Independent Living Area Manager

Location: Bedford (with travel across local schemes)
Contract: Full-time, permanent

Salary: £41,880.72 plus £2,000 car allowance

We're looking for an experienced and passionate Independent Living Area Manager to lead and develop high-quality services for customers aged 55+ across a defined geographical area.

This is a pivotal leadership role where you'll oversee multiple Independent Living schemes, ensuring services are safe, consistent and truly person-centred. You'll also have responsibility for the 24-hour response service in Bedford , helping to ensure timely and effective support when it matters most. Working at the heart of our housing services, you'll champion independence, wellbeing and positive outcomes - making a meaningful difference every day.

What you'll be doing

Lead and inspire teams

· Lead, coach and develop a high-performing team across multiple locations

· Foster a collaborative, supportive culture with clear accountability

· Build capability and confidence through proactive leadership and coaching

Deliver high-quality services

· Oversee day-to-day operations of Independent Living schemes

· Ensure consistency, quality, and a strong on-site presence

· Align services with organisational priorities and customer needs

Oversee 24-hour response services

· Ensure safe, effective and timely responses to incidents

· Provide leadership in complex or high-risk situations (including out-of-hours escalation where required)

· Drive continuous improvements through performance monitoring and insight

Champion customer experience

· Embed a proactive, person-centred approach to service delivery

· Use feedback and data to improve customer satisfaction

· Ensure concerns are resolved early and learning is embedded

Drive performance and improvement

· Use performance data and Operational Health Indicators to identify trends and risks

· Lead on continuous improvement and service development

· Ensure compliance with safeguarding, quality and regulatory standards

Work collaboratively

· Build strong relationships with internal teams and external partners

· Contribute to cross-organisational projects and initiatives

· Promote joined-up working to enhance customer outcomes

What we're looking for

We're seeking a confident and capable leader who can combine operational excellence with a strong people focus.

Key skills & attributes

· Strong leadership and team development experience

· Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills

· Analytical mindset with the ability to use data to drive decisions

· Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities

· Resilient, adaptable and solutions-focused

· Passionate about delivering high-quality, person-centred services

Experience & knowledge

· Experience in Independent Living, housing, or a similar service environment

· Proven track record of managing multiple services or locations

· Strong operational management and performance delivery experience

· Ex