Service Manager, Children's Services

SERVICE MANAGER Full Time Permanent

St. Michael’s House is seeking to a Service Manager for Childrens Services. The Service Manager will hold a senior leadership and management role with responsibility and accountability for the operational management and delivery of high-quality, person-centred services within their area of responsibility.

The Role

Full-Time Service Manager Position (Permanent)
35 hours per week

Reporting to: Director of Childrens Services

Location: St. Michael’s House, Childrens Services

St. Michael’s House is seeking to appoint a Service Manager for our Children and Young Persons and Support Services Directorate. This Directorate provides large-scale, complex, interdisciplinary services across children’s and adult disability provision.

This person will hold a senior leadership and management role with responsibility and accountability for the operational management and delivery of high quality, family & person-centred services within their area of responsibility/service cluster. This includes residential and respite services, Independent living, home and community based supports and nursing supports within our Special National Schools. This is a key senior leadership role with responsibility for ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, person-centred services, while providing effective leadership to frontline teams across the service area.

The post holder is accountable for service performance, governance, financial oversight and workforce management, ensuring services are delivered in line with HIQA standards, relevant legislation, HSE requirements, and organisational policies. The role operates as a Person Participating in Management (PPIM) under the Health Act 2007 Regulations and supports the implementation of national policy, including New Directions within day services.

While accountable for a defined service cluster, the Service Manager is an active member of the wider Directorate Management Team. Working closely with the Director of Services they will contribute to collective leadership, strategic planning and co-ordinated delivery of integrated services across the organisation.

The successful applicant will have a proven record of success at senior level and must demonstrate that he/she has delivered significant performance management programmes, achieved major organisational change and has led innovation and service improvement initiatives within budget within a complex and diverse organisation.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced health or social care professional to contribute to the strategic development, quality improvement and continued evolution of the Children and Young Persons Services & Support Services Directorate, while ensuring the people supported remain at the centre of service delivery.

Key Leadership Responsibilities

The successful applicants will have a proven record of experience at senior management level and will demonstrate experience of:

• Leading significant performance management programmes and achieving measurable improvements in service performance.
• Leading major organisational change, transformation and service improvement initiatives.
• Developing and implementing innovative approaches to service delivery.
• Managing resources effectively and delivering service improvements within budget.
• Providing strong governance and ensuring compliance with relevant regulatory and legislative requirements.
• Leading, developing and supporting nursing and multidisciplinary teams within a complex and diverse organisation.
• Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for people supported.
• Promoting a culture of continuous improvement, quality, safety and person-centred practice.

Please refer to the Job Specification booklet attached for more details.

Benefits of working in St Michael's House

• HSE Pay Scale (incremental*)
• Premium Payments (Frontline staff)
• Sick Pay Scheme
• Paid Maternity Leave
• Pension
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Generous Annual Leave
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Training / CPD
• Career Progression

Essential Requirements

Qualifications:

Essential:

• A relevant Level 8 professional qualification in a Health and Social Care profession or Nursing and, where appropriate, current statutory or professional registration.
• A minimum of 60 credits in a recognised management qualification OR a minimum of 10 years’ relevant management experience.

Desirable Criteria

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant health, management or business discipline at Level 9 or equivalent.

Experience:

Essential Experience

• A minimum of five years’ post-qualification experience, of which at least three years must be in the specialty area of intellectual disability at management level.
• Have substantial operational management experience within a health or social care setting.
• Demonstrate a significant track record of leading service improvement, change or transformation initiatives.
• Experience of managing and influencing multiple internal and external stakeholders relevant to the role.
• Demonstrable evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) and maintenance of an appropriate professional portfolio.
• Have the requisite knowledge and ability (including a high standard of suitability and management ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.
• Demonstrable managerial, operational and administrative capacity to properly discharge the functions of the post.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and Outlook, together with experience of databases, SharePoint portals, internet and web-based applications.
• The post holder must have access to their own transport.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in a comparable senior management role within the Health Service or a similar health or social care setting.
• Experience working within a HIQA and regulatory environment.
• Experience as a budget holder, with responsibility for financial management and resource allocation.

Salary/pay scale : Successful candidates will be paid in line with the June 2026 HSE revised consolidated Community Healthcare Network Manager pay scale (€90,977 - €100,131) per annum based on working a 35 hour week).

Should you have no prior public sector experience you will be placed on point 1 of the pay-scale above

To Apply:

All the below must be received before the application is deemed complete:

• A comprehensive CV, detailing education, skills, career history, experience.
• A cover letter outlining why you wish to be considered for the post and where you believe your skills, experience and values meet the requirements of the position of Service Manager.

Closing date : Friday 09th October 2026

Selection Process:

The Selection Process may include:

Informal Enquiries-Hazel Mulligan- Hazel.Mulligan@smh.ie Tracey Mckenna-traceymc@smh.ie

Candidates should note that canvassing will disqualify them.

St. Michael’s House is an equal opportunities employer.