About Sophia:
Sophia is national provider of housing with support services and was founded in 1997 by Sr. Jean Quinn D.W. Jean together with co-founder Eamonn Martin who led the development of an organisation that has always been acutely aware of the impact that homelessness has on individuals, couples and families.
Over the past three decades Sophia has been supporting people as they emerge from homelessness. Sophia provides trauma informed services that recognises the impact that homelessness, poverty and social exclusion has on those it supports. Sophia is unique among providers of homeless services in that it focuses exclusively on helping people to leave homelessness by having a home of their own as quickly as possible.
Sophia promotes an inclusive, respectful environment for all employees and residents, with particular attention to LGBTQ+ inclusion and multicultural awareness.
The Head of Asset Management & Development will fully align to the significance that Sophia places on Trauma Informed Practice. The successful candidate must demonstrate an empathy with the requirements for such a practice and an approach in both development and asset management. Sophia fundamentally believes that the quality of the homes it provides as well as the external environments (common areas and green areas) are key to Sophia supporting residents to recover from the experience of being homeless.
The Head of Asset Management & Development must also have a keen understanding and commitment to the principles of “Housing First” and the role it can play in addressing homelessness. They must have a strong appreciation for how Sophia has adapted this model and in particular its use of providing homes on single sites.
Sophia recently commissioned Crowe Ireland to conduct a review of Sophia’s Asset Management and Development Function and the Head of Asset Management & Development will play a key role in implementing the findings from this review.
Purpose of Role:
The Head of Asset Management & Development will establish and manage the new Asset Management & Development function in Sophia.
The Head of Asset Management & Development will provide strategic leadership and direction for Sophia’s property and asset portfolio, ensuring that all assets are managed efficiently, sustainably and in line with organisational values and objectives. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the charity’s mission to provide safe, high-quality accommodation and facilities for individuals and families who have experienced homelessness.
This role will oversee the strategic planning, acquisition, maintenance and development of property and related assets, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and best practice in asset management.
The Head of Asset Management & Development will play a lead role in ensuring that Sophia complies fully with the standards of the Approved Housing Body Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) and in particular their Property and Asset Management Standard.
While the Head of Asset Management & Development will not have day to day responsibility for responsive repairs, they will be responsible for ensuring that the data on responsive repairs is collated and analysed. They will also be responsible for working in partnership with the Head of Services to ensure that the work associated with responsive repairs is being procured and value for money is optimised.
Nature of Contract:
Contract: Permanent, 39 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
Sophia offers the following additional benefits to employees:
- 25 Annual Leave Days
- Additional Long Service annual leave
- 5% Employer pension contribution
- Further education and training support
- Employee assistance Programme
- Flexible working arrangements
Location: Cork St, Dublin 8 with national remit; regular travel to various sites.
Hybrid working arrangements.
Main Tasks and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and implement a long-term Asset Management Strategy aligned with Sophia’s overall strategic plan and service delivery objectives.
- Provide advice to the C.E.O, Board, and Senior Management Team on property and asset-related matters, including investment priorities, risk, and sustainability.
- Lead on capital planning, ensuring resources are optimised to meet current and future accommodation needs.
- Drive innovation in asset use, including repurposing and redevelopment opportunities to maximise social impact and financial sustainability.
Development of New Homes:
- Lead the development of Sophia’s plans to provide new homes and be accountable for all parts of plan to develop new homes from concept through to completion.
- Ensure that plans to develop new homes will be aligned to Sophia’s financial plan and organisational strategy and only proceed with development plan for any new home(s) if it is fully aligned this strategy and development plan.
- Strictly adhere to the Board approved policy on appraising new developments and new options.
- Maintain an up-to-date Development Tracker and related narrative(s) and forward this to the Development Committee and C.E.O at least 5 working days before each Development Committee meetings.
- Be proactive to identify appropriate opportunities (aligned to Sophia’s strategy and Development Plan) so that Sophia continues to provide homes to those who need them especially those with a history of experiencing homelessness.
- Commission and oversee feasibility studies for new developments and present findings to Development Committee.
- Lead the procurement and management of design teams
- Oversee and be responsible for planning applications for the building of new homes.
- Liaise with and manage relationships with Local Authorities and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
- Identify opportunities for leveraging assets to support income generation and long-term sustainability.
- Be accountable for all stages of Capital Assistance Scheme funding stream.
- Be accountable for successfully managing the processes associated with Capital Advance Leasing Scheme
- In partnership with the Head of Finance and Governance ensure productive and positive relationship exists with the Housing Finance Agency.
AHBRA’s Property and Asset Management Standard
The Head of Asset Management & Development will play a lead role in supporting Sophia’s compliance with AHBRA’s Property and Asset Management Standard in doing so they will ensure:
- A programme of work exists to comply with all relevant legal, regulatory, funding and statutory obligations relating to Sophia role as a landlord.
- Development and implementation of a programme that protects the housing assets by delivering an effective asset management programme
- Provision of a cost-effective repairs and maintenance programme that meets the needs of tenants
- Identification of any risks associated with property management including them on the Risk Register; be accountable for mitigation of risk associated with asset management.
Fixed Asset Register
- Ensure that an up-to-date Fixed Asset Register is in place.
- Where there are gaps or weakness in the Fixed Asset Register, be responsible for closing out on all of these risks.
- Under the direction of the C.E.O review legal services provided to Sophia in the area of property management and progress and procure the appropriate level of legal services in the area of property management.
Property and Facilities Management
- Develop and maintain Sophia’s stock condition surveys.
- Review and assess stock condition survey findings and prepare a planned schedule of required maintenance responses.
- Commission, procure and project manage maintenance and upgrade works across the housing portfolio in accordance with the stock condition data and the asset maintenance plan of Sophia.
- Ensure that Sophia has the appropriate software to track and manage repairs and Maintainance and that this software is optimised by all in Sophia.
- Develop, implement and be responsible for planned and cyclical maintenance for all of Sophia properties.
- Ensure full compliance with statutory health and safety and housing regulations, including building standards, fire safety, accessibility and environmental sustainability.
- Implement a robust system for property inspections, repairs, and lifecycle management.
- Ensure measures are in place to attain Sophia’s void targets.
Finance and Value for Money
- Accountable for the budget in this area – as the most senior staff member accountable for responsive and planned maintenance repairs.
- Through the budgeting planning process and by liaising with the Head of Finance and Governance ensure that the annual budget to fund the completion of planned repairs and maintenance is adequate.
- Ensure that the annual repairs and maintenance budget establish the level of expenditure required and associated funding needed within the organisation to deliver on each element of its repairs and maintenance programme.
- When forecasting the level of funding required, the Head of Development and Asset Management should consider (i) actual spend from previous year’s financial performance and (ii) information derived from the asset management programme and stock condition analysis, including expected costings for the delivery of works.
- Ensure that there is a value for money process in place and compliant procurement procedures for sourcing responsive, planned and cyclical maintenance.
- Ensure that Sophia’s 5- or 10-year Financial Projections accurately reflect the funds needed to address financial requirements of responsive, planned and cyclical maintenance.
- Be responsible for sourcing funding to support work on planned and cyclical maintenance.
- Liaise with the Head of Finance and Governance to ensure that the budget on repairs and maintenance and development is monitored.
- Be responsible for ensuring that mechanisms are in place for monitoring, reporting and evaluating the performance against their repairs and maintenance budgets.
- Where there is any overspend or risk of overspend inform the C.E.O and Development Committee of this overspend.
- Bring forward measures to address the overspend and/or mitigate against the risk of an overspend.
Management of Performance of external contractors:
- Manage relationships with external contractors, residents and service providers to ensure high-quality, value-for-money outcomes.
- Ensure that contractor’s performance is managed in line with the contract requirements, including deliverables and agreed performance targets.
- Monitor the contractor’s performance to involve the collection and analysis of performance data and regular meetings with the contractor to assess performance.
- Be accountable for having contract management procedures in place with all contractors in the area of Development and in the area of repairs and maintenance.
- Alert the C.E.O and the Development Committee or any significant breaches in the performance by contractors of their contracted duties.
Leadership and Management of Development and Asset Management Function
- Lead the newly established Asset Management and Development Function.
- Supervise and support staff working in this function in line with Sophia’s policy on staff supervision.
- Arrange weekly staff meetings with the team.
- Work with the team to so that each member has an agreed annual work programme with targets and KPIs.
- Work with the Public Relations Manager and the C.E.O to ensure there is an awareness and appreciation for the role of the Asset Management and Development Function within Sophia.
- Foster and maintain highly effective positive working relationships with Services Management Team, Project Managers and Sophia Leadership Team.
- Play a positive and proactive role in being a member of the Sophia Leadership Team and any group established by the C.E.O to co-ordinate the work associated with compliance and/or the co-ordination of the work being undertaken by senior management in Sophia.
Representative Role:
Under the direction of the C.E.O participate in appropriate forums and networks that are in the best interests of Sophia. Report back to the C.E.O and fellow senior management on issues of relevance to Sophia.
Performance:
- To draft an annual work plan which will be approved by C.E.O which will include Objectives, Timelines and Key Performance Indicators.
- To participate in supervision and appraisal meetings with C.E.O
- To comply with all polices and procedures of the Sophia Staff Handbook.
- To be responsible for effective health and safety procedures and processes on all aspects of Sophia’s asset management work and development. Where external contractors are providing repairs and maintenance work or work associated with developing new homes ensure there is evidence that their work is being carried out safely.
- To participate fully in Sophia Internal Audit programme.
Development Committee
- Ensure that the agenda and briefing papers for the Development Committee are circulated 5 working days in advance of their meeting.
- Liaise and support the Chair of the Development Committee to compile an agenda for their meeting.
- Gather data and evidence that monitors that the Development Committee is adhering to their Terms of Reference. Where the Development Committee is not adhering to its Terms of Reference or KPIs alert the Chair of the Committee and C.E.O
- Be responsible for maintaining the Development Committee’s organisational file.
Person Specification
Values:
- Committed to the ethos and mission of Sophia
- Empathy and commitment with Trauma Informed Practice
- Ensure that in both development and asset management the centrality of trauma informed practice is always to the fore.
- Commitment to equality and anti-oppressive practice
- An appreciation of the role that the not-for-profit sector plays in addressing homelessness and social exclusion
Requirements, Skills & Qualifications
- Degree qualification in property management, surveying, construction, facilities managementor a related field.
- A minimum of 5 years management experience in asset or property management at a senior level, ideally within the housing, not-for-profit, or public sector.
- Proven experience developing and implementing strategic asset management plans across a diverse property portfolio.
- Possess a highly proficient knowledge of the AHBRA’s four Standards and in particular the Property and Asset Management Standard and to have a high level of competency in being able to implement this standard.
- Have an advanced understanding of the Capital Assistance Scheme and the Capital Advance Leasing Scheme.
- Track Record of successfully managing the development of new homes.
- At least 3 years’ experience of supporting AHBs to develop plans to provide new homes
- Track record of delivering homes on time and within budget
- Strong knowledge of Irish housing, planning and building regulations, including familiarity with the role of Approved Housing Bodies and the Department of Housing.
- Demonstrated financial and commercial acumen, including experience managing budgets and capital projects.
- Experience in contract management, procurement and negotiation with external stakeholders.
- Strategic thinker with the ability to translate organisational goals into actionable asset strategies.
- Strong leadership, people management and communication skills.
- Capacity to supervise and support team members
- Proven teamwork skills necessary to play and active role and be a productive colleague in senior management within Sophia.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving and decision-making ability.
- Integrity, sound judgement and commitment to the mission of Sophia.
- Ability to travel; full clean driving licence
Application Process:
Please forward a Cover Letter and CV to
The closing date for receipt of applications is
5pm on Tuesday, 3rd November 2026.
Sophia is committed to making our recruitment process accessible to all candidates. If you require any reasonable accommodations, please let us know.