Commissioning Manager

• Job Title:
  
  Commissioning Manager, Care Academy
• Job Location:
  
  Shire Hall, Block 5, 4th Floor
• Contract Type:
  Permanent
• Closing Date: 05/07/2026
• Job Requisition Number: 14318
• This post is not open to job share

Are you an experienced commissioning professional ready to lead a high-profile, innovative programme that will transform adult social care workforce development? We are seeking a dynamic Commissioning Manager to lead the development and delivery of Gloucestershire’s new Care Academy, a system-wide initiative designed to strengthen recruitment, retention, and quality across the adult social care sector.

This role is central to delivering a unified approach to workforce development, bringing together training, career pathways, digital learning, and provider support into a single, accessible offer for paid and unpaid carers.

You will oversee programme delivery across multiple work streams, including digital platform development, learning pathways, credentialing (Training Passport), and provider engagement. The role requires strong leadership, system collaboration, and the ability to drive innovation at scale.

Working closely with senior leaders, providers, partners, and system stakeholders, you will ensure the Care Academy delivers meaningful outcomes, including improved workforce stability, higher-quality care, and greater accessibility to training and development opportunities.

You will ensure the Care Academy responds to the evolving training and development needs of the adult social care workforce, including designing inclusive and accessible pathways that support new entrants and enable progression into specialist, supervisory, and management roles across the sector. A key focus of the role will be to help attract, develop and retain a new generation of care professionals, including younger people, by promoting care as a valued, rewarding and long‑term career.

• Lead the design, development, and delivery of the Gloucestershire Care Academy programme, ensuring alignment with system-wide workforce priorities.
• Manage complex commissioning programmes that support strategic workforce development, ensuring effective planning, delivery, and measurable impact.
• Oversee the development and implementation of digital learning solutions, including a learning platform, structured training pathways, and a credentialing system (Training Passport).
• Ensure alignment with Skills for Care frameworks and wider national workforce strategies, embedding best practice across all initiatives.
• Lead robust governance processes, including business case development, risk management, programme reporting, and assurance frameworks.
• Oversee procurement, contract management, and supplier relationships for digital and learning solutions, ensuring value for money and high-quality delivery.
• Coordinate and influence cross-system stakeholders, including NHS partners, adult social care providers, voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations, and education partners.
• Drive provider engagement and adoption across a diverse adult social care market, ensuring accessibility and uptake of learning and development offers.
• Use data, insight, and performance metrics to monitor outcomes, demonstrate impact, and inform continuous improvement.
• Act as a subject matter expert in workforce development, digital learning, and commissioning practice, providing strategic advice and leadership.
• Identify and respond to current and future workforce skills needs, ensuring training provision is relevant, accessible, and aligned to sector priorities.
• Work collaboratively with partners to attract new entrants, particularly younger people, into adult social care through clear entry routes, early careers pathways, and progression opportunities.
• Support and deliver initiatives that improve workforce retention, including continuous professional development, career pathway visibility, and recognition of skills and experience.
• Ensure that learning and development offers are inclusive, flexible, and adaptable, supporting individuals at all career stages, including those new to care.

You will be a confident and experienced commissioning…