Engagement & Communications Manager

Job Title: Engagement and Communications Manager

Contract Type: Permanent

• Salary: £50,000 Per annum
• Working Hours: Full Time – 35 Hours 
• Working Pattern: Monday to Friday - Hybrid

Location: Camden

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

Please note that whilst we will accept applications on the basis of any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK, we will be surrendering the Riverside Sponsorship licence, so for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to apply for any further sponsorships whether on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.

The difference you will make as a Engagement and Communications Manager

The Engagement and Communications Manager role is designed to support the directly employed property services teams carrying out repairs and maintenance.  Riverside Property Services maintains over 25,000 properties across London, the Southeast and Home Counties. The directly employed teams carry out repairs and maintenance and this role is pivotal to support the development and implementation of our strategic approach to engagement and communication. 

You will support the senior management and Leadership teams ensuring that Riverside Property Services is delivering a high quality, professional, customer-focused communication service to our internal and external stakeholders including customers. This is a unique role that has different engagement and communication responsibilities across various work streams. This post is to ensure the provision of effective communications strategy, reporting to the Commercial Director. 

About You

We are looking for someone with (to be taken from essential criteria)

• Experience of managing a team within a corporate communications environment 
• Previous experience working within in the housing industry (repair works experience is ideal). 
• Customer focused with excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work at all levels within the business.
• Ability to influence external stakeholders and internal customers

Why Riverside?

One Housing Group is a part of Riverside. At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives. 

We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working With Us, You’Ll Enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension 
• 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Flexible working options available
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity And Inclusion At Riverside:

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues. 

Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.

This role also falls under our Ethnic Diversity guaranteed interview scheme. If you are Ethnically Diverse and demonstrate you meet the minimum criteria for the role you will be guaranteed an interview.  

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to be considered

Role Profile

• Support the Senior Management and Leadership teams to proactively communicate with customers and colleagues relating to service delivery and reactive communications relating to service failure, incident management etc. 
• Manage internal communication between teams including Riverside Group colleagues
• Assist with Members Enquiries and Stage 1 Complaints 
• Responsible for external communication. 
• Ensure residents and leaseholders remain updated as per agreed communication plans and strategy. 
• Contribute to several internal and external strategic and cross-departments working groups, as required. 
• Keep abreast of upcoming changes that might impact the organisation and customers, including outcomes of Housing Ombudsman reports. 
• Pro-actively identify any areas of reputational risks and escalate those with the Head of External Affairs the Director of Strategy and Communications. 
• Ensure good record keeping within the team for the purpose of resilience and to be able to provide evidence to support any complaint investigation. 
• Monitor communications performance, develop individual targets and monitor performance to ensure that communications campaigns and letters are successful, with high engagement rates. 
• Review the quality of customer responses and engagement provide feedback to colleagues and develop lessons learned to feed into assurance and governance reporting. 
• Prepare high level and tailored written correspondence to residents and stakeholders. 
• Adherence to GDPR and high-level data management. 
• Escalate any serious incidents/issues as per company policy. 

Key Tasks

• To lead and assist the Riverside Property Services Team, mentoring and coaching them to provide a high quality, customer-focused service to all stakeholders. 
• To inspire and engage with all colleagues to create a working environment which influences effective wellbeing, performance and development. 
• Ensuring team structures are resourced with competent colleagues to support delivery of best working practices. 
• Champion a culture of promoting and supporting colleague wellbeing. 
• Champion creating a culture of inclusion, diversity and equity where every colleague is able to bring their whole self to work. 
• Support and enable colleagues within your team’s and the wider directorate to participate and fulfil their obligations in the Our Riverside Voice Forum.  

Additional Information:

• The job will involve a close working relationship with Senior Managers & Directors within Riverside. This role will be branch based at our Camden and Dartford offices.
• You will have the ability to lead and efficiently communicate to a wide range of stakeholders, including, but not limited to, service users, clients, Councillors, consultants, employees, colleagues, and trade union representatives.           
• You will Gain appropriate sign off for expenditure and Identify cost effective service delivery options to reduce cost.     
• You will Liaise with the Riverside Group and its agents, Riverside Property Services staff, operatives, sub-contractors, suppliers and customers.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience of managing a team within a corporate communications environment
• Previous experience working within in the housing industry (repair works experience is ideal). 
• Customer focused with excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work at all levels within the business. 
• Ability to influence external stakeholders and internal customers. 
• A proven track record of delivery in a demanding and fast paced environment. • Exhibit strong leadership and management skills. 
• Ability to coach teams effectively and to empower and enable them to undertake their roles. 
• Excellent attention to detail

Desirable

• Repairs and Commercial Awareness.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• An analytical approach to work.
• High numeracy and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work as part of a team and build strong working relationships.

Competencies

• Team working.
• Communication skills.
• Organisational skills.
• Decision making and problem solving.
• Negotiating skills.
• People Management.
• Customer focus.