INTERNAL ONLY VACANCY. This post is open to existing Leeds City Council employees only. Applications will not be considered from external candidates.

Job title: Commissioning Programme Leader

Salary: PO6 £51,356 - £54,495

Hours: 37

Contract: 1 x Temporary Maternity Leave 10 months starting 28^th September 2026

Location: Merrion House: Hybrid working available

We are looking for a Commissioning Programme Leader (Temporary PO6) to join the Older People’s Commissioning Team in Adults and Health. We commission homecare, care homes and extra care and work closely with hospitals and the NHS to support discharges into good quality services. This is an exciting opportunity to join an established and exceptionally supportive and creative team, working together to provide good quality, person-centred services in Leeds for the benefit of older people support needs. Every day brings new opportunities to learn and is a great opportunity for someone passionate about ensuring people receive the care and support they should have.

Does this sound like you?

The new post-holder will be working primarily within the Homecare sector overseeing day to day contract management including investigating complaints and safeguarding incidents. During 2027 you’ll be leading on the recommissioning of homecare contracts, delivering a carefully planned new model for the city plus a new hospital discharge service. This is alongside service improvements and efficiencies to meet the council’s prevention agenda. It’s an exciting time to join the team, with strong plans in place and long standing and supportive colleagues ready to make a difference.

You will play a key role in developing and maintaining productive relationships with service providers to achieve high quality services and value for money. You will lead on the development of innovative ways of achieving value for money on an on-going basis

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 Commissioning Programme Leader, you will bring to the role:

Ability to provide visible and effective leadership which empowers, enables and develops staff to achieve results.
Ability to identify and implement change programmes, improve service quality and support a culture that drives up standards and performance.
Ability to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences at all levels, including presenting high level information and reports on complex issues in an appropriate way.
Ability to manage complex programmes and projects and lead project teams.
Ability to deliver the statutory responsibilities of the team and use them positively to assist clients.

About the role

Your responsibilities will be

To develop and deliver major programmes, projects and services, providing direction for the work of staff teams and delivery partners and accessing and maximising resources, improving performance and quality in order to achieve desired outcomes to agreed (and often tight) deadlines.
To lead on commissioning new services, re-commissioning of existing services or decommissioning services.
To demonstrate strong and effective leadership and management in line with the Council’s values and standards.
To ensure value for money considerations are taken into account in service review, design and delivery.
To take a line management role for Commissioning Managers, including managing performance and attendance and assessing and meeting development needs through appraisals, supervision meetings and team meetings, and to demonstrate strong and effective leadership in line with the Council’s values and standards.

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 guidancefor further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role you can contact the current postholder Fiona Gallway Fiona.Galloway@leeds.gov.ukor Head Older People’s Commissioning Kate Sibson kate.sibson@leeds.gov.uk

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

Job Description

Job purpose

This post plays a key role in the successful delivery of the Council’s overall values as well as the vision and goals of the Adult Health and Social Care Directorate through supporting the commissioning and management of quality services and the strategies that underpin them.

The team’s vision is to be a skilled and valued team that works in partnership across Directorates to commission and contract manage high quality services that address social inequality and support people to live healthy, independent and fulfilling lives.

The team’s areas of focus are summarised in the Market Position Statement and include commissioning and contract managing services for the following client groups and service areas: young adults transitioning from children’s to adult services; information, advice and advocacy; assistive technology; learning disabilities; autism; mental health; sensory impairment; physical impairment; carers; older people; dementia support; drug and alcohol treatment; homelessness and rough sleepers; offenders; domestic violence and abuse, and; public health services.

The postholder the maternity cover is for is responsible for commissioning homecare services for older people.

Responsibilities

You will lead 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 grade.

You will provide leadership within the Homecare 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 Project Officer level roles, undertake staff appraisals and support the personal development of team members as required.

Other responsibilities include:

To act as the team contact for specific strategic functional areas and work streams for Adults and Health Commissioning.
To develop and deliver major programmes, projects and services, providing direction for the work of staff teams and delivery partners and accessing and maximising resources, improving performance and quality in order to achieve desired outcomes to agreed (and often tight) deadlines.
To lead on commissioning new services, re-commissioning of existing services or decommissioning services.
To develop consistent approaches to commissioning and to facilitate joint working within the Directorate, across the Council and with partners as appropriate.
To initiate and direct market development initiatives on behalf of the Council and relevant commissioning/transformation boards.
To develop effective working relationships with the independent and third sector operating in the health and care and support sectors to develop flexible and creative services and understand issues impacting on sustainability.
To contribute to the development of key policy and strategy relating to commissioning.
To ensure all areas of work are informed by relevant research, intelligence and performance data, including contributing to and using the outcomes of any needs analyses.
To communicate complex concepts and information effectively, including the outcomes of service reviews and options appraisals, and deliver communication products that are appropriate to the audience, including presentations, reports for Members, partnership forums, the Director and Council management teams at all levels.
To demonstrate strong and effective leadership and management in line with the Council’s values and standards.
To develop and maintain strong and productive working relationships with senior officers in other Directorates, Members, key partners and stakeholders in the City, and deputise for senior staff at meetings and events, where required.
To develop and maintain a detailed understanding of the Council, Directorate and Strategic Partnership plans and priorities, including the implications for service areas.
To lead the effective evaluation of projects and contracts, including data collection; collation and scrutiny of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and performance management information; benchmarking; report writing and the implementation of practical outcomes and lessons learned.
To lead effective consultation and engagement with service users and other stakeholders, and ensure that the outcomes are used to influence commissioning, service design and delivery.
To ensure value for money considerations are taken into account in service review, design and delivery.
To maximise resources for the City including developing and supporting partnership and service area bids for resources and be accountable for resources, including managing audit and inspection processes and mitigating any risks.
To take on budget holder responsibilities, as required by the Chief Officer or Head of Service and ensure that spending relating to the post holder’s responsibilities is kept within any budgetary allocations and that action is taken to meet any efficiency targets.
To ensure systems are in place and operating effectively to meet LCC obligations for accurate and timely ordering from and payments to providers of commissioned services.
To be accountable for ensuring compliance with any Governance requirements relating to the work of the Service, including those relating to commissioning and procurement, financial management and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of staff and customers.
To take a line management role for a cohort of Commissioning Manager and Officers, including managing performance and attendance and assessing and meeting development needs through appraisals, supervision meetings and team meetings, and to demonstrate strong and effective leadership in line with the Council’s values and standards.
To identify training needs within the team and to lead and participate in the development of activities necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills within the team.
To ensure that 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 N/A

Essential requirements

Understanding of commissioning, procurement and contract management principles and practice
Ability to lead strategic partnerships involving various stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes.
Ability to provide visible and effective leadership which empowers, enables and develops staff to achieve results
Ability to lead contract management and funding arrangements of a range of services and to manage performance effectively.
Ability to identify and implement change programmes, improve service quality and support a culture that drives up standards and performance
Ability to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences at all levels, including presenting high level information and reports on complex issues in an appropriate way.
Ability to lead the development of appropriate systems and procedures to enable effective data capture and analysis to formulate options in response to complex issues, and inform commission priorities.
Ability to think creatively and to solve problems in a constructive way.
Ability to manage complex programmes and projects and lead project teams.
Ability to work effectively, flexible and collaboratively as part of a wider, multidisciplinary team where team members work positively toward a shared goal.
Ability to work to strict deadlines with conflicting priorities and to manage personal work and time effectively
Ability to access and interpret local/national strategy and communicate this quickly and effectively to all interested parties
Deliver the statutory responsibilities of the team and use them positively to assist clients.
Ability to make a contribution to the strategic direction of the service and Directorate.
Ability to manage finances and work within a budget.
Understanding of appraisal and evaluation techniques.
A knowledge of the city’s key strategic plans including the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Inclusive Growth Strategy
Knowledge of the Council’s decision making processes, governance requirements and the Council’s policies and procedures that would apply to the Service and the wider Directorate
Experience of delivering effective consultation to support services design, delivery and evaluation

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

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