Lead Commissioning Officer

This is a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months.

Interviews will be held on 3rd March 2026.

* Experience the best of both worlds with our flexible hybrid working arrangements. Enjoy the freedom to work from home while still benefiting from in-person collaboration at our Chelmsford office, typically around 1 day per month dependent on business need.*

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Older People Commissioning Team who play a key role in the delivery of initiatives and programmes that aim to improve the lives of citizens in Essex. The role also includes working with internal and external strategic partnerships and stakeholders, including co-production with people and their families.

Commissioning activity is a key capability function within ECC, working across the Council to deliver results and bring about significant change to manage future challenges, leveraging expertise and capability to enable a more flexible and agile environment to succeed in meeting ECC strategic objectives.

This role will play a very important part within Strategic Commissioning and Policy and the wider Essex County Council structures, delivering outcome focused and evidence-based commissioning by managing a range of programme projects and activities through a flexible and collaborative approach. The role is critical to leading on a range of smaller projects and activities of large and ambitious programmes of work.

• Working with Commissioning Managers, partners and stakeholders, to define requirements and deliver activity ensuring best value for money and sustainable outcomes.
• Delivering specific projects and activities that further the continuous improvement of high performing, sustainable and cost-effective services or place shaping activities and develop cross functional links.
• Enabling Heads of Commissioning to ensure the effective planning of prioritized projects and activity and that they are met in terms of capacity and capability and delivered to a high standard.
• Responding quickly to new challenges and opportunities ensuring that risks and opportunities are identified and managed and comply with all external and internal regulation; support responses to calls for contributions to consultation responses.
• Building relationships and working in collaboration (for example with, but not limited to, health and NHS bodies, and District/Borough/City Councils) not only to deliver levels of integrated activity, but also to identify any further opportunities and efficiencies across organisations.
• Provide subject matter expert advice and guidance as required for thematic programmes and projects which will change dependent on strategic priorities.
• Working as part of the Adults Strategic Commissioning and Policy teams to support a flexible and agile approach to resourcing.
• Ensuring effective support as part of a matrix managed team for specific programme activity both planned and reactive; ensuring appropriate governance is complete.
• Supporting the development of, and use, a range of tools and techniques that ensure activity is consistent, effective and efficient and that an audit trail is maintained.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent by experience, with excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Previous experience of engaging, collaborating with and developing projects and programmes with statutory and non-statutory stakeholders
• Experience of managing or delivering commissioning projects and activities.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional areas.
• Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a children and families or adults or both, or related activity service/function area, and programme/project management expertise, in support of senior leaders
• Knowledge and experience of all aspects of the commissioning cycle, project life-cycle and related activities gained within a commissioning environment.
• Evidence of successfully delivering outcomes and demonstrating breadth of thinking
• Experience of delivery of public services and managing change in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Experience of working in a political environment, working effectively with members and senior officers across the council and partner agencies.

In June 2025, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated our Adult Social Care services as "Good" with a score of 73%

"The local authority had a good structure and processes in place to enable people to be supported successfully, and support people to remain independent and live healthy lives. The workforce was passionate about supporting people to achieve these outcomes and the local authority had good knowledge of their area, the people living there and the demographics."

You can read the full report on the CQC website here.

Our teams are busy but warm, friendly and supportive. Our fabulous team managers will help you manage your workload and develop your practice.

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