Service Manager

The Society of St James; Southampton; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 25-30

Flexible working

Extra leave purchase

Induction & training

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work

Tech discounts

Electric car scheme

Blue Light Card

Job summary

The Society of St James in Southampton is inviting an experienced leader to become Service Manager for the SSJ&I Alcohol and Drug Service in Southampton. Reporting to the Head of Specialist Services, you will steer strategic and operational delivery, focusing on harm reduction and recovery‑oriented care for people with complex needs.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team of around 70 staff, maintain high standards of performance and person-centred practice, and build strong partnerships with

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.

Job description

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.

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.

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
• 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.

SSJ is affiliated with Unite the Union. To learn more about their membership benefits or to sign up, you can visit their official website.