Director of Repairs and Maintenance, Chime Housing
Watford Community Housing, now Chime, was preparing to bring together two organisations, two in-house repairs teams and more than 13,000 homes under one Community Gateway structure. The Director of Repairs and Maintenance would be responsible for protecting service continuity while shaping the operating model, controls and culture of the merged function. With repairs central to resident experience and consumer regulation, this was an appointment with immediate operational weight and long-term organisational consequence.
The Challenge
The risk sat in the gap between merger intent and day-to-day delivery. Chime needed one leader to unite different teams, policies, systems and working practices without allowing repairs, voids, damp and mould or compliance performance to drift.
The role also carried Board-level responsibility for data quality, risk reporting, supplier control, budgets and evidence against regulatory requirements, including Awaab’s Law. A poor appointment could have slowed integration, weakened assurance and created visible disruption for residents at the point when the new organisation needed confidence, clarity and consistent service most. The client therefore needed evidence of both operational command and merger judgement.
The Solution
Neemar began with a sharply defined brief around integration, resident risk and operational control. Because the hiring manager had recently been appointed by Neemar as Executive Director of Operations, the team understood both the leadership agenda and the personal standard expected from the person joining his team.
The search focused on leaders who had run large in-house services, handled Board assurance and worked through organisational transition, rather than relying on job-title matching.
Ryan Bolton’s background provided direct evidence against that brief. He had led repairs, voids, damp and mould and estates through the SettleParadigm merger, including integration of direct labour and contractor activity. Earlier, at Barnet Homes, he held responsibility for services across around 15,000 homes, more than 100 staff and budgets above £20 million, as well as the insourcing of repairs and gas services.
Neemar’s assessment considered both his delivery record and the shift into a permanent Director role, including executive contribution, culture-building and longer-term leadership.
The Outcome
Ryan was appointed Director of Repairs and Maintenance, giving Chime a leader whose recent experience closely matched the organisation’s immediate task: combining teams while keeping essential property services safe, controlled and visible.
His background covered both client and contractor perspectives, bringing practical understanding of direct labour, supply chain management, cost control and service performance. The appointment also answered a wider leadership need. Chime required someone able to move from integration and stabilisation into a sustained Director remit, with accountability for people, budgets, regulatory assurance and Board reporting.
Ryan’s experience of insourcing services, improving productivity, reducing work in progress and leading under heightened scrutiny gave the client relevant evidence at each stage of the process.
The Impact
This appointment created a clear point of accountability for one of the services residents notice most. It gave the new organisation leadership capacity to bring two repairs teams into a single model, strengthen management controls and maintain credible reporting to the Executive Team and Board. It also reduced the risk of integration becoming a purely structural exercise by appointing someone with first-hand experience of harmonising policies, teams and delivery arrangements.
Candidate Testimonial
“I had a great experience working with Neemar Search from start to finish. The process was thorough and well managed, ensuring the role was a strong fit for both my skills and career goals. Communication was excellent throughout, with regular updates and clear guidance at every stage. I felt fully supported during the entire journey and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a professional and attentive recruitment experience.”
Client Testimonial
“I have recently secured a new role via Neemar, and then almost instantly worked with the team to recruit an important role in my new team, so I have had the experience of candidate and hiring manager in quick succession. Both processes resulted in great outcomes and both were handled with great care and also speed with the Neemar team. I’ve been impressed with Neemar’s focus on the sector as a whole – the regular events, white papers and projects show their interest is in more than simply filling senior roles, and indeed that broader perspective makes the recruitment process itself more targeted, sophisticated and compelling.”
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