Commissioning Manager (Mental Health, Learning Disability, ADHD)

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board; Newsham; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board in England seeks a senior Commissioning Manager for Mental Health, Learning Disability and ADHD to lead commissioning, performance, and contract management across adult services. You will translate national policy into operational plans, manage a range of relationships, and drive service redesign to improve access, outcomes, and equity.

The role requires masters level experience and strong governance, with on-site presence as part of a collaborative ICB

Qualifications

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.
• Experience of operating within governance and assurance frameworks.
• Experience working within NHS, public sector or a regulated environment.
• Experience of working across organisational or systems boundaries.
• Must be able to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
• Needs to have a thorough understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems for the south east
• Negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for commissioning and performance of a defined portfolio of MH services in line with ICB and national strategies and policies and using an MDT approach.
• Leads on development of defined areas of the strategy, needs assessments, commissioning policies, commissioning intentions and planning processes in those defined areas, working across the MHLDA team.
• Ensures the services being commissioned in the defined portfolio meet the needs of in KM, working closely with a wide range of colleagues to ensure integration.
• Manages the budget and contracts for a significant defined portfolio of MH services, ensuring PSR-compliance, delivering VFM and managing performance of providers against the contract.
• Owner of some strategic relationships with Local Government leads and other key partners on MH, formulating and delivering against a joint commissioning strategy.
• Ensures delivery of defined ICB Statutory duties on MH
• Responsible for supporting defined parts of the planning cycle and assurance of progress and outcomes
• Works across the wider team to share and manage workload across the team flexibly.

Skills

Senior leadership

Governance experience

Public sector experience

Stakeholder negotiation

Equality & diversity

Complex information handling

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Job description

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board

Commissioning Manager (Mental Health, Learning Disability, ADHD)

The closing date is 20 November 2026

The Adult Mental Health Commissioning Manager is a senior commissioning role responsible for supporting the planning, delivery, and performance management of adult mental health services across the Integrated Care System. Working under the direction of the Adult Mental Health Senior Programme Manager/Director, the post holder leads defined areas of commissioning activity including all age autism and ADHD , contributing to service improvement, transformation, and delivery of national and local mental health priorities.

The role provides expert commissioning support, translating national mental health policy and local strategies into operational commissioning plans, managing provider relationships and contracts, and supporting service redesign to improve access, quality, and outcomes for adults with mental health needs. The post holder plays a key role in using data and insight to monitor performance, address unwarranted variation, reduce inequalities, and ensure effective delivery of adult mental health priorities in line with the ICB's objectives, values, and statutory responsibilities.

Main duties of the job

• Responsible for commissioning and performance of a defined portfolio of MH services in line with ICB and national strategies and policies and using an MDT approach
• Leads on development of defined areas of the strategy, needs assessments, commissioning policies, commissioning intentions and planning processes in those defined areas, working across the MHLDA team
• Ensures the services being commissioned in the defined portfolio meet the needs of in KM, working closely with a wide range of colleagues to ensure integration.
• Manages the budget and contracts for a significant defined portfolio of MH services, ensuring PSR-compliance, delivering VFM and managing performance of providers against the contract.
• Owner of some strategic relationships with Local Government leads and other key partners on MH, formulating and delivering against a joint commissioning strategy.
• Ensures delivery of defined ICB Statutory duties on MH
• Responsible for supporting defined parts of the planning cycle and assurance of progress and outcomes
• Works across the wider team to share and manage workload across the team flexibly.

About us

We are committed to a culture that supports all staff at NHS Kent and Medway to be the best version of themselves.

Our ability to improve outcomes for our population depends on how effectively clinical, operational, financial and strategic professionals work together to make informed commissioning decisions. That's why our workforce works a minimum of two days-a-week on-site, with the expectation that all one-to-ones are held face-to-face and that colleagues will regularly visit the services we are commissioning to understand more about them.

We believe regular on-site working supports stronger collaboration, faster problem-solving, peer learning, visible leadership and the integration of colleagues into our organisation. We also know that culture is built through shared experiences and day-to-day interactions.

We are a flexible working friendly organisation; we aim to support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit you and us.

We work with staff to agree objectives through regular supervision, annual appraisal and access to training opportunities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity. In order to reflect the diversity of our population, we positively encourage applications from all areas of the community regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation.

All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development.
• Experience of operating within governance and assurance frameworks
• Experience working within NHS, public sector or a regulated environment
• Experience of working across organisational or systems boundaries
• Must be able to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.
• Needs to have a thorough understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems for the south east
• Negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board

£57,528 to £64,750 a yearpro rata, per annum