Private Rented Sector Acquisitions Officer

Are you passionate about helping vulnerable people access safe, suitable and affordable housing? As a Private Rented Sector Acquisitions Officer, you will play a vital role in securing accommodation options and supporting households to move on from temporary accommodation. At Bracknell Forest, we pride ourselves on being a council which is stable and well-managed where our employees can thrive in a supportive environment. We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a variety of flexible working practices, including options for remote working and arrangements that allow you to work from home, dependent on the needs of the service. This role includes an expectation to work from our Time Square office two days per week as a minimum, alongside flexible working arrangements. Any successful internal candidate will be offered the position as a secondment and, in line with Section 8.1 of the Secondment Policy, must consult with their manager before applying. Search 'secondment policy' on the intranet for more information. About you... As a Private Rented Sector (PRS) Acquisitions Officer you will play a key role in ensuring vulnerable individuals receive the support they need to explore and secure appropriate housing options locally. Your strong customer engagement skills will enable you to clearly explain available options, conduct holistic needs assessments, including financial evaluations. You will utilise various tools and resources to facilitate smooth transitions into suitable and affordable accommodation within the private rented sector. With excellent negotiation skills, you will work to secure the most cost-effective rental agreements for our clients. Your ability to communicate effectively, manage deadlines and prioritise tasks will be essential in delivering positive outcomes. About the team... The Housing Management Team provides a busy, responsive and wide-ranging property management service for homeless clients placed in temporary accommodation. The team works at pace to ensure accommodation is safe, well managed and supports clients during a challenging time. Sitting within Housing Services, our team works closely together to achieve the best possible outcomes and deliver a holistic service to clients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This role will also have close links with the Migration Team and their customers in temporary accommodation, offering varied and meaningful work that is both challenging and rewarding. Every day brings new challenges as we respond to the needs of homeless clients in temporary accommodation. By providing safe, well-managed accommodation that meets health and safety regulations, we help clients feel secure and support them to get back on their feet as quickly as possible., As a Private Rental Sector Acquisitions Officer, you will:

• proactively engage with local landlords and accommodation providers to secure private sector accommodation both short and long term for council customers.
• work directly with the move-on officers to suitably match properties.
• support households to access temporary accommodation procured for emergency use within the private rented sector.
• work with partners, landlords and accommodation providers to obtained property compliance and standards information.
• work directly with the Housing Management Team responsible for temporary accommodation to assist with procurement of accommodation at short notice.
• undertake procedures for housing customers into private rented sector and other accommodation types, including ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, guidance governing the suitability of accommodation and council policies, procedures and targets.
  
  28 days annual leave increasing to 33 days after 3 years' continuous service, with the opportunity to buy up to 10 and sell up to 5 days.
• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Paid employee volunteering scheme.
• Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme (subject to eligibility).
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply)
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club.
or see the candidate pack. Our values At Bracknell Forest Council define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you. Reasonable adjustments We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting . We will work with you to support you throughout the process. Disability confident and inclusive recruitment Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive employer. This means that if you tell us on your application form that you have a disability, are an armed forces veteran or are a care leaver, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. Interview date Interviews will be held on 16th September 2026. Interviews will be held online via the Teams app. We reserve the right to amend this to in person interviews at our offices. We will be reviewing applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible. Please note AI is prohibited during the interview, any candidate using AI will be withdrawn from consideration. Want to ask us a question?