Senior Commissioning Officer

Hertfordshire County Council; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire County Council is seeking a Senior Commissioning Officer to shape and improve SEND services for children and young people. The role involves working with providers, families and partners to ensure safe, high-quality services that deliver value for money and meet local needs.

You will travel countywide, visit services, monitor performance and produce evidence-based reports to support decision-making and service development.

Qualifications

• Experience of commissioning, contract monitoring, service improvement or a related area.
• Excellent communication, influencing and partnership-working skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and providers.
• Knowledge and understanding of SEND and the support available to children, young people and their families.
• Strong report-writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• Experience of analysing and interpreting data to support decision-making.
• The ability to work independently, manage priorities and meet deadlines.
• Access to transport and the ability to travel throughout Hertfordshire and occasionally beyond.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and delivery of commissioning strategies and plans.
• Monitor and review commissioned services to ensure quality, safety and value for money.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with service providers and key stakeholders.
• Undertake provider visits and monitoring activities, producing accurate and timely reports.
• Analyse and interpret complex data to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Work collaboratively with children, young people, families and partners to support service improvement.
• Support market development and help shape future SEND provision across Hertfordshire.
• Ensure service users' voices are reflected in service design and delivery.

Skills

Commissioning

Contract monitoring

Stakeholder engagement

SEND knowledge

Report writing

Data analysis

Time management

Travel willingness

Job description

Job Introduction

Job title: Senior Commissioning Officers
Salary: £42,839 progressing to £47,181 per annum – pay award pending
Hours: 37
Location: Hybrid working with occasional office days in Stevenage. There will also be a requirement of travel countywide and occasionally beyond
Contract: Fixed Term / Secondment to March 2029

About The Team

We are seeking to appoint three Senior Commissioning Officers to join our Joint Commissioning for Children and Young People Service.

Our SEND Commissioning Team is responsible for commissioning, monitoring and developing high-quality services and support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across Hertfordshire. We work collaboratively with families, providers, schools, health partners and other stakeholders to ensure services meet local needs and deliver positive outcomes.

About The Role

As a Senior Commissioning Officer, you will play a key role in shaping, developing and improving services for children and young people with SEND.

Working closely with stakeholders, providers, partners and families, you will contribute to commissioning strategies that ensure services are responsive, effective and provide value for money. You will monitor commissioned services to ensure they are safe, high quality, and centred around the needs and experiences of children, young people and their families.

A significant part of the role involves building and maintaining strong relationships with providers. You will regularly visit services, review performance, identify areas for improvement and produce clear, evidence-based reports to support decision-making and service development.

You will also analyse complex data and performance information, using your findings to inform commissioning activities, market development and future service provision.

The role requires travel across Hertfordshire and, on occasion, to providers located outside the county.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and delivery of commissioning strategies and plans.
• Monitor and review commissioned services to ensure quality, safety and value for money.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with service providers and key stakeholders.
• Undertake provider visits and monitoring activities, producing accurate and timely reports.
• Analyse and interpret complex data to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Work collaboratively with children, young people, families and partners to support service improvement.
• Support market development and help shape future SEND provision across Hertfordshire.
• Ensure service users' voices are reflected in service design and delivery.

About You

We are looking for a motivated and analytical professional who is passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Essential

• Experience of commissioning, contract monitoring, service improvement or a related area.
• Excellent communication, influencing and partnership-working skills.
• The ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and providers.
• Knowledge and understanding of SEND and the support available to children, young people and their families.
• Strong report-writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• Experience of analysing and interpreting data to support decision-making.
• The ability to work independently, manage priorities and meet deadlines.
• Access to transport and the ability to travel throughout Hertfordshire and occasionally beyond.

Desirable

• Experience of working within a SEND-focused environment.
• Experience of working across multiple agencies and stakeholder groups.
• Experience of service development, transformation or market shaping.
• A commissioning, project management or related professional qualification, or equivalent experience.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND. You will join a supportive and collaborative team, working on services that have a lasting impact on families across Hertfordshire while helping to shape the future of SEND provision in the county.

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Josh Parnell, 01438 843843, [e-mail] or Nicola Fisher, 01992 555365, [e-mail]

Interview date: 21st and 22nd September

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 11. Please locate the job profile here: Job profiles - Corporate services

Secondment

This role is open to secondments for eligible employees who work for HCC. If you wish to apply on a secondment basis, you must have your line manager's approval before submitting your application. You will be asked to confirm this within your application form. If you are not eligible for a secondment (e.g., you are currently on a fixed‑term contract that would end before this positions ends) or you indicate that your manager cannot support a secondment, your application will be considered on a fixed‑term contract basis instead.

Additional Information

We are changing

Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident

We are proud to be aDisability Confident employerand guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Driving Required

You'll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency

The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required).Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.