Head of Building Safety Freelance NEW

City, London
Michael Page

As the Head of Building Safety, you’ll oversee building safety measures, ensuring compliance and protecting residents across the property portfolio . Your work will play a key role in maintaining high safety standards and supporting the construction department’s operations.

Client Details

Our client is a well-funded and rapidly growing residential property investment and asset management business responsible for a substantial portfolio of affordable housing, shared ownership, and residential assets across England.

With a significant development pipeline and continued investment into new acquisitions and partnerships, they are seeking an experienced Head of Building Safety & Property Services to lead building safety, compliance, service charge management, and third-party property management activities across a diverse portfolio.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior Building Safety Manager, Head of Property Services, Compliance Manager, Block Management Lead, Asset Manager, or Property Services professional seeking a strategic leadership role with significant influence across an expanding national portfolio.

Description

• Lead the building safety and property services function across a diverse residential portfolio.
• Act as the senior specialist for building safety compliance, ensuring statutory obligations and regulatory requirements are consistently achieved.
• Provide strategic leadership on Building Safety Act requirements, resident safety, and compliance frameworks.
• Oversee building safety cases, compliance documentation, and ongoing regulatory reporting obligations.
• Develop and implement building safety policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Provide expert advice to senior leadership teams, board members, investors, and joint venture partners on building safety and risk management matters.
• Lead relationships with external managing agents, consultants, contractors, and compliance specialists.
• Monitor and challenge third-party property management providers to ensure service delivery standards are achieved.
• Oversee service charge budget preparation, review, and approval processes across the portfolio.
• Ensure service charge expenditure is effectively managed and represents value for money for residents and stakeholders.
• Review service charge recoverability and support the production of annual reconciliations and financial forecasts.
• Work closely with finance, legal, development, and operational teams to support portfolio performance and risk mitigation.
• Oversee block management activities and ensure effective management of communal assets and shared facilities.
• Lead on compliance programmes relating to fire safety, building safety, health and safety, and statutory inspections.
• Ensure Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and resident safety arrangements are appropriately managed where required.
• Oversee remediation programmes, major works projects, and compliance-driven investment activities.
• Manage regulatory risks and ensure corrective actions are effectively identified, prioritised, and delivered.
• Support development and acquisition activities by providing building safety and operational due diligence.
• Deliver presentations, reports, and recommendations at board and executive level.
• Identify opportunities for efficiency improvements, cost savings, and operational enhancements across property services activities.
• Support strategic partnership arrangements with developers, investors, managing agents, and external stakeholders.
• Drive a culture of safety, accountability, customer service, and continuous improvement across the portfolio.

Profile

• Degree qualified in Building Surveying, Construction Management, Property Management, Real Estate, Asset Management, or a related discipline.
• Membership of RICS, IOSH, CIOB, IFSM, IFE, or a relevant professional body would be advantageous.
• Significant experience within building safety, property services, compliance, block management, or asset management leadership roles.
• Strong knowledge of the Building Safety Act, Fire Safety legislation, and residential compliance requirements.
• Proven experience managing building safety risks within occupied residential properties.
• Extensive experience overseeing external managing agents and third-party service providers.
• Strong understanding of service charge budgeting, forecasting, reconciliation, and financial management.
• Experience managing residential block management and operational property services functions.
• Comprehensive knowledge of fire safety, compliance programmes, resident safety, and regulatory obligations.
• Experience developing and implementing compliance frameworks, governance arrangements, and risk management strategies.
• Proven ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders, investors, board members, and development partners.

Job Offer

• Competitive salary dependent upon experience.
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme.
• Company vehicle or vehicle allowance arrangements.
• Additional salary sacrifice and wider benefits package.
• Opportunity to lead building safety and property services across a growing national residential portfolio.
• Exposure to affordable housing, shared ownership, and large-scale residential asset management.
• Strategic role with significant visibility amongst executive leadership and board-level stakeholders.
• Opportunity to influence compliance, resident safety, and asset performance across a substantial development and investment pipeline.
• Collaborative working environment with strong long-term growth ambitions.
• Excellent career progression opportunities within a well-capitalised and expanding property business.