Service Manager

Society of St James; Southampton; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25–30 days

Flexible working

Additional annual leave purchase

Induction and training

Employee assistance programme

Cycle to work scheme

Discounted laptops

Electric car scheme

Blue Light Card

Job summary

Society of St James (SSJ) Southampton seeks an experienced Service Manager for the SSJ&I Alcohol and Drug Service. You will lead the delivery, performance and ongoing development of Southampton’s harm reduction and recovery orientated service.

Reporting to the Head of Specialist Services, you will manage a multidisciplinary team of about 70 staff, collaborate with commissioners and partners, and drive high-quality outcomes for people facing substance use and wider social challenges.

Qualifications

• Significant management experience within substance use, mental health, homelessness, criminal justice, or other complex needs services.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and develop effective partnerships across multiple agencies.
• Experience managing contracts, service performance and regulatory requirements.
• Strong understanding of substance use treatment, recovery planning and case management.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed practice, ACEs, harm reduction, recovery capital, and psychosocial interventions such as CBT, ACT and mindfulness-based approaches.
• Experience managing budgets, leading change and driving service improvement.
• Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Commitment to SSJ's values and competency framework, with focus on leadership, organisational development and value for money.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary team of around 70 staff, taking overall responsibility for service performance and culture.
• Provide leadership and support to Team Leaders, ensuring effective service delivery across all areas of the service.
• Promote accountability, continuous improvement and high-quality case management practice.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with commissioners, statutory partners, and voluntary sector organisations.
• Ensure the service provides leadership across the city in regards to alcohol and drug issues.
• Support the integration of the services with SSJ's recovery housing and homelessness provision.
• Monitor contracts, performance targets, budgets and service outcomes, implementing improvements where required.

Skills

Management experience

Multidisciplinary team leadership

Contract management

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Leadership

Trauma-informed practice

Care coordination

Job description

Employment Type

Permanent

Application Start Date

11-09-2026

Application End Date

07-10-2026

Location

Southampton - England

State/County

Hampshire

SO15 2AH

Country

United Kingdom

Work Style

On-site

Non-profit charitable organisations

Experience

Significant management experience within substance use, mental health, homelessness, criminal justice, or other complex needs services.

Description

Service Manager

SSJ&I alcohol and drug service, Southampton

Permanent

Salary Scale: 41 – 45 (£47,518 - £52,323 per annum)

About Us

This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic Charity and Housing Association.The Society of St James (SSJ) has been working in Hampshire for over 50 years, delivering high impact, person-centred, accommodation services to adults and young people experiencing homelessness, problematic substance use and mental health problems. We believe that every person is of worth and we are prepared to take risks to house and support the most at risk and socially excluded members of society.

Ready for the next step in your career?

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated leader to join SSJ as Service Manager for the SSJ&I Alcohol and Drug Service in Southampton. Reporting to the Head of Specialist Services, you will lead the delivery, performance and ongoing development of Southampton’s service, ensuring high-quality services for individuals affected by substance use and related complex needs.

The Impact You'll Make

As Service Manager, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for Southampton’s harm reduction and recovery orientated service. You will oversee a multidisciplinary workforce of approximately 70 staff, including recovery workers, clinicians and administrators.

The service incorporates a range of services, including:

• Opiate, non-opiate and alcohol teams
• Criminal Justice Intervention services
• Intensive outreach into homeless and supported housing settings
• Community Day Rehab
• Recovery support delivered across community settings

Working closely with commissioners and partner organisations, you will ensure the service plays a central role in Southampton's ambition to become a more equal city, addressing “the root causes of inequality while making Southampton a healthier, safer, greener and thriving city”.

You will champion a culture of continuous improvement, embedding the service’s person centred and trauma informed principles. This means maintaining a whole-system, person-centred focus that places people accessing services at the heart of delivery and decision-making.

This is a role for a confident and adaptable leader who can navigate complexity, build strong partnerships, and support teams to deliver outstanding outcomes for people facing substance use and wider social challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary team of around 70 staff, taking overall responsibility for service performance and culture.
• Provide leadership and support to Team Leaders, ensuring effective service delivery across all areas of the service.
• Promote accountability, continuous improvement and high-quality case management practice.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with commissioners, statutory partners, and voluntary sector organisations.
• Ensure the service provides leadership across the city in regards to alcohol and drug issues.
• Support the integration of the services with SSJ's recovery housing and homelessness provision.
• Monitor contracts, performance targets, budgets and service outcomes, implementing improvements where required.

Essential Skills and Experience

You will be able to demonstrate:

• Significant management experience within substance use, mental health, homelessness, criminal justice, or other complex needs services.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and develop effective partnerships across multiple agencies.
• Experience managing contracts, service performance and regulatory requirements.
• Strong understanding of substance use treatment, recovery planning and case management.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed practice, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), harm reduction, recovery capital, and psychosocial interventions such as CBT, ACT and mindfulness-based approaches.
• Experience managing budgets, leading change and driving service improvement.
• Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Commitment to SSJ's values and competency framework, with a focus on leadership, organisational development and value for money.

What we can offer you

We value and recognise our staff, offering some generous benefits, as well as the satisfaction of helping people at risk:

• A competitive annual leave entitlement of 25 days rising to 30 days, plus public holidays
• Flexible working options
• Buying additional annual leave
• Comprehensive induction and training
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• Counselling, financial, personal support and health and wellbeing services via our Employee Assistance Programme
• Company cycle to work scheme
• Discounted laptops and computers with Jamie’s Computers
• Electric Car Scheme
• Blue Light Card

SSJ are an equal opportunity employer and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life.

At SSJ, we recognise the benefits of a supported workplace. SSJ is affiliated with Unite the Union. To learn more about their membership benefits or to sign up, you can visit their official website.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact us.

Application closing date: 12noon on Wednesday 7 th October 2026

Due to the high number of expected applicants, we do reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier.

Should you not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

• Cycle to work scheme
• Discounted laptops and computers with Jamie’s Computers
• Employer pension contributions via salary sacrifice
• Flexible working opportunities
• Counselling, financial, personal support, and health and well-being services via our Employee Assistance Programme