Service Manager

Employment Type

Permanent

11-09-2026

07-10-2026

Southampton - England

Hampshire

SO15 2AH

United Kingdom

On-site

Non-profit charitable organisations

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

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.

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…