We have an exciting opportunity to join the Children’s Commissioning Team as a Senior Commissioning Officer.

This is a varied and strategic role supporting the commissioning of services for children, young people and their families across Cambridgeshire. You will work closely with Commissioning Managers and partners across Children’s Services, Education, Health and the voluntary sector to develop and implement commissioning strategies, ensure high-quality services are available to meet local need, and drive innovation and value for money.

The role offers an excellent opportunity for an experienced commissioner looking to lead commissioning activity, influence service development and improve outcomes for children and young people across the county.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Lizzie Robertson, Commissioning Manager, at lizzie.robertson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk. or Rosa De Maio, Rosa.DeMaio@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

What will you be doing?

You will support the work of the children’s commissioning team. Your key responsibilities will include supporting the Commissioning Manager to manage a varied portfolio of commissioned services for children and families, including the recommissioning and contract management of services such as the Council’s Translation and Interpretation Contract, Young Carers, Mediation and Dispute Resolution, Children’s Advocacy, Children’s Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy Services.

You will be leading on specific commissioning projects and activities within the children and families portfolio, identifying opportunities for service improvement, innovation and value for money.

You will be responsible for ensuring specific provisions are contract managed robustly, quality assured and challenged where necessary to improve outcomes and performance.

Working closely with operational colleagues, particularly procurement colleagues, you will be involved in developing specifications, undertaking tenders and supporting procurement activity. You will also develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, providers and partners to achieve successful service delivery and implementation.

Other elements of the role include analysing data, market intelligence and stakeholder feedback to inform decisions, shape commissioning intentions and improve services.

You will be responsible for preparing reports and provide recommendations and briefings to support decision-making and governance processes. And you will be deputising for the Commissioning Manager, ensuring continuity and integrity of commissioning activity.

About you

You will have a passion for improving outcomes for children and young people and bring experience of supporting significant commissioning projects, ideally within children’s services.

You will be comfortable interpreting and presenting data and information to a variety of audiences, using evidence to inform recommendations and support decision-making.

You will take ownership of specific commissioning projects and services, working collaboratively with colleagues, providers and partners to deliver positive outcomes. Strong communication skills are essential, with the ability to write clearly and concisely and adapt your style to different audiences, whether contributing to provider engagement forums, producing option appraisals or presenting reports to decision-makers.

You will be confident in building relationships, negotiating effectively and resolving issues in a constructive way. As an organised and proactive individual, you will be able to manage competing priorities, develop practical solutions to complex challenges and deliver work within agreed timescales.

You will also be able to work independently while contributing effectively as part of a wider team, managing your time efficiently and remaining flexible and responsive in a changing environment.

Please use your supporting statement to outline how your skills and experience match the Essential criteria outlined in the attached Job Description/Person Specification.

This role is a hybrid position working both from home and also from our office in Alconbury, Huntingdon.

Interviews for this role will be held 2nd September 2026

Our benefits

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage…

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes

Take a look at our Employment Benefits Brochure attached to this advert to find out more.