Head of Commissioning - Adults

Directorate: Adults Social Care & All Age Commissioning

Section: All Age Commissioning

Location: Civic Centre

Grade: SM4

Hours: 37 hours per week

This advert is open to both internal and external applicants.

Role Overview

Stoke-on-Trent City Council invites applications for Head of Commissioning - Adults, a senior leadership role responsible for driving strategic commissioning and transformation across Adult Social Care and Public Health services. The role leads major programmes, influences service delivery, and supports CQC improvement activity, ensuring high-quality, sustainable services for residents.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead the development and delivery of strategic commissioning plans across Adult Social Care and Public Health.
2. Drive large-scale transformation programmes, service redesign and innovation for externally commissioned services and in house provision to improve outcomes and deliver sustainable savings.
3. Provide strategic leadership for market shaping, provider relationships and commissioning activity, ensuring high quality, value for money services.
4. Build strong partnerships with NHS colleagues, providers, communities and other key stakeholders to deliver integrated, person-centred services.
5. Lead and support statutory improvement activity, including CQC Assurance and Adult Social Care market sustainability requirements.
6. Manage significant budgets and commissioning programmes, providing expert advice and assurance to senior leaders, elected members and strategic boards.

Qualifications & Experience

• Significant experience of strategic commissioning, service transformation and change delivery within local government, health or the wider public sector.
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of leading high performing teams and delivering results in complex environments.
• Experience of managing large budgets, delivering savings programmes and applying commercial thinking to improve outcomes and value for money.
• Excellent partnership building skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across organisations, including health partners, providers and elected members.
• Extensive knowledge of Adult Social Care commissioning, procurement and contract management, together with relevant statutory and regulatory frameworks.
• A strategic and innovative mindset, with the ability to use data, insight and evidence to shape services, drive improvement and deliver better outcomes for residents.

Benefits

• A competitive salary based on your skills, experience and talent.
• Hybrid and flexible working options.
• An excellent local authority benefits pension scheme.
• Professional development through learning opportunities, regular training sessions and apprenticeship and management schemes.
• Further information on our Rewards and Benefits can be found here.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Stoke-on-Trent City Council, we believe our strength comes from the diversity of our community, and we want our workforce to reflect that. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. We understand that some people, especially those from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply if they don't meet all the listed requirements. If this role interests you and you think you could be a good fit, we encourage you to apply. We are proud of what makes each of us unique and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels included, can be themselves, and can succeed together.