Head of Construction and Commercial

There is no better place to work in London than Hackney; we have great pride in our borough, our communities, and our services. Hackney is one of London’s most vibrant and diverse boroughs. It’s one of the most sought after areas to live in London with good schools, parks and local amenities.

Hackney Council is undertaking an ambitious programme of regeneration across a number of housing estates and sites across the borough. We aim to transform places by building new neighbourhoods with well-designed housing, streets and public spaces. The programme is building more than 3,000 new homes over the next 10 years and will deliver new council rented, shared ownership and
outright sale homes across Hackney.

The Council’s Housing Regeneration and Delivery teams are leading the delivery of these homes at all stages – starting with writing the briefs for sites, selecting architects and the wider design teams, managing the design process and procuring contractors and developer partners. We have won a number of prestigious awards for our housing schemes, including the RIBA Neave Brown Award for Housing 2024 and Overall Winner at the NLA Awards 2024. The Observer’s architecture critic said of Hackney – “By cross-subsidising, talking to residents and valuing good design, the east London borough is investing in some of the best council housing ever built”.

We are looking for a talented, experienced and collaborative construction professional to build and lead a new multi-disciplinary Construction and Commercial team, including Construction Managers and Aftercare and Defects Managers. You and your team will be responsible for promoting a commercially-focused delivery environment in the Housing Regeneration and Delivery service. You will shape and lead the Council’s approach to engaging with and procuring contractors, designing buildable and cost effective schemes, using modern methods of construction and ensuring best practice/compliance in relation to building safety.

You will have a genuine commitment to delivering exemplary housing development and regeneration schemes, as well as a proven track record in working collaboratively with project stakeholders. Substantial technical expertise gained through housing construction/delivery experience is also required, along with experience working at various levels in the construction industry, including a management role.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications: 02 May 2025 (22:59)

Interview dates: 19 – 23 May 2025

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk