About Us

Circle Voluntary Housing Association (Circle VHA) was set up in 2003. We provide quality social homes and housing support to individuals and families across Ireland, and we are tenant-focused in everything we do. We have delivered over 2,500 homes and provide services to more than 5,000 people. When something goes wrong in a home, how quickly and clearly we deal with the repair makes a real difference to the people living there.

Our staff are central to that work. Our team of around 70 works across our offices, from home and out in the community. We support our team to learn and grow, and we want Circle to be a place where everyone who works with us, and everyone who lives in our homes, is treated with respect. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and want our team to reflect the communities we serve.

About the role

About the role

The Repairs Service Operator runs the day-to-day work of our Repairs Desk. When the Customer Services Team refers a repair to you, you assess it, raise the order with the right contractor, keep the tenant updated and close the job with the right evidence. You also check invoices and keep our repairs data accurate.

You will work closely with tenants, contractors, Customer Services, Property Managers and the Repairs Manager. This role suits someone who is organised, careful with detail, calm under pressure and good at judging when a repair needs to be escalated.

Key Responsibilities

Act as the specialist contact for repairs referred by the Customer Services Team or received through agreed Repairs Desk channels.
Log and assess repairs using agreed priorities and response times, taking account of household vulnerabilities and accessibility needs.
Apply emergency and out-of-hours procedures, including referral to the approved emergency service or duty contact.
Escalate urgent, statutory, safeguarding, health and safety or high-cost repairs promptly through agreed routes.
Raise and manage repair orders within approved contractor arrangements, schedules of rates, and delegated authority limits.
Arrange appointments, access and any follow-on works.
Coordinate defect reports, warranty claims, contractor recalls and actions from Local Authority for inspections.
Give the Property Manager tracking and update information on managed scheme repairs.
Keep tenants updated throughout each repair, including missed appointments, no-access cases and delays.
Keep accurate, auditable repair records and close jobs only with the right completion evidence.
Record repair-related complaints and refer them through our complaints procedure.
Check work orders and invoices against approved instructions and agreed rates, flag duplicates, repeat repairs, and other exceptions.
Report on repairs demand, cost and performance, including response times, aged orders and invoice turnaround.
Use our workflow, ticketing and dashboard tools consistently, and use AI tools where they help, with human judgement for sensitive cases.
Handle tenant, property and contractor information in line with GDPR and our information security requirements.
Follow health and safety, lone working and emergency procedures, and report any hazards or contractor safety concerns.
Keep clear procedure notes and provide team cover, so the Repairs Desk keeps running.
Contribute to service improvement and team meetings and carry out other duties in line with the level of the post.

Key Skills & Knowledge

At least 12 months' experience in a customer service, repairs, property, housing or facilities role.
Experience logging and progressing service requests, work orders or cases on a digital system.
Experience dealing with customers and contractors, including people who are frustrated or upset, while staying calm and courteous.
Good written and spoken English, including clear updates and short reports.
Good organisation and record-keeping skills, with the ability to prioritise when demands compete.
Good working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, and the ability to learn new systems quickly.
A working understanding of repairs, workflows, contractor management and invoice checks.
The ability to recognise urgent, high-risk or safeguarding issues and escalate them appropriately.
Experience handling personal information confidentially, with an understanding of GDPR.
Comfortable using digital and AI tools, with good judgement about accuracy and data protection.
A relevant qualification in housing, property, construction, facilities, customer service or business administration, or equivalent experience.
A way of working that reflects Circle's WHEAR values: Willingness, Honesty, Excellence, Empower, Accountability and Respect.

What we offer

Agile working, typically one day a week in the office
26 days' annual leave plus 2 company days, with an extra day for every 3 years' service (up to 15 years)
Company pension from day one: 2.5% employer and 1.5% employee. After probation, you can move to 7% employer and 5% employee, rising to 8% employer after 10 years
Up to 12 weeks' full sick pay over a rolling 3 years, permanent health insurance and death in service benefit of 4 times salary
Top-ups for maternity, adoptive, paternity and parent's leave, plus paid fertility and early miscarriage leave
Employee Assistance Programme through Spectrum.Life
Further education funding, study and exam leave, and CPD support
Bike to Work, TaxSaver commuter tickets and milestone gifts

Repairs Service Operator

Benefits

Job Description