Operational Commissioning Lead – Brokerage and Placements

Overview

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for delivering high-quality, person-centred care and support services? We are seeking an experienced Operational Commissioning Lead to head our Brokerage and Placements Team. This is a pivotal role within our Adults and Health Directorate, responsible for shaping and managing care arrangements that make a real difference in people’s lives.

You’ll lead a specialist team, manage significant budgets, and work collaboratively across council services, health partners, and providers to ensure effective, innovative, and value-driven commissioning.

Our new Commissioning and Procurement Hub ensures collaboration with our clients to develop and execute a procurement strategy to achieve their defined success criteria. We bring together experiences and lessons learned to ensure the most effective approach. Our new Commissioning and Procurement Hub supports all stages of the commercial lifecycle, complementing client teams to maximise value.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. 

About the role

As Operational Commissioning Lead, you will:

• Lead the planning and delivery of brokerage activities, ensuring timely and effective care and support arrangements.
• Manage a team of Brokerage and Placement Managers and oversee a wider group of indirect reports.
• Develop and implement strategies for commissioning, market management, and service development in consultation with stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with governance, legislation, and quality standards.
• Provide expert advice and strategic leadership across the service area.
• Build strong relationships with internal teams, external partners, and providers to shape the care market and improve outcomes.
• Oversee budgets up to £10m directly and monitor budgets up to £50m, ensuring value for money and financial sustainability.

This role requires forward-thinking leadership, with planning horizons ranging from immediate operational needs to long-term strategic development over 3-5 years.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

You will bring:

• Substantial experience in commissioning within health and/or social care settings.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with a track record of delivering service transformation and strategic planning.
• Excellent knowledge of relevant legislation, policy, and market dynamics.
• Proven ability to manage complex budgets and resources effectively.
• A collaborative approach to stakeholder engagement and partnership working.
• High-level analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• A relevant professional qualification (e.g., CIPS, Commissioning Academy, Prince2) and evidence of continued professional development.

Please refer to the job summary attached for full details about this role.

Other information

For more information about the role, please contact Sarah Burke at [email protected]

A full driving licence is required to be able to carry out the role.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/