Head of Contracting and Commissioning

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Summary & Responsibilities

1.1 Strategic Leadership and Partnership Working

Support the Director in setting strategic objectives for contracting and commissioning aligned to ICB, Provider Collaborative and Delegated Commissioning priorities.

Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with PC Programme Directors, NHS providers, independent sector partners, and VCSE organisations, supporting Programme Directors in these partnerships. The development of these collaborative relationships will include handling contentious discussions, resolving conflicting agendas, and giving presentations to senior groups and large forums

Deputise for the PC Programme Directors at key boards, committees, and regional forums as required.

Participate in discussions involving sensitive patient circumstances, safeguarding failures, and serious incidents.

Handle conflict with providers delivering high-risk services.

Oversee the development, negotiation, and management of complex NHS Standard Contracts and subcontracts.

Ensure contracting arrangements are compliant with the PSR, procurement law, and Standing Financial Instructions.

Lead on contract variations, performance incentives, and risk/gain share mechanisms.

Support resolution of disputes and provide authoritative advice on contractual and financial matters.

Respond on behalf of the Trust and PC/DC, in relation to national consultations regarding changes to Contractual Guidance.

Negotiate highly contentious matters and handle commercial disputes, often involving conflicting interests between clinicians, finance, operations, and independent sector providers.

Communicate highly complex contractual risks, navigate commercial sensitivity, and convey unwelcome or contentious messages to senior stakeholders and independent sector boards.

Present complex information to large forums, including contract review boards and NHSE escalations.

Interpret complex national guidance (e.g., Who Pays, s117, PSR), resolve ambiguous policy areas, and analyse different contractual options.

High levels of sustained concentration during negotiations and regulatory meetings.

Convey unwelcome news (e.g., performance failure, financial clawback, contract sanctions) and handle emotionally charged disputes.

Support PC Programme Directors as they lead the development and implementation of commissioning plans, business cases, and service redesigns informed by data, clinical evidence, and population health insights.

Analyse highly complex, incomplete, and conflicting data to form judgements with significant consequences for finances and patient pathways

Ensure that commissioning strategies are compliant with the NHS Standard Contract and Subcontracts, supporting Programme Directors in this process.

Support PC Programme Directors to ensure commissioning strategies are outcomes-based and deliver value for money.

Work with finance and quality teams to link commissioning intentions to investment priorities and quality improvement frameworks.

Develop robust frameworks for monitoring provider performance, contract compliance, and quality outcomes.

Ensure frameworks adhere to those agreed with NHS England in the Lead Provider NHS Standard Contract.

Produce complex, sensitive, and politically contentious information for executive committees, Provider Collaborative Boards, and NHS England Contract Review Meetings using persuasion and negotiation to secure agreement.

Support continuous improvement and innovation in provider performance and system efficiency.

Ensure that risks and issues are identified, recorded, and mitigated within governance structures.

Reconcile conflicting performance, finance, and quality data, making recommendations with significant system impact.

Responding to unplanned urgent issues (e.g., contract disputes, service failures) requiring rapid cognitive switching.

Support, manage, and develop a team of contracting and commissioning staff, ensuring clarity of roles, workload balance, and professional development.

Ensure all commissioning and contracting decisions deliver best value, transparency, and equity.

1.6 Leadership and People Development

Lead the Business Hub as the single focus of contracting and commissioning across the SPFT led Provider Collaboratives and Delegated Commissioning functions.

Provide visible leadership to the Provider Collaborative and Delegated Commissioning contracting and commissioning, performance and data team under a business hub, setting clear expectations and promoting inclusive leadership.

Conduct appraisals, support personal development plans, and encourage learning and progression within the team.

Foster a positive culture of accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.

Management

To undertake performance reviews for all direct reports on an annual basis ensuring feedback on performance is given at regular intervals throughout the year.

To provide supervision to all direct reports and identify training and staff development requirements, and plans to deliver these.

Communicate effectively with your team on a timely basis ensuring robust systems exist so that staff feel informed.

Provide day to day management of the Business Hub in the delivery of its functions.

Directly line manage some Business Hub staff and provide matrix management to other staff working with the Hub.

General

To fully participate in the Trusts performance review and personal development planning process on an annual basis.

Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the PC Programme Director as part of the personal planning process.

To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.

To contribute positively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the teams in which the post holder works.

The post holder may be required to undertake duties not specified in the job description, but which are commensurate with the role and/or band as required by service need.

The post holder may from time to time be required to work in different locations, and work flexible hours as required by service need.

There may be a requirement to change the job description in light of developing service needs.

Supervision to honour professional supervision arrangements would be provided, if required.

Access to the Contract Managers forum providing network intelligence, networking and informal professional supervision.

To contribute to a healthy and safe working environment by adhering to health and safety regulations and Trust policies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to master's level or equivalent senior experience in commissioning, contracting, or health management

Knowledge/Experience

Essential

• Proven track record in leading complex negotiations and managing large-scale NHS or independent sector contracts
• Experience in developing commissioning frameworks, service redesign, and performance management
• Experience of managing, supporting, and developing a team
• Strong understanding of NHS governance, policy, and financial frameworks, including the PSR and NHS Standard Contract

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Portland House

Richmond Road

Worthing

BN11 1FG

Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)