Job Title: Regional Manager, Midlands.
Objective: To manage and develop the MQI DATS (Drug Alcohol Treatment Support) Project in the Midlands Area.
Reporting to: Deputy Head of Operations – Regions.
Place of Work: MQI DATS Project, Tanyard, Tullamore, County Offaly.
Working Hours :Full-time (37.5 hours per week).
Contract: Contract of Indefinite Duration (following a 6-month probationary period).
Company Description
Merchants Quay Ireland is a national voluntary organisation that supports people experiencing homelessness and addiction across Ireland. The organisation provides frontline services, practical support, and structured pathways toward recovery, while developing innovative responses to the challenges of drug use and homelessness.
Its work is grounded in a belief in an inclusive society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and does not face homelessness or addiction alone. Merchants Quay Ireland is committed to delivering accessible, high-quality, and effective services that address complex needs in a non-judgmental and compassionate way.
Merchants Quay Ireland Drug and Alcohol Treat Services (MQI DATS) delivers a community based drug and alcohol prevention with treatment support service to those over 18 and their families. This service is provided across four counties of the Midlands, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford.
Role Summary
Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI) are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to effectively develop lead, manage, and deliver a community-based drug and alcohol treatment support, family support, harm reduction, rehabilitation aftercare service, for individuals over 18 years and families in the Midlands area of Longford, Westmeath, Laois, and Offaly.
The post-holder will be highly organised with the ability to run effective services, raise awareness locally and ensure that the services provided are known to and meet the needs of those that need them, and families across the region.
The ideal candidate will have experience developing and managing comparable services and will have a passion for working in this area.
Reporting to the Deputy Head of Operations, Regions, the Regional Manager will lead the delivery and development of trauma informed high-quality services in response to the current and emerging need in the region.
The Regional Manager will:
Have management responsibility for teams across various locations in the region.
Lead the development of new and innovative responses to service users’ needs in the region.
Be the primary point of contact for regional and local funders with responsibility for seeking new funding opportunities.
Be responsible for budgetary management and controls for all services in the region.
Ensure all health safety requirements are up to standard and monitored.
Manage buildings, vehicles and equipment to deliver the regional services
The postholder will embody the organisations ambitious and compassionate culture. They will ensure that there is a high level of awareness of the services provided across the region by engaging with local stakeholders and networks that are already established as well as developing new initiatives to promote the services.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Service Management
Lead the day-to-day operational functions of the MQI DATS Project. Identify and address potential gaps or blocks for service users, ensuring referral pathways and interagency case management protocols are in place.
Through effective leadership ensure that the services operates in line with the vision and mission of MQI and in line with requirements as agreed by funding agencies.
Ensure that all staff are engaged in supervision and training to deliver services rooted in best practice.
Lead the development of the services using evidence-based models of intervention and provide accurate data reports.
Further develop the Open Access service operating at MQI DATS base in Tullamore as a hub for addiction and recovery supports in the region.
Stakeholder Engagement
Build effective partnerships in the region, ensuring a high level of awareness of the range of services provided by MQI DATS across the region
Actively represent and promote MQI DATS on relevant local and regional committees.
Communicate effectively and maintain appropriate accountability to the Deputy Head of Operations, Executive Team and the Board of Directors.
Proactively influence the responses to addiction in the region using the experience and data gathered from the services as well as through community engagement.
Lead the integration and input of people with lived and living experience into the design, delivery and evaluation of services in the region.
Be the primary point of contact with local and regional funders providing comprehensive and regular reports to demonstrate compliance with any Service Level Agreements.
Quality Service and Standards
Ensure compliance with relevant quality standards framework across the region.
Lead ongoing reviews/assessment of care practices in response to service user needs. Incorporate service user feedback processes into service evaluation.
Manage the allocation of resources across the services, to establish inter-operability across the region when cover is required.
Ensure staff adhere to all MQI’s policies and procedures
Reporting
Produce comprehensive and accurate reports for Senior Management and funders and compile any other information requests relating as required.
Collate and submit statistical data to track and monitor service trends across the region.
Prepare and submit activity reports to funders and attend meetings as required.
Maintain records on treatment statistics on the Health Research Board’s online National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS)
Compile and report on complaints and compliments received as required and ensure that the CRM system (Salesforce) is kept up to date by all staff and to provide reports as needed.
Report to the Deputy Head of Operations- Regions for individual support, supervision, performance appraisal and working within the parameters of this role specification.
Leadership, Management and Team Development
Lead, manage and motivate a variety of teams of staff and volunteers across the region in the effective provision of services.
Responsible for identifying ongoing training, development and support needs of staff and address these through local, regional, and national training provisions.
Supervise and support staff, ensuring all relevant documentation is completed, and a high standard of care plans, assessments, and referrals are carried out
Encourage and support the participation of volunteers, ensuring relevant policies and procedures are in place.
Work with the People and Culture Department in relation to all HR processes including recruitment, performance management, disciplinary processes etc.
Administration
Have budgetary responsibility for financial control in consultation with the Finance Department, and support and participate in all audits and/or evaluations.
Comply with all requirements in relation to all the appropriate paperwork for the service
Manage delegated budget for the service, and track and report on expenditure
Service Promotion
Lead the promotion of the services being the public face of MQI DATS
With the support of the MQI communications and fundraising teams and in prior consultation and agreement with HSE Management, lead regional publicity and research to support service delivery and development.
Lead the development and implementation of a regional communications strategy.
These duties are a guide to the general range of responsibilities and are neither definitive nor restrictive. From time-to-time, the post-holder may need to undertake other duties commensurate with the post, as designated by the Deputy Head of Operations-Regions.
