Employment Service Manager

Aspire Recruitment; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Aspire Recruitment is seeking an Employment/Education Service Manager to lead the delivery of CFO Evolution Activity Hubs across the Liverpool City Region and Warrington. You will oversee a team of delivery and support staff, drive performance, and develop local partnerships to ensure high-quality services for participants recently released from custody.

The role requires strong leadership, governance, and financial acumen, with responsibility for P&L, income targets, productivity and costs,

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams in corrections, probation, or ex-offender settings.
• Proven ability to achieve performance targets and manage complex workloads.
• Strong report writing and ICT skills with clear governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team to meet contract targets.
• Ensure participants are placed into jobs or learning opportunities and sustained.
• Manage service delivery in custody with HMPPS and other stakeholders.
• Oversee health and safety within custodial environments.
• Build relationships with employers to meet recruitment and training needs.
• Take responsibility for P&L, income targets, productivity, and costs.
• Develop local partnerships to widen provision and referrals.
• Ensure compliant services with robust audit trails.
• Drive continuous improvement in delivery, systems, and quality.
• Maintain knowledge of policy, market intelligence, and opportunities.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Communication

Report writing

Job description

Employment/Education Service Manager

Liverpool City Region and Warrington

Up to £42,000

Full-time, Permanent

The Role

We are looking for a Service Manager to lead the delivery of the CFO Evolution Activity Hubs within community settings based across the region. This is a leadership role, overseeing a team of delivery and support staff to ensure high-quality services for participants. Working closely with delivery staff, stakeholders, and employers, you will drive performance, develop strong local partnerships, and support individuals recently released from custody helping them to settle in post-custody life whilst working towards achieving positive outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team of activity hub delivery and support staff to meet contract targets.
• Ensure participants are placed into jobs or learning opportunities and sustained in these outcomes.
• Manage service delivery in custody, working closely with HMPPS staff and other stakeholders.
• Oversee health and safety within custodial environments.
• Build relationships with employers to meet recruitment and training needs.
• Take responsibility for P&L results, including income targets, productivity, and costs.
• Develop local partnerships to ensure a wide range of provision and participant referrals.
• Ensure high-quality, compliant services with robust audit trails.
• Drive continuous improvement in delivery, systems, and quality.
• Maintain knowledge of policy, market intelligence, and opportunities.
• Deliver services with integrity, always meeting Health & Safety requirements.

About You

• Strong people management experience, including direct management in prisons, probation service or working with ex-offenders.
• Proven ability to achieve performance results.
• Confident communicator, able to present to prison staff, governors, and stakeholders.
• Skilled at report writing and fluent in ICT use.
• Good understanding of the justice sector, HMPPS, and CFO Evolution programmes.
• Knowledge of people management principles, labour markets, and relevant national/local policies.
• Resilient, results-driven, and able to work under pressure.
• A strong team player with the ability to build partnerships and networks.

Skills Required

• Effective leadership and staff management.
• Excellent organisational and financial management skills.
• Strong communication and networking abilities.
• Ability to interpret MI and financial information to support decision-making.
• Commitment to the values of integrity, empowerment, collaboration, and positive impact.

Additional Information

This role requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and enhanced security clearance. It is a legal offence to apply if you are on the Barred List. You will also be a vehicle driver with access to your own vehicle.

Aspire Recruitment is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.