Empty Homes Officer

Vacancy Information

Hourly rate of pay: £20.13 - £22.51

Temporary until 31st May 2028.
Days and Hours of Work:
Monday - Friday, 09:00-17:00
Flexi time is applicable, and starting and finishing times are flexible.
To start asap.

Applications will be accepted from those wishing to be considered for this role on a part-time basis. If you are applying for this role on a part time basis, please tell us in the Additional Information section of the application form.

East Lothian Council is committed to making the best use of existing housing stock to meet local housing need. We are seeking a motivated and solution focused Empty Homes Officer to lead and deliver our work to bring empty private sector properties back into use.

This is a key role within the Housing Strategy Team, with responsibility for implementing and monitoring the Council’s Empty Homes Strategy and contributing to delivery of the Local Housing Strategy 2024–2029. You will work directly with property owners, partners and internal services to secure positive outcomes for communities, using a mix of advice, incentives, negotiation and enforcement where necessary.

Home / Hybrid Working Consideration
Applications for home or hybrid working will be considered for this post in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies which can be found here. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview.

Please Note:
All home/hybrid workers must live in the UK. Where an application for home-working is supported, it will be subject to a satisfactory trial period. Employees will be expected to attend Council offices for the duration of induction, and be on site in East Lothian workplaces, as required. Employees with a hybrid working arrangement in place will be office based and able to work from home, with permission, on an ad hoc basis.

Job Details

You will develop, champion and support initiatives throughout East Lothian to bring empty private sector properties back into use, including as affordable housing. The role will be required to carry out investigations into empty privately owned properties and negotiate with their owners to bring them back into use, to take appropriate enforcement action where necessary including enforced sales, along with actively seeking funding opportunities to support bringing empty properties back into use.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’– values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours. Please refer to the document via the link to familiarise yourself with them.

Job Requirements

Relevant Qualifications
Educated to HND in Housing and/or hold the CIH Level Diploma in Housing.

Driving Licence
A full current driving licence is desirable for this post.

Level 1 Disclosure Clearance
This role requires Level 1 Disclosure Clearance to allow access to the Public Sector Network. ELC will submit a Police Act Disclosure application on behalf of the preferred candidate and receipt of the subsequent certificate will be required prior to commencement.

Please note:
If you have spent more than 3 months working or living out with the UK in the last 5 years then you will also be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link:
www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us.

If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk

Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form. Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form. If, for example, due to a disability, you are unable to complete the on-line application form you can contact us for a paper application via the telephone number or email address above.