Health Senior Commissioning Officer (25 hours per week) - 3 year Fixed term contract

The Methodist Church in Britain; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Clear pay band progression

Enhanced employee benefits package

Supportive team environment

Job summary

BCP Council seeks a Senior Commissioning Officer to drive SEND reform priorities into commissioning actions, funding models and service specifications. The role operates across the council, NHS Dorset and partners, focusing initially on therapies and integrated service models.

Responsibilities include leading complex cross-organisational programmes, developing pathways, and ensuring robust contractual arrangements with clear performance measures.

Qualifications

• Strong transferable experience in commissioning, programme delivery, procurement, contracts or transformation.
• Ability to analyse data, evidence and market intelligence.
• Facilitate partnership decisions and maintain momentum through delivery.
• Work across organisational boundaries and manage competing priorities.
• Turning strategic ambition into implementable services, contracts and funding flows.
• Collaborative and credible approach to commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Turn SEND reform priorities into deliverable commissioning actions.
• Coordinate cross-organisational projects through the full commissioning cycle, from needs assessment to contract review.
• Develop joint specifications, pathways and integrated service models with partners.
• Identify pooled or aligned funding opportunities and bring forward evidence-based investment proposals.
• Develop robust contractual arrangements with outcomes, timescales, performance measures and accountability.
• Monitor quality, impact and risk, identify efficiencies and address provider underperformance.
• Develop provider capacity, including SMEs and the voluntary and community sector, and support a responsive market.
• Lead the initial focus on therapies, pathway redesign and integrated service models.
• Influence service redesign and decisions through governance arrangements.
• Supervise Contracts Officers and advise on complex commissioning and contractual matters where required.

Skills

Data analysis

Partnership facilitation

Cross-organisation work

Contracting & funding

Change management

Job description

This Senior Commissioning Officer post sits in the Children's Commissioning Team at BCP Council and works across the council, NHS Dorset and the wider local partnership. It is a three-year fixed-term role at 0.7 FTE. The postholder turns SEND reform priorities into commissioning models, funding arrangements and service specifications, and coordinates projects through the full commissioning cycle. The initial focus is therapies, pathway redesign and integrated service models, alongside developing providers including SMEs and voluntary sector organisations. Applicants need existing right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not available.

What the job involves

• Turn SEND reform priorities into deliverable commissioning actions
• Coordinate complex cross-organisational projects through the full commissioning cycle, from needs assessment to contract review
• Develop joint specifications, pathways and integrated service models with partners
• Identify pooled or aligned funding opportunities and bring forward evidence-based investment proposals
• Develop robust contractual arrangements, with outcomes, timescales, performance measures and accountability
• Monitor quality, impact and risk, identify efficiencies and address provider underperformance
• Develop provider capacity, including SMEs and the voluntary and community sector, and support a responsive market
• Lead the initial focus on therapies, pathway redesign and integrated service models
• Influence service redesign and decisions through governance arrangements
• Supervise Contracts Officers and advise on complex commissioning and contractual matters where required

What’s required

Experience

• Strong transferable experience in commissioning, programme delivery, procurement, contracts or transformation

Skills & knowledge

• Analysing data, evidence and market intelligence
• Facilitating partnership decisions and maintaining momentum through to delivery
• Working across organisational boundaries and managing competing priorities
• Turning strategic ambition into implementable services, contracts and funding flows
• Collaborative and credible approach to commissioning

Checks & eligibility

• Basic DBS check at the appropriate level
• Existing right to work in the UK, as no visa sponsorship is available

Nice to have

• Experience of health, children's services, SEND or integrated commissioning

What’s offered

• Clear progression within a defined pay band
• Enhanced employee benefits package
• Supportive team and opportunity to contribute to joint commissioning