Job Description – Housing & Community Officer
The Iveagh Trust is the oldest provider of social housing in Ireland, building sustainable communities since 1890. Today, the Trust provides over 2,200 homes across Dublin, offering a range of housing options including general needs housing for families, supported housing for older people, and accommodation for men experiencing homelessness at the Iveagh Hostel.
Reference: HCO-0926
Position: Housing and Community Officer
Location: Stonemount Park, Ballyfermot, D 10
Reporting to: Head of Housing
Salary €40,000-€45,000 Depending on experience
Contract: Permanent
Benefits
The Iveagh Trust offers excellent terms and conditions of employment:
- 32.75 hours per week. Some flexibility on needs basis required.
- Flexible working arrangements with hybrid working and flexi-time options available.
- Pension – Best-in-class Defined Contribution Pension Scheme with employer contributions of up to 15% (when matching an employee contribution of 10%), lower contribution options are also available.
- Mileage – Mileage allowance will be paid in respect of all car mileage on Trust business at civil service rates.
- Annual Leave – 22 days – increasing with service to 25 days
- Death in Service Cover.
- Full Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family.
- Group Health Insurance Scheme providing discount to employees.
- Generous and supportive sick pay scheme.
- Full induction and ongoing professional training and development opportunities
Job Profile
Lettings and Allocations
- Develop and maintain effective relationships with Local Authorities and other agencies.
- Prepare key documentation.
- Rent assessments and differential rent calculations.
- Advise on rights and responsibilities of Iveagh Trust residents and deliver tenant induction sessions.
- Ensure excellent data management – keeping all records relating to tenancies, voids and related matters up to date via the Trust’s housing management software.
- Deal with correspondence from residents and members of the public.
- Register/terminate tenancies with the RTB as appropriate.
- Assist with preparing quarterly and annual returns concerning allocations and lettings for Local Authorities and key agencies.
Tenancy & Income Management
- Monitor and pursue rent arrears in line with the Iveagh Trust’s policies and procedures.
- Deal effectively with reports of anti-social behaviour and disputes in line with the Trust’s policies and procedures.
- Refer breaches of tenancy to the Residential Tenancies Board in conjunction with the Head of Housing, as appropriate.
- Work with, and initiate referrals to, our Tenancy Sustainment Officer where a tenancy may be in jeopardy.
- Be responsible for ensuring accurate records are kept of all properties, residents, and related information.
Resident Experience
- Take ownership of relevant outputs, improvements and solutions from the Tenant Satisfaction Survey
- Work closely with Estate Managers, Caretakers, Maintenance and Hostel staff.
- Provide a backup service to our Reception and Housing Team when necessary; answering incoming calls as well as handling caller’s enquiries whenever possible and redirecting when required.
- Deal with resident enquiries regarding allocations, general rent account and maintenance requests, directing the query to relevant colleague/s to be dealt with.
- Support the operation and development of the Trust’s housing management software.
- Ensure that all data entry is correct, paying close attention to detail.
Community-Building
- Play an active role in organising, facilitating and supporting key community-building activities and events throughout the year in the Trust’s general needs housing estates, including annual outings, family-fun days, coffee mornings, after-school clubs and other community activities.
- Attend and actively engage in meetings with the Trust’s Resident Committees, representing the organisation and following up on actions and queries.
- Contribute ideas and devise initiatives to strengthen communities and bring residents together.
- Ensure that the Trust’s community-building ethos is at the centre of everything we do.
- Represent the Trust and participate in wider community and agency initiatives, as appropriate.
Compliance / Governance
- Implement and monitor regulatory standards.
- Maintaining complaints and compliments records and facilitating compilation of reports to the Head of Housing and the Director of Housing and Resident Services.
- Develop and maintain knowledge of wider legislative, policy and procedural environment
- Awareness and understanding of risk management in a housing context including GDPR, tenancy management and fire safety.
General
- Report effectively to senior management.
- Advise and collaborate with management and staff on operational and policy matters.
- Maintain records and reports in line with Iveagh Trust requirements.
- Deal with sensitive issues in a professional, confidential, empathetic and pragmatic manner.
- Promote and represent the Iveagh Trust.
- Attend training as required appropriate to your role.
- Attend meetings where necessary and to input and engage on the future of the service including evening meetings.
- To be engaged and provide input into the annual rent review process.
- Assist the team where required in any other additional duties.
- Contribute ideas in the continuous development and innovation of the resident services directorate and future opportunities.
- The post holder may be required to undertake additional duties from time to time, commensurate with the nature of the role and the service provided. Work outside of regular hours may be required.
Attributes/attitudes
- A caring, helpful, courteous and professional approach in all dealings with residents, staff and stakeholders.
A positive, team-oriented spirit with a solutions-based focus.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to plan, manage and work collaboratively with all stakeholders to deliver an excellent service to residents.
Capacity to work independently, taking a lead on key items of work using your own initiative.
Commitment to the highest standards of excellence in housing, health and safety and GDPR.
Attention to detail
Maintain strict confidentiality at all times
The ability to work as part of a team
Excellent and confident communicator at all levels
Ability to prioritise & problem-solve
Ability to work under pressure and flexibly
Integrity and personal effectiveness
Commitment to the delivery of quality services
Experience
Essential
A full driver’s licence and use of car
- 3+ years proven experience in the social housing sector, ideally in a similar role.
- Excellent knowledge of social housing, tenancy agreements, housing law and in particular the Residential Tenancies Acts and the Residential Tenancies Board’s (RTB) processes to manage breaches of tenancy.
- Experience in all areas of the tenancy lifecycle; allocations, lettings, differential rent calculations, managing rental income, rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, disputes and community-building.
- Strong working knowledge of the various local authority differential rent schemes.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Housing Management Software and management information systems.
- Working with figures, budget awareness and input.
- Excellent administration & organisational skills.
- Experience in dealing with complex situations in a multi-stakeholder environment dealing with a range of both internal and external (local authorities or Statutory bodies) stakeholders.
- Must speak fluent English and be eligible to work in Ireland.
Desirable
- Knowledge of social housing funding schemes.
Applications to
Applications must include the job reference code: HCO-0926
Please send an up-to-date CV and Cover Letter outlining your suitability for this role, including:
- Why you want to work for the Iveagh Trust
- Your top three skills with relevant experience that you feel make you the best candidate for this
By email to: HR@theiveaghtrust.ie
Closing date for receipt of applications is Wednesday, 23 September @ 5pm.
Shortlisting of applications for interview will commence before the closing date therefore if you are interested in this opportunity, please apply early.
The Iveagh Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer.