Service Manager Manchester

Location: Manchester

Fixed Term Contract Maternity Cover Starting October 2025 to end of August 2026

Grade 6 - £42,697 per annum

Full time 37.5 hours per week

Closing date: Sunday 14th September 2025 at 11.30 pm

Do you have a good understanding of housing and homeless, along with leadership and management experience? Then join Shelter as a Service Manager and you could soon be playing a key role in standing up to the housing emergency in Greater Manchester.

About the role

You will be one of two Service Managers and the two postholders work closely together in this varied and complex role. Reporting to the Strategic Lead, you will deputise for them when necessary and will lead on delivering our services, line-managing Team Leaders and designated functions. Your role will be to ensure that the service delivery meets high quality standards, is delivered safely and is contract compliant, with particular focus on managing and delivering external contracts. Overseeing the monitoring and reporting of our work, you will line manage four staff, will have delegated financial responsibility and work closely with partners, commissioners, and other stakeholders in the city to ensure that our services are aligned and impactful.

You will also ensure that we are identifying and addressing the systemic issues at play and which underly clients presenting need. This is a key role in linking up Shelter s national campaigning and policy work with local activity and insight, ensuring that we co-produce our activities and involve people with lived experience fully in our work.

About You

You have sound knowledge of homelessness, housing and related issues, with leadership skills and experiencing of supporting and managing teams. You can demonstrate experience of managing contracts, partnerships or services as well as budgets and are able to develop and sustain key relationships which benefit local priorities. Experienced in change management, you will be able to analyse insight and evidence to manage and improve performance, as well as being able to work with policies relating to safeguarding, health and safety and data protection.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About the team

You will be part of an existing multi-disciplinary team that offers housing and homelessness advice and support across Greater Manchester. We are made up of a solicitor led legal team providing advice and representation, along with Advice and Support services providing help with housing, debt or welfare benefit issues. There is also a committed and skilled team of volunteers that offer peer support, mentoring and more general volunteering adding significant value to our core service offer.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet every day millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

How to apply

Please click Apply for Job below. You are required to submit a CV along with a supporting statement which address the following points of the About You section of the job description of no more than 350 words each.

• Working knowledge of homelessness, housing and related issues affecting local communities.
• Excellent leadership skills and experience of supporting and line managing staff
• Experience of managing and delivering contracts, partnerships or services
• Budgeting skills and experience of managing budgets and financial reports.

Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive mindset

You do not need to address the remaining points (5-9) in the About You section in your application. Any applications submitted without a supporting statement will not be considered.

Safeguarding Statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them