Senior Commissioning Manager

Job Description

Salary £55,612 – £60,147 per annum. Permanent, full time, 37 hours per week. Pro rata.

Lancashire County Council is the fourth largest local authority in England, offering the scale, complexity and opportunity to make a genuine system‑wide impact for children, young people and families. From vibrant urban centres to diverse rural communities, Lancashire provides a rich and challenging commissioning environment with strong partnerships and clear ambition.

We are seeking a Senior Commissioning Manager who is motivated by impact, comfortable working at scale, and excited by the opportunity to shape services that make a real difference to children and young people and their families. This role offers the opportunity to lead high‑profile commissioning activity, influence system change and play a pivotal role in the ongoing development of services to support children and families across Lancashire.

SEND is Lancashire's number one priority. You'll be joining at a time of significant investment and strategic focus, with the opportunity to help develop and deliver our commissioning plans, and shape new approaches to service delivery.

In the role you will be responsible for:

• Leading commissioning strategies and plans across priority children’s service portfolios
• Providing expert commissioning advice to shape service design, delivery and system improvement
• Using data, performance insight and lived experience to inform commissioning decisions
• Overseeing commissioned services and market sustainability, including the SEND Local Offer
• Building effective partnerships across local government, health, community and independent sectors
• Leading and developing staff, promoting professional growth and a culture of continuous improvement

We are looking for a strategic, credible and values‑driven commissioning leader who can operate confidently in a complex system environment.

You will have:

• Significant experience of commissioning at scale within local government or health, including services for children and young people
• A strong understanding of the statutory and policy framework for children’s services, particularly SEND
• Proven experience of system leadership, partnership working and influencing senior stakeholders
• A track record of market shaping, service improvement and financial sustainability
• Excellent analytical, communication and leadership skills, with the ability to lead through complexity and change
• An honours degree (or equivalent experience) and a clear commitment to continuing professional development

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a ‘disclosure’. Further information can be found on the ‘Our Recruitment Process’ tab.

You will be required to provide a car for use in connection with the duties of this post and must be insured for business use. However, we may consider you if you cannot drive because of a disability.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on the LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.