Asking the £1.4bn questions

When you’re spending ten figures a year, you need to be way beyond just asking ‘how many, and how much?’. So as part of our forward-facing Future Sheffield change programme, we’re taking a holistic look at what we really need to make the biggest difference to Sheffield’s communities. What are the drivers of supply and demand? How does the market we’re operating in work? How can our commissioning strategy and behaviour improve outcomes?

And if that’s the way you think too, we should talk.

This brand new role is designed to exemplify the next generation of public service commissioning. We’re taking a first-principles, wholly integrated approach to everything we procure, across all categories. System thinking will power the whole team, and you’ll be the person who brings it all together into a strategically elegant whole. Sound good?

Candidates will be at the top of their profession: technically astute, analytically impressive, relationally deft, and with the ability to take the biggest of big-picture views. You’ll have a track record of innovative commissioning, substantive market stewardship, and building a culture that transforms organisations.

For more information, please review the role profile below.

For a confidential discussion about the role please contact:

Zara Bruton
Email: zbruton@faerfield.co.uk

Helen Sawbridge
Email: hsawbridge@faerfield.co.uk

Martin Tucker
Email: mtucker@faerfield.co.uk

Or call us on: 0121 312 3755

Indicative timetable:

Closing date for applications: Sunday 26 July 2026
Preliminary Interviews (via Teams): w/c 3 August 2026
Final Panel Interviews (in-person): w/c 7 September 2026
(Dates may be subject to slight change)

Please let us know if there are any interview dates within the indicative timetable on which you are likely to be unavailable.

To apply:

To apply for this job please click here to apply for the role on the Faerfield website.

On the Faerfield website, click on the Apply button and fill out the requested information. When prompted, please submit your CV and a Supporting Statement of no more than 1000 words.

With your CV, please also provide the names and contact details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be contacted if you reach the final stages, and we will not contact referees without your permission.

Your supporting statement should express why you are interested in this role and what experience you can bring to the organisation. The statement should tackle the specific requirements of the role; outlining examples and outcomes showing how you meet those requirements.

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.