Specialist Commissioning Officer, Fixed Term

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

Join Gloucestershire County Council's Specialist Commissioning Team and play a key role in shaping high-quality services for children and young people with SEND. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference through strategic commissioning, partnership working and improving outcomes across the county.

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Specialist Commissioning Officer to join Gloucestershire County Council's Specialist Commissioning Team. In this role, you will support the commissioning of high-quality services for children and young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). You will work closely with colleagues, providers and partners to ensure sufficient, effective and outcome-focused provision across Gloucestershire. This is a varied and rewarding role where you will contribute to improving outcomes for children, young people and their families through strategic commissioning, strong partnership working and effective contract management.

You will:

• Develop and maintain positive relationships with education settings and specialist providers
• Support the commissioning of bespoke education and support packages, including pathways into employment such as supported internships
• Lead and support procurement activity, ensuring value for money and high-quality provision
• Manage and monitor contracts, driving performance and continuous improvement
• Produce contracts and Individual Placement Agreements for specialist placements
• Analyse and manage key commissioning data, including High Needs place planning
• Work collaboratively across education, health and care, including with regional partners and other local authorities
• Contribute to service development, SEND sufficiency planning and continuous improvement
• Ensure compliance with relevant legislation, policy and best practice

About You

You will be a motivated and organised professional with a strong understanding of SEND and commissioning. You will be confident working across systems, building relationships and managing competing priorities.

You will have:

• Knowledge of SEND legislation and processes
• Experience of commissioning, procurement, or working within a provider environment
• Experience managing complex or high-risk pieces of work
• Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership working skills
• Ability to analyse information and present clear, evidence-based recommendations
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• A proactive, solution-focused approach with the ability to work independently and as part of a team

About Us

We offer a supportive working environment with opportunities for professional development, flexible working arrangements and a strong commitment to improving outcomes for our communities. Hybrid working arrangements are available for many of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.

For all your hard work, you will receive the following:

• Flexible and agile working opportunities
• 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years continuous service
• An option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year (pro rata for part-time staff)
• Family friendly employer offering benefits to help support you and your family
• Career development and qualification opportunities
• Supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone.
• An in-house Occupational Health service
• Employee discount scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Gloucestershire Salary Sacrifice Green Car Scheme (T&Cs apply)
• Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) network and the Young Employees Network

How to apply

If you feel you have the skills, desire and experience required to make a positive difference then please express an interest in this position by submitting a CV today by clicking the Apply Now Button.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Leigh Allen.

Additional Information

The council is not currently able to offer sponsorship in this role. Candidates will need to have right to work that enables them to commit to at least 6 months' employment. Right to work is not transferable from a sponsored role held with another employer. Applications from any Gloucestershire County Council's employees who are currently on the redeployment register or at risk of redundancy will be considered first at shortlisting stage. Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire's diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a customer facing role must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.