Associate Director of Integrated Commissioning & Strategic Programme Lead

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board; Warrington; On-site; GBP 94,000 - 109,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board is seeking an Associate Director of Integrated Commissioning to provide strategic leadership across health, social care and wider public services. You will design and deliver high‑quality, person‑centred commissioning with a unified, outcomes‑focused approach.

This role leads major transformation programmes, champions integration and coproduction, and oversees market management, performance frameworks and contractual arrangements to support

Qualifications

• Educated to master's level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience in integrated commissioning.
• Proven leadership experience at senior level and managing major change programmes.
• Experience in project and programme management methodologies (e.g., Prince2 or MSP).

Responsibilities

• Shape and lead integrated commissioning strategies across health, social care and public health.
• Drive whole system transformation programmes focused on prevention, inequalities and outcomes.
• Align commissioning intentions with population health insights and system priorities.
• Lead complex contract negotiations and provider engagement on improvement and innovation.
• Oversee provider markets and market management to support resilient delivery.

Skills

Leadership & strategy

Communication skills

Data analysis

Strategic planning

Project management

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master's degree

Job description

Main area Health and Integrated Care Commissioning Grade NHS AfC: Band 8d Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 493-ICB-8343740

Employer NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board Employer type NHS Site NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Headquarters (with travel across Cheshire and Merseyside) Town Warrington Salary £94,356 - £108,814 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 19/10/2026 23:59

Associate Director of Integrated Commissioning & Strategic Programme Lead

NHS AfC: Band 8d

An exciting opportunity has arisen to be part of the changing shape of NHS commissioning in Cheshire and Merseyside. Our current organisational structure supports effective working both locally and across Cheshire and Merseyside as we develop as an Integrated Care System.

The population of Cheshire and Merseyside is diverse and growing and we are keen to see that diversity recognised within our own workforce. As an employer we seek to open opportunities for our staff to gain new skills, gain knowledge and develop careers in heath and care.

We welcome students, staff, people of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientation, physical abilities, backgrounds, and philosophies and those who are accepting of others. Our goal is to support all of our workforce in their work, if you believe you can bring your skills and experiences and an open-minded approach into our fast paced and dynamic organisation, we are committed to providing a positive and supportive experience for all of our staff.

Job overview

The Associate Director of Integrated Commissioning provides strategic leadership across health, social care, and wider public services to design, develop, and deliver high-quality, person-centred commissioning arrangements. The role drives a unified, outcome focused approach to planning and purchasing services, ensuring commissioning activity aligns with population needs, supports prevention, and delivers value for money quality, person centred commissioning arrangements. The role drives a unified, outcome centred commissioning arrangements. The role drives a unified, outcome-focused approach to planning and purchasing focused approach to planning and purchasing services, ensuring commissioning activity aligns with population needs, supports prevention, and delivers value for money.

Working collaboratively with senior leaders and system partners, the postholder leads the development of a robust, evidence-based commissioning cycle. They champion integration, innovation, and coproduction, ensuring that service users, carers, and communities meaningfully shape commissioning intentions and service redesign. The role also provides expert oversight of market management, performance frameworks, and contractual arrangements to support sustainable and resilient provider markets based commissioning cycle. They champion integration, innovation, and co production, ensuring that service users, carers, and communities meaningfully shape commissioning intentions and service redesign. The role also provides expert oversight of market management, performance frameworks, and contractual arrangements to support sustainable and resilient provider markets.

As a key system leader, the Associate Director of Integrated Commissioning influences strategic direction and oversees major transformation programmes across local authorities, the NHS, voluntary and community sectors, and other partners. Leading multi disciplinary teams and substantial budgets, the postholder ensures compliance with statutory duties and national policy, while driving the development of seamless, equitable services that support people to live healthier, more independent lives.

The postholder will lead an allocated commissioning programme, assigned by the Director of Integrated Commissioning, with the expectation that portfolio areas may be amended over time in line with organisational priorities.

Main duties of the job

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Portfolio responsibilities may vary and adapt over time to respond to the needs and strategic priorities of the ICB/ICS. However, the postholder is expected to fulfil the following key functions:

• Strategic Leadership & System Integration
• Market Shaping & Provider Development
• Procurement & Commercial
• Population Health, Inequalities & Prevention
• Partnership & System Working
• Data, Analytics & Insights
• Digital, Technology & Innovation
• Leadership of Commissioning Function

Working for our organisation

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside serves a population of over 2.7 million people across nine localities, working with 16 NHS provider organisations, 51 Primary Care Networks, local authorities and voluntary sector partners.

We are proud of Cheshire and Merseyside's record of collaborative working and there are countless examples of brilliant care, but there are also examples of variation in service which only serve to exacerbate health inequalities.

Our vision is for everyone in Cheshire and Merseyside to have a great start in life and get the support they need to stay healthy and live longer.

We will do this by working together, as equal partners, to support seamless, person-centred care and tackle health inequalities by improving the lives of the poorest fastest.

Our values are rooted in the NHS Constitution, and we strive to create a compassionate, collaborative and innovative culture where staff can thrive and make a real difference to local communities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Shape and lead integrated commissioning strategies across health, social care and public health.

Drive whole system transformation programmes focused on prevention, inequalities, and improved outcomes.

Align commissioning intentions with JSNA, population health insights and system priorities.

Develop shared outcome frameworks with system partners.

Champion integrated pathways across primary care, community, acute, mental health and social care.

Lead strategic options appraisals and commissioning roadmaps.

Commissioning Cycle & Service Redesign

Lead the full commissioning cycle: needs analysis, service design, procurement, contracting and evaluation.

Drive service redesign to improve quality, flow, outcomes, and productivity.

Embed evidence-based practice, best practice and lived experience insight into commissioning based practice, best practice and lived experience insight into commissioning.

Commission integrated pathways across prevention, community support, complex needs and specialist services.

Lead pilots and scale up successful innovations.
Ensure impact assessments inform commissioning decisions.

Shape a sustainable provider market across NHS, local authority, independent and VCSE sectors.

Publish and update market position statements and provider engagement strategies.

Develop outcome-based commissioning models and alliances where appropriate based commissioning models and alliances where appropriate.

Lead complex contract negotiations and provider engagement on improvement and innovation.

Oversee provider capability building in quality, digital and workforce development.
Manage provider risk, market fragility and contingency planning.

Lead strategic commissioning procurements aligned to service redesign goals.

Develop commercial strategies including outcome-based specifications and payment models based specifications and payment models.

Engage the market in pre-procurement dialogue and systemwide commercial opportunities procurement dialogue and system wide commercial opportunities.

Lead evaluation processes and ensure high-quality specifications reflect user needs quality specifications reflect user needs.

Use PHM tools and segmentation to inform commissioning priorities.

Commission targeted interventions addressing inequalities and access barriers.

Embed prevention, early help and strengths-based models within commissioned pathways based models within commissioned pathways.

Ensure services are culturally competent and inclusive.

Lead co production with people with lived experience to shape commissioning intentions.

Establish and maintain panels, forums and networks that inform service design.

Work closely with VCSE partners to embed community insight and co delivery models.

Provide visible leadership in public engagement on service change.

Build strong system partnerships across local authorities, ICB, providers and VCSE.

Represent commissioning at system boards, programme groups and partnership forums.

Support joint commissioning approaches and shared investment models.

Resolve cross organisational commissioning challenges and unblock system barriers organisational commissioning challenges and unblock system barriers.

Use data, evidence and PHM analytics to shape commissioning priorities and service specifications.

Use demand modelling, forecasting and outcome metrics to inform commissioning decisions.

Apply evaluation methodologies to assess service impact and inform improvement.

Digital, Technology & Innovation

Promote the role of digital tools, assisted technology and data enabled care models within commissioned services enabled care models within commissioned services.

Evaluate new technologies and innovations for system wide adoption.
Ensure digital inclusion is embedded within commissioning frameworks.

Leadership of Commissioning Function

Provide professional leadership for the commissioning discipline.

Build capability within commissioning teams, ensuring modern commissioning practice.

Champion collaborative, inclusive, system focused working cultures across commissioning focused working cultures across commissioning.

Operational Responsibility

Responsible for strategic and operational management for a major area of activity, for example, an operational or geographical division or specialist management unit

Responsible for compiling business plan, developing strategy for area of activity, ensuring implementation and that performance targets, strategic objectives are met; contributes to corporate policies and strategy.

Responsible for staff and budgetary management.

Financial and Physical Resources Responsibility

Holds budgets for a major area of activity, monitors budgets, responsible for overall budget setting for major area of activity

Human Resources Responsibility

Regularly use software to develop reports; responsible for 1 or more information systems

Updates information system/ uses software to develop performance management reports, responsible for performance management or similar systems

Planning and Organisation Responsibility

Formulate long term strategic plans, involving uncertainly, impact on organisation

Develops business plan, strategy for area of activity, makes major contribution to corporate policies and strategy

Policy and Service Development Responsibility

Responsible for policy implementation and development for a directorate or equivalent

Leads the development of policies and procedures for a major area of activity, ensures compliance with the corporate policies

Research and Development Responsibility

Occasionally/ regularly undertake R & D

Undertakes surveys as necessary to own work

Freedom to Act

Works within general policies, need to establish interpretation/required to interpret overall health service policy and strategy

Lead manager for a major area of activity

Analytical and Judgemental Responsibility

Highly complex facts or situations requiring analysis, interpretation, comparison of a range of options.

Analyses performance of area of activity in relation to performance targets, strategic objectives; develop strategies, business plans, advice in areas where expert opinion differs

Communication Responsibility

Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information; barriers to understanding; present complex, sensitive or contentious information to large groups/ communicate in hostile, antagonistic atmosphere

Communicates with internal staff and external agencies to ensure compliance with performance targets, strategic objectives. Involves negotiation and diplomacy; undertakes presentations to staff groups and the public/ conveys highly contentious information in atmosphere of proposed major change

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties, which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with their manager. This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements, and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. It will be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on an annual basis.

Person specification

Knowledge, Training & Experience

• Educated to master's level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in integrated commissioning
• Extensive knowledge and expertise of integrated commissioning gained over a significant period
• Proven and significant leadership experience
• Significant management experience at senior level in the NHS or other public healthcare related industry
• Proven experience of leading and delivering complex change and strategy development programmes in a politically sensitive and complex environment
• Significant experience and understanding of proven implementation of project management methodologies
• Experience and/or understanding of the wider Health Economy
• Commercial expertise
• Awareness of relevant public and private sector business management best practice

Skills

• Dynamic personality and the ability to build trusted stakeholder relationships and wide support networks in a political context
• Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required
• Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate initiatives
• Leadership, vision, strategic thinking, and planning with highly developed political skills
• Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium, and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly
• Experience in leading a major change initiative with entrepreneurialism in a challenging organisational environment.
• Experience of project and programme management techniques and tools such as Prince 2 or Managing Successful Projects

Equality & Diversity

• Will consider the most effective way to promote equality of opportunity and good working relationships in employment and service delivery and has the ability to take actions which support and promote this agenda.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Name Neil Evans Job title Programme Director Commissioning Strategy & Development Email address [e-mail] Additional information

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