Contract Manager

Annual salary: up to £40,000.00

Disrepair Manager
Location: Birmingham
Contract Start Date: 1 July 2026
Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent 42.5 hours per week

Salary up to £40,000 + company car allowance

Join us on our new, exciting contract with Birmingham City Council

Mears Group has been awarded a major new 10-year partnership with Birmingham City Council to deliver repairs, maintenance, and planned investment work across 11,500 homes in central and west Birmingham. This contract represents one of our most significant projects in the city and will create a wide range of opportunities across our operational teams.

About the Role:

We are looking for an experienced Disrepair Manager to join our team in Birmingham. You will be responsible for leading the delivery of disrepair works, ensuring cases are managed efficiently, safely and to a high standard, with a strong focus on compliance and resolution.

This includes managing supervisors, operatives and subcontractors, overseeing disrepair cases and performance, ensuring works are completed within required timescales, maintaining quality standards and providing technical and operational leadership. You will work closely with internal teams, legal representatives and stakeholders to ensure effective case management, mitigate risk and continuously improve service delivery.

With a strong pipeline of work and a commitment to improving social housing standards, this is an excellent opportunity to lead a high performing team that plays a key role in resolving complex property issues. We’re looking for someone who is organised, proactive and focused on delivering high-quality outcomes, driving performance and maintaining high levels of customer and client satisfaction.

Duties:

• Oversee delivery of disrepair works across occupied properties, ensuring cases are managed efficiently and resolved in line with required timescales
• Ensure all works are delivered safely, efficiently and to required quality and compliance standards
• Lead regular site visits and case reviews to monitor progress, resolve issues and drive performance against disrepair targets
• Manage supervisors, operatives and subcontractors, ensuring effective resource allocation to meet case demand
• Oversee disrepair programmes and priorities, ensuring timely resolution and mitigation of legal risk
• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety regulations, COSHH, company procedures and disrepair legislation
• Implement quality assurance processes, ensuring inspections are completed and remedial actions are taken promptly
• Provide leadership and direction to teams, supporting performance management, productivity and engagement
• Identify skills gaps and coordinate training and development to support disrepair service delivery
• Oversee adherence to HR policies including attendance, conduct and performance management
• Ensure effective management of company assets including vehicles, tools, PPE and materials
• Oversee material usage, procurement and cost control to support budget management and efficiency
• Monitor performance through system reporting, using data to drive improvements in case resolution, cost and quality
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, legal teams, internal stakeholders, subcontractors and suppliers
• Lead on contract mobilisation, compliance audits and continuous service improvement initiatives
• Manage budgets, forecasting and cost control, identifying efficiencies and reducing exposure to claims
• Provide operational cover and leadership support during peak periods or absence across the wider team
• Ensure teams engage in toolbox talks, training sessions and company communications
• Promote company values and maintain a professional, customer-focused service at all times

Role Criteria:

• Previous experience in a Disrepair Manager, Disrepair Surveyor or similar management role within housing or property maintenance
• Proven track record of leading, monitoring and reporting on Health & Safety, compliance and disrepair case management activities
• Extensive experience managing disrepair cases, including damp & mould, and driving performance against legal and contractual timescales
• Relevant qualification (City & Guilds or equivalent) in a trade discipline
• Full, valid UK driving licence
• Strong understanding of Health & Safety regulations, including COSHH and safe systems of work
• Good working knowledge of Schedule of Rates, cost management and financial implications of disrepair works
• Strong understanding of housing disrepair legislation and compliance requirements
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with clients, tenants and legal representatives
• Strong leadership capability with experience managing supervisors and developing high-performing teams
• Customer and client focused mindset with a commitment to service excellence and effective complaint resolution
• Commercial awareness with a results driven approach to cost control, performance and risk mitigation
• Strong planning, organisational and case management skills
• Confident decision making in a fast paced, target driven environment
• Ability to influence, negotiate and build relationships across internal teams, clients, contractors and legal stakeholders
• IT literate with confident oral and written communication skills

Benefits we can offer you:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
• Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment.
• Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more
• Family friendly policies
• Company Vehicle and Fuel Card
• Access to EAP Counselling sessions

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

To drive a Mears vehicle, you must be aged over 21 have held your licence over 3 months and have less than 9 points.

Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.

Apply below or to discuss your application further; contact:

Francesca Swan (francesca.swan@mearsgroup.co.uk)

If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.