Job Description

Trade Supervisor (Responsive Repairs Social Housing)

Job Purpose:
Responsible for the supervision of a team of trade operatives to ensure the efficient maintenance and repair of housing stock. The role involves coordinating work schedules, supervising on-site activities, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations, and maintaining high-quality standards in all work performed. The role will act as a key liaison between residents, contractors, the planning team, and management teams.

Role Requirements:

• Manage and supervise a team of tradespeople including plumbers, carpenters, wet trades, and other maintenance staff.
• Work with the planning team to coordinate daily work schedules and activities to ensure timely completion of works.
• Monitor and control all work undertaken within either a geographical or property type contract area, undertaking pre and post inspections as required.
• Mentor operatives and trainees, ensuring all Health & Safety guidelines are met.
• Monitor progress and completion of works from operatives and subcontractors within the requirements of group policies and procedures.
• Manage the use of operatives and subcontractors, ensuring compliance with company standards of work performance, customer service, and Health & Safety procedures.
• Manage operatives and subcontractors to maximize contract performance against KPIs, minimize default notices and penalties, and ensure high levels of customer service.
• Control costs of items such as man hours, equipment, vehicles, stock, and tools, minimizing wastage and avoidable expenditure.
• Gain appropriate sign-off for expenditure and identify cost-effective service delivery options to reduce costs.
• Monitor performance against contract-specific requirements and produce performance reports.
• Carry out pre, work-in-progress, and post inspections of work ensuring right-first-time delivery of quality standards.
• Conduct one-to-ones, identifying and implementing any training and development needs.
• Ensure that all workloads, operative performance, and costs are managed. Monitor performance of all operatives and subcontractors and take action in cases of underperformance.
• Provide technical guidance and support to tradespeople, planning, and customer services teams.
• Foster good relationships with residents, addressing any concerns or complaints in a timely and professional manner.
• Collaborate with the management team to develop maintenance strategies, budgets, and schedules as required.
• Ensure that all Health and Safety requirements are followed, conducting risk assessments as necessary.

Additional Requirements:
The post holder will be required to participate in an out-of-hours rota for repairs and maintenance services on a regular basis.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential:

Proven experience in supervising and coordinating repairs and maintenance in a social housing or property management environment.

Trade qualification in a relevant field (e.g., plumbing, carpentry).

Knowledge of building construction and maintenance.

Experience working with contractors and managing performance against SLAs.

Strong understanding of health and safety regulations.

Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to liaise effectively with internal teams, contractors, and tenants.

Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance.

Ability to solve problems effectively and efficiently.

Leadership and people management skills.

Attention to detail and a commitment to high-quality work.

Strong negotiation skills for managing contractors and resources.

A proactive approach with a focus on continuous improvement.

Full driving license and access to means of transport.

Desirable:

• Health and safety certification (e.g., NEBOSH, IOSH).
• Willingness to participate in ongoing training and professional development.