Head of Regulatory Preparedness and Continuous Improvement
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
About this job
<p>We are seeking an exceptional strategic leader to drive regulatory assurance, performance excellence and continuous improvement across our Housing, Environment & Communities (HEC) directorate. This high‑impact role ensures we remain inspection‑ready, data‑driven, and committed to delivering outstanding services for our residents. You will lead our Client Side Management, Housing Strategy, and Business Improvement & Development Teams, shaping transformation and embedding high-quality, resident‑focused service delivery.</p><p> </p><p>You will be responsible for the following areas:</p><p>Performance & Assurance</p><p>• To Oversee accurate, timely, high‑quality performance data reporting across HEC.</p><p>• To Lead statutory returns, dashboards and assurance submissions.</p><p>• To Ensure robust data quality and transparent performance management. Change & Transformation</p><p>• To Design and deliver strategic improvement and transformation programmes.</p><p>• To Lead pilots, rollouts, training plans and post‑implementation reviews.</p><p>• To Embed a culture of continuous improvement aligned to organisational priorities.</p><p> </p><p>Resident and Stakeholder Engagement</p><p>• To Embed co‑production and service user voice in service design.</p><p>• To Ensure services reflect the needs of diverse communities. Policy, Strategy & Governance</p><p>• To Lead on policy development aligned to legislation and sector best practice.</p><p>• To Manage governance reporting for boards, scrutiny and internal improvement forums. Risk & Compliance</p><p>• To Lead the HEC risk management framework and quality audit processes.</p><p>• To Manage inspection readiness, evidence banks, self‑assessments and assurance reporting. External Engagement & Best Practice</p><p>• To Benchmark services and incorporate sector learning from regulatory and Ombudsman insights.</p><p> </p>
About you
<p>You will bring:</p><p>• Significant experience in quality assurance, performance or improvement within local government or the public sector.</p><p>• Expertise in inspection readiness, transformation leadership and risk management.</p><p>• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and drive service change.</p><p>• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑engagement skills, influencing at senior levels.</p><p>• Understanding of housing legislation, regulation and inspection frameworks.</p><p>• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams in complex service environments.</p><p>• Ability to work at pace, manage competing priorities and deliver measurable outcomes.</p><p> </p><p>You will role model the LBBD DRIVE values: Deliver, Respond, Inspire, Value and Engage.</p><p> </p>
About us
<p>Barking and Dagenham is a borough that’s changing for the better. Over the past few years, we’ve been working hard to transform how we deliver services and support our community. We’re proud of our diverse and vibrant population, and we’re committed to building a borough where everyone feels respected, included, and empowered. As an Investors in People Gold Award employer, we’re serious about supporting our staff. From flexible working and career development to wellbeing initiatives, we want our people to feel valued and supported in everything they do. Our values, known as DRIVE, shape how we work: • Deliver our best every day – and do what we promise • Respond in a prompt, positive way to our community’s needs • Inspire others with our attitudes and actions • Value people for who they are and what they can do • Engage with others to improve our resilience and flexibility We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.</p><p> </p>