Overview
How you’ll make a difference
As a Strategic Lead Commissioner within our Partnerships and Commissioning Service, you will play a pivotal role in driving transformation across our services. Being ambitious and collaborative, you will be at the forefront of shaping how we work with our communities, providers and system partners to deliver high-quality, sustainable, people-centred services, leading delivery across one of the following posts:
Post 1: As Strategic Lead within our Commissioning Transformation Programme, you will provide strategic oversight, vision, drive and leadership to a small team across a broad and varied portfolio. The programme is centred around three key themes, with you taking lead responsibility for either fair cost of care, accommodation with support and mental health pathways or young people transitioning into adulthood.
Post 2: As Strategic Lead for Service Development and Partnerships, you will provide strategic oversight, vision and leadership to your team across a broad range of provision.
Your team will be responsible for delivering all newly commissioned services, leading on recommissioning, strategic planning, and market engagement. It works across the full commissioning cycle, including procurement activity, and includes roles dedicated to co-production and ensuring that people’s voices shape and influence every stage of service design and delivery.
What you will be doing
- It will be your responsibility to lead complex commissioning reviews, pathway redesign and service transformation initiatives.
- To shape a cohesive and sustainable local market, you will foster strong, collaborative relationships with system partners, VCSE organisations, providers and local communities.
- By driving innovation and continuous improvement, you will embed strengths-based and outcomes-focused approaches across services.
- You will develop market-shaping strategies, including workforce sustainability, market sufficiency and future demand modelling.
What we need from you
- You must hold a degree or professional qualification in social care, healthcare, public health, housing, business studies or a related field, or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience gained within a relevant professional area.
- Given the scope of this role, you will have a strong track record of leading complex, cross‑system programmes that deliver measurable impact.
- You will be a confident strategic thinker with significant experience in adult social care commissioning, partnership development and/or system transformation, with excellent stakeholder management, relationship-building, and negotiation skills.
- Proven line management experience is essential, including effectively managing performance and supporting a small team to develop and achieve their full potential.
- With substantial experience of commissioning, contracting and performance within a relevant setting, you will have a clear commitment to co-production, inclusion and improving outcomes for citizens.
- You will have experience of developing and delivering innovative commissioning strategies or business plans, including needs assessment, market analysis, contract management and performance evaluation, ideally within social care, health, public health or housing services.
What you need to know
- There are two posts available, please indicate on your application if you have a preference.
- All applications will be initially reviewed and if you are shortlisted, you will be invited to complete an assessment. If you are successful through this stage, you will be invited to attend an interview.
- This role is hybrid, with a mixture of working at home, and the office plus other locations, for up to 2/3 days per week, and potentially more frequently during initial induction and orientation.
Interviews will take place week commencing 15th June 2026.
How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different
- We know our team work best when they have balance in their lives and we offer genuine flexibility to help them achieve that work/life balance – whatever that means for them.
- We value our staff as individuals, investing in their careers and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps make the greatest long-term difference in work.
- As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing support and you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
- We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.
- We’re building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
- We’re working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life.
- We’re investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.
We’ve achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.
We’re making a difference, be part of it!
To view the full job description, please click this link: Strategic Lead – Job Description
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
