Strategic Commissioning Lead (Children and Young People Mental Health, Autism and Disabilities)

Location: Aylesbury

Our new Commissioning and Procurement Hub brings together strategic commissioners with operational commissioning, including Quality and Placements, and procurement colleagues. By combining our skills, experiences and lessons learned, we ensure the most effective approach to supporting all stages of the commissioning cycle, complementing other Council teams to maximise the quality and value for money for our residents.

You will lead a team of strategic commissioners, working collaboratively across the council and with system partners to ensure evidence-based, innovative, and cost-effective commissioning. If you thrive in a complex, multi-agency environment and are ready to influence change at a strategic level, we want to hear from you.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

About the role

As Strategic Commissioning Lead, you will:

• Lead the development and implementation of joint commissioning strategies across adult and children’s social care.
• Oversee strategic needs assessments and use data to inform service development.
• Manage a team of commissioning professionals and oversee budgets of up to £150 million.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders, including operational teams, providers, and strategic boards.
• Drive innovation, continuous improvement, and market development to ensure high-quality, value-for-money services.
• Provide expert advice to senior managers and council members on policy, legislation, and service performance.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks.

This role requires a confident leader with excellent planning, financial management, and stakeholder engagement skills. You’ll be instrumental in shaping the future of care and support services in our area.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

You will be a strategic leader with a deep understanding of commissioning in health and social care. With a strong track record in managing complex projects, budgets, and multi-agency partnerships, you will bring both vision and practical expertise to the table. You excel at navigating complex political and organisational environments, using your influence, creativity, and strategic insight to drive meaningful improvements.

To succeed in this role, you will need:

• Substantial experience in strategic commissioning within a health or care setting.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, policy, and best practice.
• Proven leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent analytical, financial, and project management capabilities.
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to build trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• A degree-level qualification (or equivalent experience) with continued professional development.

Other information

For more information about the role, please contact Matilda Moss at [emailprotected]

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.