Operations Manager (Substance Use) - LancashireNHS

Job summary

Join our team as an Operations Manager in Lancashire.

Are you a compassionate and collaborative leader, who wants to change people's lives? Our team in Preston is looking for an experienced Operations Manager to join them in providing high-quality recovery care to a diverse client group. If you are enthusiastic, creative and passionate about helping and developing others, we'd love to hear from you.

This is a full time role working 37.5 hours per week on a fixed term contract until 28/02/2028. The salary for the position is £38,000 per annum. Please use the linked job description to support your application.

As a leading charity supporting people with drug, alcohol, and mental health challenges, we operate over 80 services across England and Scotland, providing free and confidential support to more than 100,000 people each year. Find out more about us on our website.

The closing date for this role is 23rd August 2026.

We provide emotional and practical support to young people experiencing challenges with drugs and alcohol across Lancashire. We have services in Preston, Burnley and Lancaster. Our teams work with people at every stage of their recovery journey - providing evidence-based psychosocial interventions, helping clients build resilience, exploring the root causes of substance misuse and achieving meaningful change.

This role will involve working across all three service areas in Preston, Burnley and Lancaster - as such a driving license and access to a vehicle is essential.

Main duties of the job

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading and managing staff teams, ensuring that they are well informed, inspired and engaged with the strategic objectives of WithYou. It is important that you promote a cohesive culture that is committed to delivering high quality recovery-orientated services. This includes standalone Young Persons teams, supporting young people up to the age of 25 and multiple partnerships with other services.

Key duties will include:

• Working closely with colleagues in the sector to demonstrate plans are in place and mechanisms exist to monitor delivery and achievement of goals
• Actively contributing to the extension of service provision and the development of new initiatives
• Managing or contributing to the management of service delivery budgets
• Ensuring staff receive appropriate training and support to deliver services
• Developing strong and positive relationships with key stakeholders and commissioners to ensure continuity of service

This post requires excellent leadership skills to work innovatively and confidently, supporting staff to develop in high performing recovery work, overseeing performance, quality assurance and safeguarding with the capacity to work within competing demands and tight timescales. You will work closely with the Service Manager and Head of Young People Service Delivery to ensure clear communication and a mutually agreed delivery of service.

Job description

Please see the linked job description and person specification for more information on the role and its responsibilities.

About us

Creating an Inclusive Environment

As an organisation, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our staff. We know that representing the communities we serve is key to us meeting our vision of a future where everyone lives a life free from the harm associated with drugs and alcohol. We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring and we encourage people from underrepresented communities and backgrounds to apply to join our team, including people with lived experience, people with disabilities, people from racialised communities, LGBTQ+ people, people of all ages and armed forces veterans.

As part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant we provide a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates that are veterans and meet all the essential criteria for a role. With You is also a Disability Confident Employer and we offer a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with a disability and meet all the essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, well be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

Please note that you will be required to provide 3 years worth of references and where applicable, undergo an enhanced DBS check, to be considered for a role at WithYou.