Specialist Provision Officer (Commissioning)

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

29 days annual leave (pro rata)

LGPS pension

Flexible working options

Training and career development

Volunteer days

Job summary

Suffolk County Council in Ipswich is recruiting a Specialist Provision Officer (Commissioning) to lead contract management across independent providers and to shape service design, market development and procurement. You will report to the Specialist Provision Manager and work with partners to improve education provision for children and young people with SEND.

You will need a Level 5 qualification or equivalent, experience in commissioning and contract management, and strong skills in service

Qualifications

• Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience required.
• Experience in commissioning and contract management.
• Experience of service improvement and quality assurance.
• Ability to record information in minutes and/or reports.
• Experience of collaborative approaches through effective partnership working.

Responsibilities

• Ensure providers comply with contractual expectations through data analysis and review meetings.
• Support development of new provision to enhance local education offer for children and young people.
• Draft service delivery specifications based on needs, requirements and best practice.
• Ensure effective co-production in commissioning and procurement of services.

Skills

Commissioning

Contract management

Service improvement

Minuting / reporting

Partnership working

Risk management

Education

Level 5 qualification or equivalent experience

Job description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House,Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX, hybrid working
• Salary:£35,570 per annum(pro rata for part time)
• Hours:37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract:Permanent

At Suffolk County Council we're passionate about improving the future for our customers, our communities and the environment. If you are too, join us as a Specialist Provision Officer (Commissioning) and make a huge and meaningful impact. Your innovation and drive will help us to continue improving and evolving. Our opportunities and support will enable you to make a difference and leave a positive, lasting legacy.

Reimagine the possibilities.

Your role and responsibilities

You will report to the Specialist Provision Manager and will be at the forefront in ensuring that robust contract management arrangements are embedded across independent providers. You will work directly with providers, be involved in service redesign, market development, procurement, provider relationships and contract management activity.

Alongside multi-agency and partnership working, some of the key responsibilities of this role include:

• ensuring that providers continue to comply with contractual expectations through data analysis and review meetings
• supporting the development of new provision within Suffolk to enhance our local offer and to ensure children and young people in Suffolk receive high-quality education
• supporting Service Officers to write service delivery specifications which are based on evidenced needs, demands, legislative requirements, national best practice, county council policy, resources available and the views of stakeholders
• ensuring effective co-production takes place within commissioning and procurement of services.

You will need

• a suitable qualification at level 5 or equivalent experience in a relevant area of work
• experience of commissioning and contract management
• experience of service improvement and continued quality assurance
• the ability to record information in minutes and/or reports
• experience of collaborative approaches through effective partnership working.
• to be able to assess and manage risk, set clear priorities and manage competing demands.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the How to apply' section towards the bottom of this advert.

Please take a look at our ideal worker poster.

The team

The Provider Services Team is seeking motivated and innovative Specialist Provision Officer's to work as part of a team who ensure that our specialist education settings are providing the quality provision that Suffolk County expect and continue to comply with contractual expectations. If you have experience in commissioning and contract management, then this may be the role for you.

The team are responsible for the development and delivery of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Sufficiency Plan to improve the local offer and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and ensuring there is high-quality management information to inform need and service gap analysis. We are also responsible for provider development and management and quality of specialist education provision.

Shaping Careers and Learning

We want to champion talent and seek to continuously develop everyone's professional knowledge, potential and job satisfaction. Through accessible learning opportunities and clear career pathways we aim to identify individual strengths, diversify skill sets and enable all people, to build influential and impactful careers.

Empowering Everyone

We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report .

For more information

Please contact Emily Alleyne (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can contact her by emailing: [e-mail]

Planning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Please ensure your application still reflects your own skills, experience and ideas. If used inappropriately, your application may not be processed. Please read our guidance for using AI to understand what's acceptable.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at: [e-mail] or 03456 014412. You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages .

Closing date: 11.30 pm, 19 October 2026.

Interview date:26 October 2026 in person, Ipswich.

Promoted as SPJ (Standard Plus Job) on Suffolk Jobs Direct.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We're driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you'll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk) .