Private Sector Housing Team Leader - High-Rise Fire Safety

London Borough
£60-£65 per hour
Contract Private Sector Housing Job
Initial 3-month contract
Hybrid working (3 days on site)

Are you looking for your next Private Sector Housing job within a London Borough?

An experienced Private Sector Housing Team Leader is required to manage a specialist high-rise residential building and fire safety team. This contract opportunity will involve leading officers responsible for high-rise fire safety inspections, housing enforcement, building compliance and complex residential property investigations.

This is an excellent opportunity for a Private Sector Housing Team Leader, Housing Enforcement Team Leader, Principal Environmental Health Officer or Senior Private Sector Housing Officer with experience managing high-rise building inspections and fire safety enforcement.

As the Private Sector Housing Team Leader, you will manage the day-to-day delivery of a high-rise building inspection and enforcement programme.

You will lead a team of Private Sector Housing Officers and Environmental Health Officers carrying out fire safety checks, Housing Health and Safety Rating System inspections and formal housing enforcement action across high-rise residential buildings.

The team will investigate fire safety concerns, housing hazards, poor property conditions and non-compliance involving landlords, freeholders and managing agents.

You will ensure that the highest-risk high-rise buildings are prioritised and that appropriate Private Sector Housing enforcement action is taken to protect residents.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing a team of Private Sector Housing Officers, Environmental Health Officers and Housing Enforcement Officers.
• Leading high-rise residential building inspection and fire safety programmes.
• Allocating and reviewing complex high-rise fire safety and Private Sector Housing cases.
• Managing inspections of privately rented flats, residential blocks and complex high-rise buildings.
• Overseeing checks of communal areas, escape routes and protected means of escape.
• Reviewing concerns relating to fire doors, self-closing devices and fire-resisting construction.
• Overseeing checks relating to compartmentation, fire-stopping and service penetrations.
• Reviewing smoke control systems, emergency lighting, fire alarms and fire safety signage.
• Ensuring communal areas and escape routes are free from obstructions and combustible materials.
• Reviewing fire risk assessments and identifying gaps in fire safety compliance.
• Ensuring officers appropriately assess fire hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
• Providing technical advice on Category 1 and Category 2 fire hazards.
• Reviewing concerns involving cladding, balconies, external wall systems and façade defects.
• Coordinating joint inspections with the Fire and Rescue Service, Building Control and other regulatory partners.
• Liaising with landlords, freeholders, managing agents, responsible persons and residents.
• Ensuring urgent fire safety risks are escalated and appropriate interim measures are considered.
• Monitoring remedial work and ensuring fire safety defects are addressed within agreed timescales.
• Managing team workloads, performance targets, inspection programmes and KPIs.
• Providing technical guidance and case direction to Private Sector Housing Officers.
• Reviewing statutory notices, schedules of work and formal enforcement recommendations.
• Ensuring evidence, photographs, inspection notes and witness statements meet legal standards.
• Overseeing Civil Penalty Notices, prosecutions, emergency action and works in default.
• Preparing reports and performance updates for senior managers.
• Supporting the development of high-rise fire safety and Private Sector Housing enforcement procedures.

The successful candidate will oversee complex Private Sector Housing enforcement cases from initial inspection through to formal legal action.

You will ensure that officers use the Housing Act 2004 and other relevant legislation effectively when addressing fire hazards, poor housing conditions and landlord non-compliance.

You will review enforcement notices, Civil Penalty Notices, prosecution files, evidence bundles and tribunal documentation before formal action is taken.

This role requires a confident technical manager who can provide clear direction on difficult Private Sector Housing enforcement investigations and maintain a consistent approach across the team.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Previous Team Leader, Principal Officer or Senior Officer experience within a Local Authority.
• Experience managing a Private Sector Housing or Housing Enforcement team.
• Strong experience working within Local Authority Private Sector Housing.
• Experience managing high-rise residential building inspections.
• Experience overseeing fire safety checks in blocks of flats.
• Detailed knowledge of fire doors, compartmentation, fire-stopping and means of escape.
• Strong working knowledge of the Housing Act 2004.
• Detailed knowledge of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
• Experience assessing Category 1 and Category 2 hazards.
• Experience reviewing statutory notices and formal housing enforcement action.
• Experience managing Civil Penalty Notices, prosecutions or tribunal cases.
• Experience working with the Fire and Rescue Service and other regulatory partners.
• The ability to manage officers, workloads, KPIs and complex investigations.
• Confidence dealing with landlords, freeholders, managing agents and senior stakeholders.
• A relevant Environmental Health, Housing, Fire Safety or Building Safety qualification would be advantageous.

This Private Sector Housing job offers the opportunity to lead a specialist high-rise fire safety and housing enforcement team within a London Borough.

The role provides:

• A competitive rate of £60-£65 per hour.
• An initial three-month contract.
• Hybrid working.
• Responsibility for a specialist high-rise building portfolio.
• The opportunity to manage experienced Private Sector Housing and enforcement officers.
• Potential for the contract to be extended.

To apply for this position, contact Shaye Box.

Shaye Box
(phone number removed)
(url removed)