints function, using complaints as a source of insight to drive measurable improvements in services.
• Champion a positive complaints culture, ensuring compliance with regulatory expectations while embedding learning across operational teams.
• Provide strategic leadership across complaint handling, ensuring that residents receive fair and effective resolutions.
• Manage and report on performance within the department, setting appropriate performance objectives for direct reports.
• Lead the process of crafting and cascading messaging for customer issues to ensure prompt response and resolution.
• Consult with customer representatives to identify outcomes, utilizing expertise to gather and analyze complex customer data.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Significant senior leadership experience in complaints, customer resolution, or service improvement within the Housing sector
• Strong understanding of social housing, resident services, and the regulatory environment affecting registered providers.
• Proven experience of leading complaint handling in a regulated environment, including complex casework and Ombudsman engagement.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce high-quality reports, responses, and briefings.
• Strong judgement, emotional intelligence, and resilience when dealing with sensitive, high-risk or high-profile issues.
• Ability to lead change, challenge constructively, and build commitment across multiple services and stakeholders.
• Experience working in a housing association, local authority housing service, or other resident-facing regulated environment.

To apply for this Head of Complaints position, please submit your CV detailing your relevant experience.