Lead NEC Housing Functional & Technical Solutions Consultant (Rent Module)

Lead NEC Housing Functional & Technical Solutions Consultant (Rent Module)

Contract: Initial 3 months, with likely extension for a further 3 months
Day rate: £400 - £450 per day
IR35: Outside IR35
Location: UK-based, primarily remote, with occasional client-site visits
Start date: ASAP

We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on NEC Housing Functional & Technical Solutions Consultant to lead the design, configuration and delivery of tactical solutions within an established, on-premises NEC Housing Management System, formerly Northgate, backed by an Oracle database.

Working closely with a Technical Lead, you will form part of a small, senior delivery team responsible for resolving complex functional and technical challenges and implementing practical solutions within a live social housing environment.

The immediate priorities are Rent Setting, Service Charge Estimates and Rent Convergence. You will investigate existing issues, identify root causes and deliver solutions that improve operational performance, data accuracy and reliability.

While the initial focus is on tactical improvements, solutions must also consider the organisation's longer-term transformation plans, minimising technical debt and avoiding unnecessary rework.

This is a hands-on delivery leadership role. You will be expected to investigate, configure, troubleshoot and implement solutions yourself, rather than providing advice or overseeing delivery from a distance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead discovery, requirements analysis and solution design across Rent Setting, Service Charge Estimates and Rent Convergence.
• Work closely with the Technical Lead to assess solution options, dependencies, feasibility and architectural implications.
• Personally undertake NEC Housing configuration, functional investigation, troubleshooting and implementation.
• Analyse existing processes, system configuration, data structures and Oracle database dependencies to identify root causes and practical solutions.
• Use SQL and Oracle database knowledge to investigate data issues, validate calculations and support testing and reconciliation.
• Work with business stakeholders to understand operational challenges, evaluate options and agree appropriate solutions.
• Lead functional testing, data validation, implementation, issue resolution and post-implementation support.
• Ensure tactical improvements support immediate business needs while considering future strategic transformation.
• Produce clear functional and technical documentation, support knowledge transfer and take ownership of delivery outcomes.

Essential Experience

• Extensive, hands-on NEC Housing (Northgate) experience in live social housing environments.
• Deep functional expertise in Rent Setting, Service Charge Estimates and Rent Convergence.
• Strong understanding of UK social housing rent processes and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Practical experience of on-premises NEC Housing architecture and its underlying Oracle database.
• Working SQL skills and the ability to investigate data structures, validate calculations and troubleshoot data-related issues.
• Proven experience diagnosing complex functional, configuration and data problems and personally delivering solutions.
• Experience leading tactical improvements from investigation and design through implementation and validation.
• Ability to work collaboratively with technical leadership while independently owning functional delivery.
• Strong problem-solving, stakeholder engagement and delivery skills.

Desirable Experience

• Oracle PL/SQL, stored procedures and database troubleshooting.
• NEC Housing integrations, batch processing and data reconciliation.
• Annual rent reviews, service charge calculations and rent convergence programmes.
• Delivering tactical improvements ahead of a wider strategic transformation.
• Previous consultancy assignments with major UK housing associations.

What Success Looks Like

You will deliver and stabilise practical solutions across Rent Setting, Service Charge Estimates and Rent Convergence, reducing operational issues and improving the accuracy and reliability of calculations and data.

You will also leave behind appropriate documentation, knowledge transfer and solutions that take account of the organisation's longer-term technical direction.

Important Information

This role requires a genuine NEC Housing specialist with both functional and technical capability.

Candidates whose experience is limited to business analysis, project management, cloud-based NEC solutions or Oracle database administration without substantial NEC Housing expertise will not be suitable.