East and southern programmes director jobs
Help shape a future where fewer people die by suicide
Samaritans is entering an exciting new chapter, focused on transforming how we deliver support to those in greatest need. As Assistant Director of Service Delivery (South), you’ll play a crucial leadership role in shaping our future direction, ensuring our services remain accessible, resilient, and able to make the biggest possible difference across the UK in our mission to reduce the number of lives lost to suicide.
In this pivotal new role, you’ll work alongside our incredible team of Samaritans to implement transformational change within our service delivery structure - starting with our South East Pathfinder region. You’ll help design and embed a sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality service delivery model and structure that ensures everyone who needs Samaritans’ support can access it safely, whenever and wherever they need it, because tomorrow is too late.
We’re looking for someone who:
- Brings expertise in leading complex organisational change with empathy and purpose.
- Is a collaborative and emotionally intelligent leader who can inspire, empower, and harness the contribution of our teams.
- Has experience in service design, operational leadership, and using data and evidence to drive improvement.
- Understands the importance of safeguarding, inclusion, and working with volunteers in sensitive environments.
- Has a positive approach and values human connection and collaboration.
You’ll be a key driver of innovation and resilience within our service, helping ensure that Samaritans’ life-saving work continues to reach people in their moments of greatest need.
If you’re motivated by impact, connection, and the opportunity to shape the future of our life saving listening support in the UK - we’d love to hear from you.
Full outline of the role available in the Job description file.
The contract terms:
• Permanent contract
• £70,000 - £75,000 per annum with Benefits
• Our full time hours are 35 hours per week, but we are passionate about flexible working - talk to us about your preferences. Due to the nature of our work, regular weekend working will be required with time off in lieu given.
• Hybrid working: Meeting in person and working collaboratively are things we value. This is a Home based Contract, linked to our Ewell (Surrey) office with a blend of home working and significant travel throughout the Region. The successful candidate should live within close proximity of the Region. Do get in touch with any queries about location prior to applying. Regional Map available.
About Samaritans:
You’ll join a values-led organisation with a powerful mission and a collaborative culture. We offer flexible hybrid working, excellent benefits, and the chance to make a tangible difference in suicide prevention across the UK and Ireland.
For further information about Samaritans, including our charity structure, values, employee benefits, and application process, please read our recruitment brochure available. You can also visit our careers website to access this.
We recognise the enormous benefits and the social justice imperatives of ensuring diversity at every level of our organisation. Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. To ensure Samaritans is representative of those we support and who support us, we particularly welcome applications from disabled, racialised minority and LGBTQ+ candidates, as these people are under-represented at Samaritans.
Criminal record check (DBS):
We take safeguarding seriously at Samaritans and follow safe recruitment practices. As this role has direct contact with children and adults at risk, this role will require an Enhanced DBS check with Adults and Children’s Barred Lists.
At offer stage, as part of the conditional job offer, we will require the candidate to disclose in full, spent and unspent convictions by completing a declaration form. The declaration form will only be seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.
To Apply and help Samaritans make sure fewer people die by suicide, please complete the application questions and submit your CV with a brief supporting statement. We kindly ask that you don’t rely on AI tools for your application answers, or to generate interview answers. We want to see your own unique ideas and writing skills. We want your application to stand out from the rest and showcase your own strengths.
Applications will close Sunday 23rd November.
Interviews
All applicants will receive notification of the outcome of their application.
The selection process will be in two stages with virtual interviews taking place on the 4th and 5th December. Those taken through to the second stage, will be invited to attend an interview in person at our offices in Ewell on one of the 9th , 10th or 11th December 2025.
Unfortunately we may not be able to be as flexible as usual in offering an alternative date so please do hold these dates in your diary, if applying.
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Safety and Assurance Officer
Location: Homebased, based in the Southern Area
Contract: Full time, permanent
Salary: £32,000 gross per annum
Closing Date: 21 November 2025
Are you a Safety Specialist looking for a new opportunity?
The Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC) is the leading maritime charity for youth development and lifelong learning. We are a vibrant and growing charity inspiring young people to achieve their potential through challenge and nautical adventure and also enabling seafarers and maritime professionals to realise their potential through learning and career development. Working with our employees, cadets, and volunteers, we have built a strong vision and five-year Future Ready strategy to meet the growing demand for what we provide, both for young people, seafarers and maritime professionals – and the thousands who aspire to be the sea cadets and marine professionals of the future. It is also about equipping them to achieve their potential and thrive in a rapidly changing world, while growing our charity to benefit even more people – including those from under-represented or marginalised groups.
We are currently looking for a Safety and Assurance Officer to join our team.
About the role
The Safety & Assurance Officer (SAO) is an employee of the MSSC and a member of the MSSC National Safety Assurance Team (NSAT). This is a home-based role, with a primary focus on the Southern area, predominantly the South-East. The SAO will report to the Head of Safety, Health, and Environment.
The SAO will work closely with other SAOs and will be functionally accountable to:
The Head of Inshore Boating for inshore boat assurance
The Staff Royal Marines Officer for weapons and ammunition safety and security assurance
The role requires regular travel within the area of responsibility and, on occasion within the UK. It will involve evening and some weekend work to fulfil the role’s responsibilities.
Requirements
Qualifications: Good general education and NEBOSH (or equivalent), with completion required during probation if not already held.
Safety & Environmental Management: Experience implementing safety and environmental management systems, conducting risk assessments, and working within formal assurance frameworks.
Incident Management: Experience managing, investigating, and reporting incidents.
Training & Support: Ability to deliver training, guidance, and support to non-specialist staff or volunteers on safety, health, environmental, and assurance matters.
Workload & Volunteer Management: Proven ability to manage a busy workload and effectively support and manage volunteers.
Responsibilities
Join the Marine Society & Sea Cadets as a Safety and Assurance Officer, ensuring the highest standards of safety, health, environment (SHE), and operational compliance across our units and facilities.
You’ll lead assurance inspections, maintain compliance with legislation and organisational regulations, and support the safe management of weapons, armouries, and inshore boating activities. Working closely with other members of the National Safety and Assurance Team (NSAT) and Area teams, you’ll oversee safety at events, camps, and competitions, conduct audits, and monitor incident reporting.
This role plays a vital part in upholding the safety and welfare of our cadets and volunteers through proactive assurance, training, and continuous improvement.
For further information, please download theIf you are interested in this role, please apply now!
Benefits
25 days annual leave per annum, increasing with length of service
Hybrid working for many roles
Volunteering Leave
Life assurance (4x salary)
Private medical insurance
Generous pension (employer contribution up to 10%)
Cycle to work scheme
Access to the Marine Society Digital Library
Wellbeing portal and EAP with 121 counselling
Employee development: We are investing in our employees' development and have an annual calendar of learning and development opportunities, designed to support employees to develop into their roles and stretch them to achieve their full potential.
Additional Information
MSSC positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. Equity, diversity, and inclusion really matters to us, so we can best serve our beneficiaries from every community. We work to ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process and aim to be a charity where diversity of experience, identity and skills are valued and welcomed. MSSC is an equal opportunities employer.
We recognise our responsibilities to safeguard and protect the young people and vulnerable adults with whom we work. We do all we can to promote their health, safety and wellbeing, and we expect our staff to share this commitment and work in line with safeguarding policy, the MSSC’s values and ethos of inclusivity. We adhere to safer recruitment practices and therefore employment is subject to detailed pre-employment checks for successful candidates, including references and criminal disclosure checks and the completion of a disclosure questionnaire.
All successful applicants are required to attend safeguarding training and undergo pre-employment checks including a criminal record check.
