Jobs in Thurleigh

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