Senior Commissioning Manager

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

• Job Title:                           Senior Commissioning Manager
• Job Location:                     Shire Hall, Block 5, 2nd Floor
• Salary:                              £55,717 - £59,753 per annum
• Hours per Week:                37.00
• Contract Type:                   Permanent
• Closing Date:                    02/11/2026
• Job Requisition Number:    15006
• This post is not open to job share

Lead Contract Management. Strengthen Compliance. Improve Outcomes.

Are you an experienced leader with a strong background in contract management, commercial management or commissioning, ready to lead and develop a key contracts function within Adult Social Care?

Gloucestershire County Council is seeking a confident and commercially minded Senior Commissioning Manager to lead our Adult Social Care Contracts Team, overseeing a diverse portfolio of contracts that underpin the delivery of care, support and wider Adult Social Care services.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role combining strategic oversight with effective day-to-day management of the Contracts Team. You will ensure strong supplier and provider performance, contractual compliance and risk management in line with our Contract Management Framework, while improving data quality, systems use and performance insight. Working across commissioning, brokerage, quality assurance, finance, legal services and operational teams, as well as with suppliers and regulated providers, you will ensure contract activity supports effective service delivery, value for money and wider strategic priorities. You will also develop robust, future-ready processes and governance as the organisation prepares for Local Government Reorganisation.

About the role:

As Senior Commissioning Manager (Contracts), you will lead and develop the Contracts Team and provide strategic oversight of a diverse portfolio of complex contractual arrangements. You will set clear expectations, strengthen accountability and ensure contract management is consistent, evidence-led and focused on quality, value and outcomes for residents.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Provide strong day-to-day leadership, line management and development for the Contracts Team, including supervision, one-to-one meetings, team meetings and performance management.
• Lead a significant and diverse portfolio covering regulated care and support services, together with other commissioned services and requirements that support Adult Social Care delivery.
• Maintain a strong focus on supplier and provider performance and contractual compliance in line with the Contract Management Framework.
• Ensure contract activity, decisions, risks and actions are accurately recorded and managed across key systems.
• Lead the implementation and effective use of dashboards, strengthening data quality, system alignment and performance insight.
• Triage and coordinate complex contractual, supplier or provider issues across commissioning, brokerage, quality assurance, operational, finance and legal teams.
• Lead negotiations, contract reviews, variations and commercial discussions.
• Provide strategic oversight of contractual risk, improvement activity and the sustainability of key services and markets.
• Ensure robust governance, assurance and reporting arrangements are consistently applied and support future organisational requirements.
• Support the procurement, mobilisation and implementation of new services and contractual arrangements.
• Advise senior leaders on contractual, commercial, service and market risks, identifying improvements that strengthen compliance, value for money and outcomes for residents.

You will play a pivotal role in embedding strong contract management practice and ensuring Adult Social Care services are well governed, effectively delivered and responsive to changing needs.

About you:

We are looking for a confident and credible leader who combines strong people-management capability with contract management and commercial expertise. You will bring a practical, collaborative approach, set clear expectations and translate strategic priorities into consistent team practice.

Additional experience of procurement, supplier or provider relationship management, service mobilisation or transformation would be advantageous.

You will also be able to demonstrate:

• Substantial leadership and management experience, with a strong track record of leading teams, developing staff, managing performance and improving ways of working.
• Experience managing complex contractual arrangements and significant service portfolios.
• A sound understanding of contract management frameworks, compliance, governance and assurance.
• Experience of using contract management or commissioning systems, performance data and dashboards to support oversight, assurance and decision-making.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing financial and contractual risk while delivering value for money.
• The ability to build effective relationships with suppliers, regulated providers, partners and senior stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• The ability to interpret and apply relevant legislation, regulatory requirements and statutory guidance within commissioning and contract management practice.
• The ability to balance commercial considerations, quality, compliance and outcomes for residents.

Our values are at the heart of everything we do and how we treat each other. They provide essential guiding principles about the way that we work and set the tone for our culture, and identify what we, as an organisation, care about.  See more about our Values on our website.

If you hold the same behaviours and approach, then we want to hear from you! In exchange, we will provide you with full training and support to help you succeed in your role.

About us:

Our Adult Commissioning team is responsible for commissioning, contract management, quality assurance, brokerage, supplier and provider engagement, and market development across Gloucestershire. We work closely with communities and system partners to ensure people can access high-quality care, support and other commissioned services when they need them.

We are ambitious for our residents and our workforce. If you thrive in complex environments, enjoy building trusted relationships and want to make a genuine difference through strong leadership and strategic contract management, we would welcome your application.

Join us and help shape sustainable, innovative and high-quality commissioned services for Gloucestershire.

In return for your commitment, you’ll be entitled to our full benefits package, including:

• Regular formal and informal support.
• Safe, supportive, and positive working environment with regular, reflective supervision.
• An investment into your professional development, including career pathways, mandatory
• Training and additional topical bi-annual workshops.
• Annual leave 30.5 days
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Staff discount scheme that offers access to great savings including discounts with major supermarket chains and high street retailers.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential, counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) network and the Young Employees Network.
• Gloucestershire Salary Sacrifice Green Car Scheme (T&C's apply).

Applying:

Please write your application with consideration for the criteria in the Job Description. This should include examples of why you should be considered and the experience, skills and knowledge that you would bring to the post. 

For an informal discussion, please, contact ASCRecruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk

To start your journey with us, click ‘Apply now’ today!

Additional Information:

To access the Job Profile for this role, please follow the link below:

Senior Commissioning Manager Job Profile

Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The council is not currently able to offer sponsorship in this role. Candidates will need to have right to work that enables them to commit to at least 6 months employment. Right to work is not transferable from a sponsored role held with another employer.

We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities.  Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.

Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early due to the volume of applications received. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.

If you are an Internal applicant and consider yourself to have a disability* as per the Equality Act (2010), please declare this in an email to recruitment@gloucestershire.gov.uk, as this is NOT currently covered in the application due to a technical error.    By providing this information, you can choose to be considered for a guaranteed interview under our Disability Confident pledge if you meet all essential criteria. It also enables the recruiting manager to arrange any reasonable adjustments you may need during the process.   

*a disability is defined as: a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term (more than 12 months) adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Applications from any Gloucestershire County Council's employees who are currently on the redeployment register or at risk of redundancy will be considered first at shortlisting stage.

For more information about the job, view links, download attachments and apply please click on the Apply Now button.