Service Development Manager

Career Choices Dewis Gyrfa Ltd; Gloucestershire Science & Technology Park; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Part time

Job summary

Career Choices Dewis Gyrfa Ltd is seeking a Service Development Manager to work with the CEO to establish and deliver a strong presence across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. The role combines direct family support, project management, service development and partnership building.

The post is part-time (30 hours per week) with remote/home based work after an initial six-week Stroud induction. Regular travel across Gloucestershire is required and a driving licence is essential.

Qualifications

• Direct family support experience.
• Project management capability.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership.
• Willingness to travel across Gloucestershire.
• Valid driving licence and ability to travel.

Responsibilities

• Service development and delivery.
• Direct family support work with families.
• Project management of initiatives and activities.
• Developing partnerships and referral pathways.
• Funding monitoring and sustainability considerations.
• Safeguarding and maintaining professional boundaries.

Skills

Direct family support

Project management

Independent working

Travel readiness

Driving

Job description

Service Development Manager We are looking for an experienced and resourceful Service Development Manager to work closely with the CEO to establish and deliver a strong presence across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.

This is an opportunity to join a supportive and purpose-driven team where your work will make a direct difference to families across Gloucestershire.

Position: Service Development Manager Location: Remote/Gloucestershire, with regular travel across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury and occasional attendance at the Stroud office Hours: Part-time, 30 hours per week Salary: £38,000 pro rata (£30,811 actual salary for 30 hours per week) Contract: 24-month fixed-term contract Closing Date: 20th September 2026. This job opportunity may close early if we find an appropriate candidate before the closing date.

The Role This is a hands-on role combining direct family support, project management, service development and partnership building.

You will hold an appropriate caseload, develop new activity, build strong local referral pathways and help turn the countywide plans into practical support for families.

We need someone who is confident working independently, takes ownership, builds relationships quickly and can find practical solutions when there is no obvious route forward.

The initial focus will be Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, but the role is designed to evolve as our countywide work develops.

Key accountabilities include:

• Service development and delivery
• Direct family support
• Project management
• Partnerships and referral pathways
• Funding, monitoring and sustainability
• Safeguarding and quality The first year will focus on developing and delivering Home-Start services across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.

As the countywide work develops, the focus of the role may evolve to support wider service development across Gloucestershire.

For the first six weeks, the post will be predominantly based at the Stroud office for induction and orientation.

After this, the role will be mainly home and community based, with regular travel across Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury and occasional attendance at the Stroud office.

About You We are looking for someone who is practical, resourceful and motivated by making things happen.

You will be comfortable supporting a family one day and developing a new partnership or service the next and have enough frontline experience to understand what works for families and enough project-management discipline to turn ideas into effective delivery.

You will not be joining a finished project with every detail already decided.

We need someone who can understand the objective, identify what needs to happen next and move the work forward.

You will have experience of:

• Direct service delivery, ideally with families, children or communities
• Holding a caseload or providing ongoing one-to-one support
• Project management
• Developing or implementing new projects or services
• Building effective relationships with external organisations and professionals
• Working independently and taking responsibility for delivery
• Safeguarding and professional boundaries.

Practical requirements You must:

• be able to drive;
• be willing and able to travel independently across Gloucestershire;
• be able to work predominantly from the Stroud office during the initial six-week induction period;
• subsequently be comfortable working from home and community locations;
• be confident using standard IT and case-recording systems.

About the Organisation Join a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with at least one child under five years of age.

Trained home-visiting volunteers offer regular friendship, emotional, and practical support to help families experiencing a challenging time in their lives.

The service is unique and also offers free support peer groups, antenatal, postnatal, and perinatal mental health services.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, faith groups, and socioeconomic circumstances, as well as from people who are disabled, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, or from different age groups.

We also value applications from those with caring responsibilities or non-traditional career paths.

You may also have experience in areas such as Service Development Manager, Service Development Manager Lead, Service Development Manager Deputy, Service Delivery Manager, Service Delivery Manager Lead, Service Delivery Manager Deputy, Service Development Officer, Service Delivery Manager, Service Manager.