Location – Chelmsford (covering North, West, Mid and South Essex)
Hours – Full time, 37.5 hours per week
Salary – £45,000 per annum
What it's like to work for Open Road
Join a passionate team transforming lives across Essex. Open Road provides drug and alcohol treatment services and offender support services across Essex & Kent including a range of interventions that deliver mentoring, advice and information programmes. Accredited with Investing In Volunteers, our mission is to empower a diverse range of individuals, families and communities to lead healthy and more meaningful lives, free from addiction, offending behaviour and disadvantage, to ensure healthier, happier lifestyles.
The Role
We’re looking for a skilled and motivated Service Lead (Essex Adult Services) to provide strategic and operational leadership across our adult recovery and alcohol services in Essex.
You’ll lead a team of Service Managers and ensure delivery of high-quality, safe, and outcome-focused services across the region — including the All Age Recovery Service (AARCS) and Psychosocial Alcohol Intervention and Recovery Service (PAIRS).
Working closely with the Senior Management Team (SMT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and commissioners, you’ll drive performance, uphold safeguarding and governance standards, and champion innovation, co‑production and continuous improvement across Open Road’s adult service portfolio.
About You
You’ll bring strong leadership, operational insight and a passion for recovery‑focused services, with:
* Proven experience in service management or operational leadership, ideally within health, substance misuse, or community services.
* Sound understanding of drug and alcohol treatment, safeguarding, and performance management.
* Excellent communication, analytical and organisational skills.
* A proactive, inclusive leadership style and commitment to Open Road’s values.
* A relevant degree (or equivalent experience) and Level 3 Safeguarding training.
Experience in the voluntary, health or public sector — and an understanding of the power of lived experience and co‑production — would be an advantage.
Why Join Open Road?
At Open Road, you’ll be part of a collaborative, purpose‑driven organisation where your leadership directly shapes better futures for young people and adults across our communities.
If you’re a strategic thinker who thrives on making services stronger and people’s lives better — we’d love to hear from you.
* 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays and a day off for your birthday.
* Health & wellbeing app with GP services, e‑gym and mental health support.
* Tailored training and development opportunities.
* A supportive, values‑driven team where your work truly changes lives.
We welcome applications from people seeking flexible working. Regular on‑site presence is needed, but we’ll consider flexible arrangements where possible. This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check (adults and young people).
Application
Please use the following link to complete our online application form. Prior to starting please ensure you have all of the relevant information to hand. Take time to review the job pack below as the shortlisting will be carried out with the job description and person specification in mind.
Alternatively, you can use this link to complete the form via word and email to shannon.fleming@openroad.org.uk
Open Road values and respects the diversity and individual differences of our services users, staff and our volunteers.
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