Head of Integrated Commissioning

NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board; Kettering; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board is seeking a Head of Integrated Commissioning (Neighbourhoods) to lead strategic commissioning across Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland. The role requires regular on-site presence and travel to partner sites, with up to five days per week on patch work.

You will shape and deliver integrated, person-centred neighbourhood health services, support primary care transformation, and oversee on-call duties as part of the senior leadership team.

Qualifications

• Educated to master’s level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience in a similar role.
• Extensive knowledge of and expertise in specialisms relevant to function and role.
• Proven and significant leadership experience.
• Experience of developing and implementing integrated care across multiple stakeholders including health and local government.
• Experience at a senior level of interpreting and implementing national strategy, policy, plans, guidance and directives.

Responsibilities

• Shaping and delivering innovative, integrated, and person-centred Neighbourhood Health services.
• Lead commissioning for Neighbourhood Care and transformation of local services.
• Oversee on-call duties and ensure timely engagement with partners as per policy.

Skills

Master's degree

Leadership experience

Healthcare policy knowledge

Integrated care development

Senior-level experience

Education

Master's degree

Job description

Employer NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board Employer type NHS Site Northamptonshire Town Kettering Salary £79,504 - £91,609 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 22/09/2026 23:59

Head of Integrated Commissioning

NHS AfC: Band 8c

Our vision for the future of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland’s health and care services is for a positive lifetime of health, wellbeing and care in our community.

Our mission in working together, the reason we do what we do, is to empower positive futures. Wherever we work and whatever our role we all want people in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland to be able to choose well, stay well, live well.

Each day our values will help to guide our decisions and what is most important to us:

• Our patients and our local population come first
• We work together in an open and accountable way
• We trust, challenge and support each other
• We do what we say we will do.

Job overview

Head of Integrated Commissioning (Neighbourhoods) (Band 8C)

NHS Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland and NHS Northamptonshire ICBs

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Head of Integrated Commissioning. This is a pivotal roles across Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire taking on the strategic commissioning lead for Neighbourhood Care.

Due to the operational requirements of this role, regular on-site presence is essential. Individuals appointed to this position should be able to attend locations across Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland and be available for in-person working up to five days a week

In line with the ICB's incident response plans on call colleagues must be in a position to perform on-call duties, including response and engagement of partners within the timeframes set out within the policy

Main duties of the job

This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for shaping and delivering innovative, integrated, and person-centred Neighbourhood Health services, Primary Care transformation and out-of-hospital care pathways. You will commission integrated neighbourhood services and support the transformation of local services in line with ICB priorities, NHS Long Term Plan ambitions, and national policy direction, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for people living with frailty and complex needs.

Working for our organisation

Working for our Integrated Care Boards will require you contributing to a shared purpose of improving outcomes for the communities we serve as part of a wider health and social care system. The organisation’s ethos is rooted in integrity, collaboration and accountability, with a strong focus on putting its patient population at the centre of everything it does and delivering services to improve patient outcomes, patient experience and added years of optimised health. As part of the newly formed cluster bringing together NHS Northamptonshire ICB and NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB, staff are expected to work flexibly and collaboratively across organisational boundaries to support a joined-up approach to strategic commissioning and service improvement. There is an expectation of 40% on patch working, with office bases at County Hall, Glenfield, Leicester and Haylock House, Kettering. Staff can choose which office is their primary base for contractual purposes and travel claims.

This role will require a minimum of 2 days ‘on patch’ working in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland in our 2 main offices or partner sites

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As a senior commissioning leader, you will:

· Support the Assistant Director of Integrated Commissioning to design and deliver integrated care at place and neighbourhood level

· Support the Assistant Director of Integrated Commissioning to manage and lead the development of primary care and primary care networks ensuring that the sector becomes resilient and can deliver integrated services within a wider network of providers.

· Lead a number of transformation programmes and projects that support the work of the Directorate.

Person specification

Knowledge, Training and Experience

• Educated to master’s level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Extensive knowledge of and expertise in specialisms relevant to function and role
• Proven and significant leadership experience
• Demonstrated expertise in a Healthcare environment
• Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on engagement
• Experience of developing and implementing integrated care across multiple stakeholders including health and local government.
• Experience at a senior level of interpreting and implementing national strategy, policy, plans, guidance and directives

Communication Skills

• Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of stakeholders both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation, some at very senior level
• Good presentational skills for conveying complex concepts.
• Ability to use informed persuasion to influence others.

Analytical & Planning Skills

• Evidence of planning and delivering programmes and projects and services on time

Autonomy & Management Skills

• Ability to work without supervision, providing specialist advice to the organisation, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Interpreting national policy for implementation

Physical Skills and Equality & Diversity

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office with intermediate keyboard skills
• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of equality of opportunity and diversity taking into account and being aware of how individual actions contribute to and make a difference to the equality agenda.

Please note, there is a requirement for all positions at Bands 8b and above to be part of a On Call rota.

All new entrants to the ICB for a permanent position will be subject to a 6 month probationary period. For new entrants appointed on a fixed-term basis, the probationary period is between 1 and 6 months.

We are an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be welcomed and considered regardless of a person’s age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

We welcome applications from disabled candidates and those applicants need only meet the essential criteria to be invited to interview. We will also make any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, including the Job Description and Person Specification, to enable you to pursue your application, providing that you inform us of any special requirements.

Arden & GEM CSU administer this account on behalf of the ICB, you may receive communications from both the CSU and the ICB during your recruitment.

If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system and other secure, internal NHS workforce systems in order to support and manage your recruitment and employment within the organisation.

Person specification

Knowledge, Training and Experience

• Educated to master’s level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Extensive knowledge of and expertise in specialisms relevant to function and role
• Proven and significant leadership experience
• Evidence of post qualifying continuing professional development
• Must have an understanding of the background to and aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on engagement
• Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, NHS England and individual provider and commissioning organisations
• Member of a relevant professional body
• Experience of developing and implementing integrated care across multiple stakeholders including health and local government
• Experience at a senior level of interpreting and implementing national strategy, policy, plans, guidance and directives

Communication Skills

• Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of stakeholders both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation, some at very senior level
• Good presentational skills for conveying complex concepts
• Ability to use informed persuasion to influence others

Analytical

• Ability to identify risks, anticipate issues, create solutions and resolve problems in relation to project or service delivery
• Ability to understand a broad range of complex information quickly and make decisions where opinions differ/no obvious solution

Planning Skills

• Evidence of planning and delivering programmes and projects and services on time

Autonomy

• Ability to work without supervision, providing specialist advice to the organisation, working to tight and often changing timescales
• Interpreting national policy for implementation

Management Skills

• Skills for direct line management and job management
• Skills for delivering results through managing others and using a range of levers in the absence of direct line management responsibility
• Skills for managing relationships with a range of different stakeholders

Physical Skills

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office with intermediate keyboard skills

Equality and Diversity

• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of equality of opportunity and diversity taking into account and being aware of how individual actions contribute to and make a difference to the equality agenda

Please note, there is an requirement for all positions at Bands 8b and above to be part of a On Call rota.

All new entrants to the ICB for a permanent position will be subject to a 6 month probationary period. For new entrants appointed on a fixed-term basis, the probationary period is between 1 and 6 months.

We are an equal opportunities employer and all applications will be welcomed and considered regardless of a person’s age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

We welcome applications from disabled candidates and those applicants need only meet the essential criteria to be invited to interview. We will also make any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, including the Job Description and Person Specification, to enable you to pursue your application, providing that you inform us of any special requirements.

L N R ICBs recognise that applicants may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their application, for example to help with structure, grammar, or presentation. Applicants must ensure that all information submitted is accurate, authentic, and reflects their own skills, experience, and suitability for the role. Any use of AI in preparing an application must be clearly declared and may be explored or challenged as part of the interview and selection process.

Arden & GEM CSU administer this account on behalf of the ICB, you may receive communications from both the CSU and the ICB during your recruitment.

If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system and other secure, internal NHS workforce systems in order to support and manage your recruitment and employment within the organisation.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Name Peter Watson Job title Assistant Director of Integrated Commissioning Email address [emailprotected]