Specialist Commissioning Service Manager - Market Engagement Team

Full Time, Permanent

We are looking for an experienced and tenacious Service Manager to bring a commercial focus to our team, delivering children’s placement sufficiency alongside market efficiencies.  Working with us, you will help us to source ethical placements at a fair price with a focus on confident permanency planning, quality and value for money.   

You will lead a new Market Engagement Team focused on both strategic planning across the market to meet the needs of Bristol children and young people, and operational reviews of contractual arrangements.  Children who could benefit from moving into family-based care or who could be supported to step down from residential care to live closer to their networks will be supported to do so through this team. 

Significant savings are required through this team and its work, delivering directly into our transformation programme `Stable Homes’.  As the Commissioning Lead, you will be responsible for driving practice and change across the wider services in order to deliver target benefits.  Experience of leading and sustaining change within an organisation is essential. 

We are looking for someone with strong leadership experience and confident communication skills who is used to working in a commercially-focused environment using negotiation, diplomacy and challenge.  Ideally you will have experience commissioning services for children and you will have a good understanding of the financial and regulatory environment within which children’s homes and placements are based. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced commissioner to deliver real benefits for children and young people.

Please note that this role is subject to a Basic DBS Check.

Why Bristol City Council?

At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation. For the majority of our roles hybrid working arrangements are available, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice - mixing both home and office working.

Join us and you’ll receive an excellent rewards package including membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.

How do I apply?

If you share our values and are ready to be part of our exciting journey please select the apply button below.

To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Person Specification within the Further Information section of your application. On occasion we will receive high numbers of applications, we may then shortlist against the desirable criteria along with the essential criteria, so if you can, please demonstrate how you meet this in your application.


We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career.

If you are interested in a discussion to support application, please contact: Gail Rogers, Head of Children’s Commissioning, Gail.rogers@bristol.gov.uk


Bristol City Council strives to have a workforce that reflects the communities it serves, we are therefore committed to ensuring diversity in our hiring process. We welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit. 

The personal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.