Job title: Senior Commissioning Officer

Salary: PO2 - £39,862-£42,839

Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Location: Merrion House, Leeds

As a Senior Commissioning Officer in Adults and Health Integrated Commissioning(Public Health, Housing and Prevention) you will thrive on making a positive impact while supporting the commissioning cycle and working with partners to deliver prevention-focused, community-based services aligned with the Leeds Ambitions and the Neighbourhood Health approach.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Senior Commissioning Officer you will bring to the role:

Experience in engaging with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to form effective partnerships, improving services and delivering integrated person-centred outcomes.
Flexibility to contribute to all aspects of commissioning, contract management and quality assurance across the Adults and Health Directorate.
A passion for learning with the ability to challenge and drive change.
Skilled in using data, monitoring frameworks and stakeholder insight to improve service quality.
The ability to effectively manage multiple priorities whilst using your own initiative, supporting change programmes and working flexibly to deliver against changing projects and deadlines.

About the role
This is an exciting opportunity to join a commissioning team with a key role in shaping services across health and the community sector in Leeds. As a Senior Commissioning Officer you will support delivery across the full commissioning cycle working with a broad range of partners including in-house services, the voluntary and community sector and health organisations to improve outcomes for people across the city.

The role spans across a diverse portfolio including services such as Leeds Equipment Service, Neighbourhood Network Schemes, Leeds Older People’s Forum and a range of further community and health partners. You will play an important role in strengthening community engagement, ensuring the voices of service users are central to service design and delivery and supporting prevention-focused, community-based approaches aligned with the Leeds Ambitions and the Neighbourhood Health model.

We place a strong emphasis on person-centred, preventative approaches through the Neighbourhood Health model. You will work with partners and stakeholders to shape services, support transformation and maintain a strong focus on quality, performance and value for money. Through effective contract management and engagement, you will help ensure services are resilient, efficient and responsive, while working flexibly across a range of priorities and projects.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Michelle Cale, Commissioning Programme Leader, michelle.cale@leeds.gov.uk or Evie Harris, Commissioning Manager, evangeline.harris@leeds.gov.uk

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visaroute before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligiblebefore applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

To assist the Commissioning Programme Leaders / Heads of Commissioning by undertaking aspects of cross-directorate commissioning and contract management at Principal Officer level.

To be responsible for the management of a portfolio of work which contributes to the delivery of one or more of the following:

Service review, development and innovation
Commissioning activity that contributes to the Directorate’s and Council’s priorities. Commissioning takes many forms and includes negotiating individual care packages, large scale reviews and procurements and working with others to improve the service offer.
Development of strategy and policy relating to services for key client groups
Programme and contract management to maximise outcomes and to ensure value for money and quality.

You will contribute to the evaluation and performance management of contracts with commissioned services and play a key role in developing and maintaining productive relationships with service providers to achieve high quality services and value for money. Through your detailed knowledge and skills relevant to commissioning and contract management, you will demonstrate the leadership and qualities commensurate to the level of Principal Officer.

You will provide assistance within the commissioning function to ensure the proper financial management and performance assurance of such contracts. You will lead on the development of innovative ways of achieving value for money on an on-going basis. You will provide line management to Commissioning Officer and Commissioning Support Officer level roles, undertake staff appraisals and support the personal development of team members as required.

Responsibilities

To support the strategic review of services, commissioning of new services, re-commission / decommission existing services and to co-ordinate joint working within the Directorate, across the Council and with external partners as appropriate.
To develop a working knowledge and understanding of contracted services to inform commissioning.
To develop and manage project meetings and provide meeting support to include key stakeholders in any commissioning outcome
To be responsible for the contract management of a portfolio of services, ensuring effective relationship management with partners, value for money and achievement of quality standards and efficiency savings targets. Identifying and developing the capacity of providers across all market sectors.
To be responsible for performance monitoring, including monitoring notifications of safeguarding and serious incident reports relating to provider organisations.
To contribute to project and programme management of key areas of work, including working with Council colleagues and external partners to achieve desired outcomes to agreed (and often tight) deadlines.
To support the development of key policy and strategy relating to the commissioning of services.
Work effectively with the Corporate Procurement Team to ensure compliance with all relevant procurement procedures and to support the commissioning team to undertake its responsibilities in relation to the procurement of commissioned services.
To contribute to the preparation and presentation of complex information in a variety of formats to a range of audiences at different levels, including preparing reports to support effective decision-making at a strategic and political level within the Council.
To contribute to the delivery of collaborative partnerships and working relationships with providers, internal and external partners, elected members and key stakeholders in the city to ensure the availability and delivery of quality services.
Lead regular monitoring meetings associated with the portfolio of contracts, and ensure that delivery is achieving expected targets and outcomes and remains compliant with the terms of the contracts and facilitating quality improvements and service development where necessary.
To work on behalf of the team or represent the Commissioning Manager, on specified functional areas or work streams for the Directorate.
To support PO4 Commissioning Managers in providing briefings, guidance and support to senior officers, elected members and staff across the Council in relation to one or more service areas.
To develop a working knowledge of relevant Council, Directorate and Partnership plans and priorities, including the implications for service areas.
To undertake effective evaluation of projects and contracts, including data collection; collation and scrutiny and performance management information; benchmarking; report writing, risk analysis and the implementation of practical outcomes and lessons learned.
To undertake consultation and engagement with service users and other stakeholders ensuring that the outcomes are used to influence commissioning, service design and delivery.
To assist to maximise resources for the City including supporting partnership and service area bids for resources and by working in conjunction with the relevant Finance Officers to monitor expenditure and ensure financial targets are met.
To ensure compliance with any governance requirements relating to the work of the team, including those relating to commissioning, procurement and financial management.
To take a line management role of staff, including managing performance and attendance and assessing and meeting development needs through appraisals. To undertake supervision meetings, and to demonstrate strong and effective management in line with the Council’s values and standards.
To be responsible for your own personal development and to assist the team to plan and develop activities which ensure up to date knowledge and skills within the team.
To ensure due regard is taken of equality and diversity when designing, delivering or reviewing policies, strategies, services and human resources and ensure that any mitigating actions are delivered.
To carry out any other duties commensurate with the grade and required for the role

Qualifications

See employee specification

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Skills

Ability to effectively contract manage services delivered by commissioned providers
Ability to develop productive working relationships which create respect, trust and confidence.
Ability to co-ordinate performance management activities which improves service quality and supports a culture that drives up standards and performance.
Ability to support financial management and work within a budget.
Ability to engage effectively with a wide and diverse range of stakeholders including external partners and service users.
Ability to provide support to the management of strategic partnerships involving various stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes
Ability to work flexibly across a range of simultaneous initiatives and as part of a larger team.
Ability to develop systems and to analyse and interrogate a range of varied and complex data using a variety of methods, including relevant IT software, to inform future delivery and planning.
Ability to support programmes and projects and support the functioning of project teams.
Ability to develop and present reports to a variety of audiences.
Ability to think creatively and to solve problems in a constructive way.
Ability to work to strict deadlines and to manage personal work and time effectively

Knowledge/Qualifications

Knowledge of project / programme and/or contract management principles and processes required to ensure outcomes are maximised and value for money achieved.
Understanding of commissioning principles and practice.
A knowledge of key strategic plans including the Health and Well Being Plan and Inclusive Growth Strategy
A knowledge of Safeguarding principles and practice
A knowledge of Information Governance and Data Protection principles

Experience

Of working in a team setting to support communications for example, with Council colleagues, Elected Members, external providers, delivery partners or other key stakeholders.
Of working with internal and external partners to deliver projects and programmes.
Of supporting your own personal development.
Of using a financial payment process and supporting budget management activities to achieve budgetary targets.
Of conducting Equality Impact Assessments and ensuring that inclusion and equality objectives are met.

Essential behavioural and other characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council values and behaviours and codes of conduct
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Leeds Ambitions of health and wellbeing, inclusive growth, thriving strong communities, and a resilient sustainable city
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures
Carry out duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding equality and diversity of Leeds City Council
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters

Desirable requirements: Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

Skills

Ability to support, coach and motivate individuals and teams.
Ability to interpret local / national strategy and apply it to work in Leeds.

Knowledge/Qualifications

Knowledge of the Council’s Values and Leadership and Manager Habits
A knowledge of Governance requirements and the Council’s policies and procedures that would relate to decision making.

Experience

Of engagement with service providers and stakeholders to effectively progress change
Of working in a political environment and on politically sensitive issues.
Of involvement in performance management activities of contracts
Of project management.
Of procurement practice.