Service Manager (L2) – Day Centre & Outreach – HARP, Southend's Homeless Charity, Southend on Sea

Applicants for this position must be available for interview 3rd December 2026.

You’ll be leading our Outreach and Day Centre teams, based at HARP’s Day Centre in Southend-on-Sea. You’ll line-manage our Deputy Manager – Outreach and Deputy Manager – Day Centre, with overall responsibility for the wider team of outreach staff, day centre staff, volunteers and peer mentors who work every day with people experiencing rough sleeping and multiple disadvantage across South Essex. You’ll also take part in our management on-call rota, providing senior cover when it’s needed most.

For this role, we’re looking for someone with real experience managing frontline teams in homelessness, rough sleeping or similarly complex services – someone confident overseeing safeguarding and high-risk casework, and comfortable working at pace in a demanding operational environment. You’ll need a visible, values-led leadership style, strong decision-making skills, and the resilience to stay calm under pressure, including in crisis situations. Experience of partnership working with statutory and voluntary sector partners matters too, as you’ll represent HARP at multi-agency meetings and safeguarding panels. Above all, we’re looking for someone who leads with dignity, respect and a genuine commitment to the people we support.