Head of Intermediate Rent; Maple

Position: Head of Intermediate Rent (Maple and May)
Your new company The services of Hays have been retained by our client, Choice Housing Association, to recruit a Head of Intermediate Rent who will lead their Maple and May subsidiary business. Choice Housing is a registered charity and one of Northern Ireland's largest independent housing associations. As an organisation, they manage over 13,000 homes and provide services to more than 33,000 tenants.

Established in 2018, Maple and May has grown to c. 340 private rental properties. It has worked alongside parent company Choice in delivering several landmark mixed tenure projects in recent years, including the Kings Hall and the former Park Avenue Hotel sites in Belfast. It also delivered 62 private rental and affordable homes in one of NI's largest new-build schemes at Rosses Gate, Derry / Londonderry.

This post has been created following the recent selection (by DfC) of Maple and May as preferred operator for a pilot project to deliver 300 new Intermediate Rent homes at locations across NI. The existing Maple and May team has been working on a pipeline of new projects to deliver this new portfolio, some of which are already on site and due to complete in May / June 2026.

Your new role Intermediate Rent is a new housing rental model in NI where properties will be offered at a 20% discount to local Market Rents to eligible (lower income) households supported by a low-cost government loan. Intermediate Rent will double the size of the existing Maple and May portfolio in the next 3 years. The value of properties in ownership will grow from c.

£40m (current) to around £100m. As Head of Maple and May, you will take the lead in running this Company, which includes the existing portfolio and the new Intermediate Rent portfolio. A further Maple and May subsidiary Company also delivers Affordable Homes for sale, which will also fall within your remit, albeit operating at a much smaller scale. Key work streams include Tenancy and Portfolio Management along with completion and handover of new-build schemes (on-site delivery led by the Choice Development Team).

You will manage a small team that is largely focussed on day-to-day property and portfolio management, with wider group level and external support. Significant preparatory work will be required to enable the launch of the new Intermediate Rent product towards the middle of 2026. This will include the design and delivery of a new Intermediate Rent Lettings Policy and the establishment of a lettings and management platform (working with colleagues in IT) that will allow Tenancy Applications (including household income checks) to be processed efficiently.

New marketing and operating / reporting procedures will also be required. Whilst again benefit ting from significant Group support, the new Head of Maple and May will take the lead in delivering new approaches and processes in the efficient oversight of the Maple and May portfolio. A full job description is available on request. What you'll need to succeed To be considered for this role, you must possess the following: A degree or equivalent in property, housing, real estate or related discipline.

5 years' experience in a senior level role within the property sector, ideally within PRS, residential portfolio management, or housing. Proven experience running or overseeing a significant property portfolio of £30m.

Experience of business planning, budgeting, and KPI management. Strong stakeholder management and communication skills. Ability to design and secure approval for an intermediate rent lettings policy. Ability to maintain long-term accountability and reporting to Dfc over a 25-year period. Strong financial and governance discipline to manage £60m of public loan funding. Full UK driving licence and access to private transport. What you'll get in return Choice Housing offers a superb range of perks and benefits to complement a modern work-life balance, as outlined below:
Salary - c. £67,000 per annum 28 days annual leave and 12 public holidays 12% employer pension contribution Essential car user allowance inclusive of car parking Hybrid working - currently 3 remote days per week Flexible working Death in service payment x3 annual salary 6 months paid maternity leave, and 2 weeks paid paternity leave Bereavement leave Dedicated Health and Wellbeing champions/Mental Health First Aiders Learning and Development opportunities, including paid membership fees Health cash plan.

What you need to do now Please contact Andrew McLarnon to discuss this position in confidence. Alternatively, please apply using the link attached to register your interest. Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be

Skills:

Property Manager Property Management Surveying Housing Benefits: c. £67 000 per annum