Job Introduction We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all. This permanent, full-time position has a starting salary of £55,486 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week. We have a great opportunity to join our Children’s Social Care Commissioning Service as a Commissioning Manager . We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for 2 days per week on average (20% of the working week) and support working from home the rest of the time, although it is important to note that you will be required to travel to visit service providers and attend occasional in-person meetings to deliver the role. Our Offer to You 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service (pro rata for part-time hours) Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave A generous local government salary related pension Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependents leave An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents About the Role Join us at a pivotal moment for Surrey County Council, as we reshape how we support children with disabilities and their families. As Commissioning Manager, you will lead a high-value portfolio of services, worth around £20m annually, covering personal support, short breaks and direct payments. Sitting within our Children’s Social Care Commissioning leadership team, you will bring a range of skills and experience across commissioning within children’s social care to help drive ambitious transformation, improve outcomes, and ensure services are delivered sustainably and effectively. With local government reorganisation on the horizon in 2027, this is a unique opportunity to influence both immediate improvements and the future design of services across two new authorities. Surrey County Council is preparing for the generational change of local government reorganisation in April 2027, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027 – East Surrey and West Surrey. You will play a key role in ensuring all currently commissioned services are able and ready to transfer safely and legally on 1 April 2027 (“vesting day”) to the new authorities, whilst also ensuring they continue to deliver what is needed for children with disabilities and their families in Surrey. As part of this, your role will transfer to East or West Surrey from 1 April, so we especially welcome applicants with a broad range of skills and experience within children’s commissioning who can help the new organisations to succeed. This is a high-impact role where your work will directly improve the lives of children with disabilities and their families. You’ll be part of a forward-thinking team committed to ensuring no one is left behind, while helping to shape services for the future. If you are motivated by meaningful change, thrive in a complex environment, and want to play a key role through a period of transformation, we’d love to hear from you. Your key responsibilities as a Commissioning Manager will include: Leading the commissioning and oversight of a diverse portfolio of services for children with disabilities, ensuring high-quality, outcome-focused provision. Managing and developing a small team of commissioning officers, providing leadership across contract management, service improvement and market engagement. Driving strategic commissioning activity, including service design, co-production, recommissioning and tender processes. Building strong relationships with providers and stakeholders, using commercial insight and negotiation skills to secure value for money. Your Application In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours : Demonstrable experience delivering complex commissioning projects within children’s social care or a related field, including planning and managing multiple workstreams or programmes. Strong analytical capability, with experience interpreting complex data to inform evidence-based decisions, recommendations and service improvements. Commercial awareness, with a proven ability to secure value for money, including effective negotiation and budget management. Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience collaborating with senior leaders, partners and providers, and leading co-production with children, families and stakeholders. Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop and implement innovative solutions that drive continuous improvement. Effective leadership and communication skills, including experience managing, coaching and developing staff, alongside producing high-quality reports and presentations. To apply, we request that you submit a CV and answer the following 4 questions: Please describe how the skills and experience you have gained make you an ideal candidate for this role. Please tell us about a time when you have effectively managed and delivered a complex commissioning project (or projects) within a children’s social care or related service area. What work stages did you go through and how did you ensure your work supported improved outcomes for children and families, whilst also delivering value for money? Surrey County Council is preparing for local government reorganisation, disaggregating to become East Surrey and West Surrey Councils in from 1 April 2027. What do you see as the key priorities of SCC’s children’s social care commissioning service ahead of this change, and what would you do to prepare to deliver a safe and legal transition to the new authorities? How do you approach managing a team to achieve high performance, including your leadership style and the skills, capabilities and/or techniques you use? Please provide supporting examples, where possible, to demonstrate how you have done this successfully in your career to date. A Basic DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 19/07/2025 with interviews planned to follow. Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Contact Us Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact Chris Tisdall via email. We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit. Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities. Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council. Our Commitment We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview. Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

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