Head of Commissioning (Mental Health) in Manchester

Contract Type: Fixed Term 12 months with possible further extension.

Manchester Local Care Organisation (MLCO) has been established by the partner (Manchester City Council, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Manchester Mental Health Service NHS Trust and Manchester Primary Care Partnership) to integrate, plan and manage community health and social care across the City. By working better together, we are bringing community health and social care services together into our 12 neighbourhoods to form Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs). Our INTs will drive our collaborative approach, develop partnerships and build on existing community assets to facilitate improved delivery specific to each neighbourhood. We will be able to provide improved care closer to home and to support the people of Manchester to live healthier, more independent and fulfilling lives and be part of a thriving and supportive community.

Our transformation journey for adult social care continues through our Achieving Better Outcomes Together programme, as we embed strength-based approaches across our social work practice and commissioning ensuring appropriate provision to support the people of Manchester ‘to live a good life, as independently as possible, with the right support in their communities’.

The Head of Commissioning will play a key role in delivering our commissioning aspirations, with a focus on Adult Social Care Mental Health community services and provision. This exciting leadership opportunity will form part of our Commissioning and Transformation Leadership Team within the Manchester Local Care Organisation working directly to our Director of Commissioning and Transformation AS C and with the wider MLCO and Adult Social Care leadership teams. The role will have direct responsibility for our Mental Health commissioning team leading and delivering our strategic commissioning aspirations.

We are looking for a dynamic, creative, articulate leader with strong values aligned to Our Manchester Behaviours. You won’t be afraid of challenges but will be able to bring people along with you to achieve our aspirations for Manchester residents. You will also, as part of a multi-disciplinary team and with providers, bring technical commissioning competency and the ability to make change happen and deliver at pace in a complex environment.

What you will bring:

• Substantial and demonstrable track record of senior experience leading commissioning functions in ASC or a comparable public service environment, including managing complex provider portfolios.
• Substantial understanding of the Mental Health care and support market.
• Demonstrable experience of Health & Social Care structural, legislative and policy context in which the system operates.
• Demonstrable experience of leading and delivering transformational change, both within adult social care and driving change at system level.
• A proven track record and demonstrable experience of successfully managing finance and competing budget priorities, risk and performance within the context achieving value for money.

If you are excited by this challenge and the opportunity to work at the centre of significant transformation and change in the city of Manchester, we want to hear from you.

Closing date: 16th August 2026

Assessment Centre date: First week of September 2026

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities. Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits we offer:

• Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks during our annual leave purchase period.
• A buzzing pension - You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave - Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your newborn or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks - Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow - We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member - We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave - Give back to the community with three days pro-rata of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process:

• Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the 'Accessibility tools' button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme:

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panel's minimum shortlisting requirement for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care.
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term condition
• Have you completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme or any MCC positive action programmes?

When You Join Us:

We’re a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability-friendly.

What we will need from you if you’re successful:

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

Pre-Employment Checks:

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for, see the top of the advert for details. These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.