Director of Strategy, Policy and Insights

We’re looking for a Director of Strategy, Policy and Insights to inspire and optimise the performance and impact of Accent’s strategies to customers, stakeholders, partners, and our wider communities.

It is an exciting time for the organisation as Accent looks to transform its customer offer to ensure that at every opportunity, its customers receive a first-class service. But not just that, Accent wants its services to be customer-led, enabling customers to play a meaningful role in designing services and holding them to account to make sure they deliver. Accent are also proud of its Homes England Strategic Partnership, which allows them to build even more sustainable homes in areas of housing need.

As our Director of Strategy, Policy and Insights you’ll lead the development, engagement and delivery of Accent’s Corporate Strategy and strategic initiatives, policy framework, and insights generation.

In this role you’ll have responsibility for our performance framework, and insights, working closely with the Executive Team and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to develop and deliver actionable insights that enable Accent to continually improve its performance, services to customers and our impact in the wider communities we serve.

You’ll also oversee ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting, ensuring alignment with organisational goals, enhancing decision-making processes, and promoting sustainable and responsible practices.

Core responsibilities include:

Strategic Planning and Implementation:

• Lead the development and execution of Accent’s strategic plan, ensuring alignment with long-term goals and regulatory/legislative requirements.
• Work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Customer Relations to develop our Customer Engagement Strategy, ensuring the customer voice can be heard throughout Accent, and ensuring customers have real influence on strategic decisions and service outcomes.
• Co-ordinate the development of Accent’s strategic delivery programmes, adjusting plans as necessary to meet objectives.

Policy Development and Oversight:

• Oversee the maintenance of the policy framework, working closely with policy owners and business leads to develop and maintain policies that support Accent’s strategic objectives.
• Ensure policies are compliant with relevant legislation and industry standards.

Data Analysis and Insights:

• Oversee the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data to provide actionable insights.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reports to support decision-making processes.
• Utilise data analytics to evaluate the impact of policies and strategic initiatives.
• Oversee the collection and reporting of Tenant Satisfaction Measures in line with the regulatory requirements.

ESG Reporting and Sustainability:

• Oversee the development and implementation of Accent’s ESG strategy.
• Oversee the preparation and submission of ESG reports to stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, investors, and the community.
• Promote sustainable and responsible practices across the organisation.

Please click here to view/download the Recruitment Pack.

Salary

The spot salary for this post is £81,000 per annum for applicants who fully meet the requirements of the post.

This post will also receive a £5,000 car allowance.

What will you get from us?

In addition to a competitive salary and agile working, we also have a focus on employees’ development. We support both professional and personal development, ensuring everyone has a development plan and provide access to a wide range of internal and external learning resources.

You’ll also receive:

• 28 days paid holiday (pro-rata excluding bank holidays) per year rising by 1 day per year up to a maximum of one working week.
• A choice of Pension Schemes including a Defined Benefit Scheme with a 7.5% member contribution or a Defined Contribution Scheme with a 4% member contribution. Both pension schemes provide Life Insurance Cover.
• Option to purchase additional holiday of up to 2 of your working weeks (at managers discretion. Employee Assistance Programme
• "Hapi" Benefits App with multiple discounts. 

Location

The successful candidate will be required to travel to all our sites around the country.

Accent is looking to appoint a Director of Strategy, Policy and Insights with the following experience and attributes:

Qualifications & Experience:

• Degree or relevant experience in Public Policy, Business Administration, Environmental Science, or a related field.
• Proven experience in strategic planning, policy development, and data analysis within the housing sector or a related industry.
• Strong understanding of ESG principles, frameworks, and reporting standards.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a team.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.  

Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically and develop plans that align with organizational goals.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and persuasively.
• Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people.
• Analytical Skills: Strong research and analytical skills to interpret data and develop evidence-based recommendations.
• Leadership: Ability to lead and inspire teams to achieve strategic objectives.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and respond effectively to new challenges.

We are Team Accent. We were formed in 1966 and have grown in the time since to now serve over 41,000 customers across the north, east and south of the country. We are driven by the fundamental belief that helping to solve the housing crisis will provide people with stability, a foundation for better living and contribute to the nation’s wider objectives for local and national growth. We are clear on the impact we can make across our areas of operation and motivated by our values, strong vision and core purpose of providing top quality homes and services for our customers. We know that we have a large part to play in helping to overcome the difficulties that households on lower incomes face, and it is incumbent on us to deliver our core services to the best standard possible so that all of our customers feel that it is ‘good to be home’.

If you feel great about putting customers first, then we feel great about you joining the Accent team.

And we are a team. We live and breathe our values – we are Smart, we are Driven, we are Caring and we are Inclusive – are you? If you can do what’s right and challenge what you think is wrong, relish the opportunity to work with some fabulous colleagues to improve the customer experience and make sure we keep to our promises, then you are the person we are looking for.

If you require reasonable adjustments to any part of our recruitment process, please let us know we will ensure requirements are met. 

This recruitment is being managed by our partners Neemar Search. For further information, a discussion or to apply for this role, please contact

Eliot Jeffries: eliotjeffries@neemarsearch.com

Tom Neely: tomneely@neemarsearch.com

07985 791149