Senior Commissioning Manager in Eastleigh

To provide senior-level support to the Strategic Commissioner by leading on the operational delivery of commissioning priorities for Children's Care. This includes:

• Translating strategic commissioning priorities into actionable projects by developing clear plans, timelines, and resource requirements that align with national policy and local Integrated Care System objectives for mental health, learning disability, and neurodiversity services.
• Managing programmes and monitoring performance to ensure commissioned Children's care services meet agreed quality standards, statutory obligations (including safeguarding and equality legislation), and financial targets.
• Conducting analysis and needs assessments using population health data, service usage trends, and outcome measures to identify gaps in Children's care provision and inform evidence-based decision-making.
• Engaging stakeholders and service users through effective partnership working with providers, local authorities, voluntary organisations, and co-production with people with lived experience, families, and carers to shape and improve services.

Main duties of the job

• Senior-level support for the strategic commissioning of services for children and young people.

About us

We offer excellent employment opportunities to new and existing staff. We aim to be a model employer by embedding best HR practice and to support new ways of working. We pride ourselves on offering good working conditions, job security, lifelong learning, fair pay and benefits, staff involvement and a balance between work and personal life. We enjoy a forward thinking and innovative culture and our vision is to have healthy people, living healthy lives in healthy communities. We understand the only way to deliver this is to have the right people with the right skills.

Here is a summary of some of the benefits and services which are on offer to staff:

• 27 days paid minimum holiday and bank holiday entitlement
• NHS pension scheme
• Sick pay policy
• Occupational health services including staff counselling services
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Flexible retirement and retirement vouchers
• Health Service Discounts - offers for stores, travel, equipment etc.

Successful candidates will be subject to a six-month probationary period.

Job responsibilities

• Analyse and interpret complex qualitative and quantitative data to support clear project reporting and delivery of outcomes.
• Produce and present high-level reports for local and ICB-wide project groups, detailing progress against milestones, risks, dependencies, and resource requirements, and make evidence-based recommendations where multiple options exist.
• Apply sound judgement to resolve complex issues, balancing operational, financial, and strategic considerations.
• Lead multi-agency project teams in delivering project plans, allocating tasks, managing risks and dependencies, and ensuring decisions align with best practice and project objectives.
• Develop comprehensive project plans consistent with strategic direction and minimise disruption to stakeholders.
• Provide proactive leadership, managing conflict and fostering collaboration across departments and agencies.
• Maintain project documentation, including initiation documents and plans, and monitor progress through regular team meetings.
• Ensure flexibility to adapt plans to changing requirements and priorities.
• Organise and manage events and meetings, ensuring timely communication of agendas, minutes, and presentations.
• Contribute to strategic planning by identifying interdependencies, resource requirements, and contingency measures across projects.
• Support development of governance strategies and improvement programmes, contributing to short, medium, and long-term business plans.
• Draft and propose changes to policies, guidelines, and service level agreements relevant to projects.
• Recommend improvements to service delivery and maintain awareness of emerging health and care policies.
• Support implementation of operational processes that strengthen governance and drive continuous improvement.
• Conduct cost-benefit analyses and assess proposals objectively.
• Develop business cases and delivery plans to secure funding or investment, ensuring financial impacts are rigorously considered.
• Manage and monitor project budgets, ensuring compliance with financial governance processes and Standing Financial Instructions.
• Commission and procure services, resources, and products to support transformation and change.
• Prepare strategic reports and briefings for governance groups, providing clear financial advice and recommendations.
• Draft reports summarising project status, risks, and outcomes for senior stakeholders.
• Collate and analyse qualitative and quantitative data to develop robust business cases and inform decision-making.
• Ensure data-driven approaches underpin all development and implementation activities.
• Liaise with Communications teams on public relations and marketing activities.
• Apply structured change management methodologies and maintain collaborative relationships with stakeholders.
• Plan, develop, and evaluate methods for gathering, analysing, and presenting data to inform commissioning and transformation.
• Deliver projects in line with KPIs and performance standards.
• Coordinate research and evaluation initiatives, delegating tasks as appropriate to support continuous improvement.

Key Working Relationships

Internal

• Strategic Commissioner for Children's Care
• Other Commissioning Managers and Support Officers within the Integrated Care Board (ICB)
• Finance, Contracting, and Performance Teams
• Quality and Safeguarding Teams
• Transformation and Programme Management Offices

External

• NHS Provider Trusts (Children's and Community Services)
• Independent and Voluntary Sector Providers
• Local Authorities (Adult Social Care and Public Health)
• Primary Care Networks and GP Practices
• Service Users, Carers, and Advocacy Groups
• Regional and National NHS England Teams (where relevant)
• Healthwatch and other patient engagement bodies

Person Specification

Qualifications and experience

• Educated to Masters level in a relevant area of academic practice or equivalent experience working at a commensurate band / level.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to role in the last 2 years.

Skills and abilities

• Ability to provide senior-level leadership within children's care services across health and/or social care settings.
• Skilled in building and sustaining effective partnerships across organisational boundaries, enabling collaborative system-wide working.
• Strong ability to work collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders -- including service users, carers, clinicians, and partners -- to co-design and deliver shared goals.
• Ability to interpret and apply current healthcare policy and ICS priorities relating to children's care services, using this insight to inform commissioning, pathway design, and service transformation.

Knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of the main issues affecting outcomes for children, young people and families, particularly for children and young people within highly vulnerable groups.
• Knowledge of policy, statutory guidance and regulations relating to children's care, including Children Act, Children and Families Act 2014, SEND code of practice and the NHS 10yr Plan.
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of commissioning processes in highly complex multi-agency environments including: a) Conducting health needs assessment, b) Process mapping and gap analysis, c) Service model development, d) Procurement cycles, e) Contract and performance management, f) Market management and shaping supply.

Communication and interpersonal skills

• Ability to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, or contentious information, negotiate with senior colleagues on difficult issues, and present to large and influential groups.
• Ability to prepare concise yet insightful communications for senior colleagues and partners.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to construct and deliver clear information/instructions to all partners, including staff and service users.
• Able to work effectively as part of a high-performing team.

Analytical and problem-solving skills

• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options.
• Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action.
• Ability to think strategically - look into the future, identify opportunities and anticipate problems to reduce their impact.

IT and digital literacy

• Experience in using all MS Office applications.
• Desirable: Experience in using data sets, SPC charts, and other digital tools to drive decisions and communicate opportunities to stakeholders.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.