Lincolnshire County Council

Head of Service for Children's Commissioning

The closing date is 26 April 2026

Job summary

Lincolnshire County Councils Childrens Services is seeking an exceptional strategicleader to join our highperforming senior leadership team as Head of Service for Childrens Commissioning. In this pivotal role, you willlead one of the most significant childrens commissioning portfolios in the country, overseeing 400 service contracts with an annual value of £120 million. You will shape, influence and transform services thatsupportchildren, young people and families across Lincolnshire.

About the Role

You willlead a team of around 40 commissioning professionals, delivering the full commissioning cycle for a wide range of services including early years, family help, public health, mental health, SEND, alternative provision and social care.

Working closely with senior leaders, Members, system partners and providers, you will:

Deliver commissioning in line with our Contract Procurement Procedure Rules and the Procurement Act 2023.
Manage a budget of c.£8.1 million and oversee major contracts totalling £120 million.
Drive continuous improvement, efficiency and value for money.
Build strong partnerships with service users, providers, the voluntary sector and statutory agencies.
Negotiate and establish highquality, outcomedrivencontracts.
Provide visible leadership across corporate programmes and systemwide initiatives.

Main duties of the job

This role plays a major part in shaping the direction of Childrens Services and ensuring that childrens needs and voices are at the heart of all commissioning decisions.

What Youll Do

Leadthe planning, commissioning and review of services.
Oversee needsanalysis, forecasting, quality assurance and performance.
Co-produce service design and improvement.
Stimulate and shape provider markets, encouraging innovation.
Championintegrated commissioning across partners, particularly with the Integrated Care Board.
Ensure statutory duties and performance standards are met.
Provide expert advice on commissioning, procurement and contract management.
Foster a positive, flexible, highperforming team culture.
Represent the Council regionally and nationally.

About You

You will bring:

Degree level education or an equivalent qualification relevant experience.
Significant experience in strategic commissioning and contract management.
Strong financial, analytical and governance skills.
A proven ability to lead change and deliver improvement.
Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship building skills.
Political and commercial awareness.
A motivating leadership style and a passion for improving outcomes for children.

About us

Lincolnshire County Council, is one of the largest employers in the county. We are an organisation that embraces diversity, innovation and progress. We value our people and want to ensure that we can support you in joining and growing with us.

We will view you as an integral member of our community and recognise that your well-being is paramount. To show our appreciation, we've crafted a competitive package designed to not only acknowledge your hard work but also foster a healthy work-life balance.

From health benefits and retirement plans, we strive to provide a package that supports well-being and financial stability and that meets the diverse needs of our workforce.

We want everyone who works with us to feel included and celebrate their uniqueness. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and promoting good relations for both employee and for the people of Lincolnshire.

People often say every day is a learning day and at LCC a culture of learning is something we really believe in. We recognise the importance of supporting your learning and development and can offer a variety of different learning opportunities depending on what is right for you and the organisation. This could be through your everyday tasks, through hands-on experience, structured programs, formal qualifications, coaching, or informal learning opportunities.

Date posted

31 March 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£84,302 to £92,514 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

F0067-7902520

Job locations

3rd Floor, Lancaster House

36 Orchard Street

Lincoln

Lincolnshire

LN1 1XX

Lincolnshire County Council

Newland

Lincoln

LN1 1YL

Job description

Job responsibilities

Senior Leadership

Provide strategic and operational leadership for a service of more than 40 staff, ensuring structures, roles and resources are aligned to deliver a complex and dynamic programme of work. This includes effectively managing teams working remotely and across multiple office locations.

Exercise direct line-management responsibility for Commissioning Managers and other designated staff, including recruitment, supervision, performance appraisal and ongoing professional development.

Offer additional management oversight for staff outside the service when required to support the successful delivery of cross-cutting projects and programmes.

Strengthen leadership capability across the Council by coaching, supporting and motivating staff to achieve high performance and contribute to a positive organisational culture.

Deputise for the Assistant Director of Childrens Services and/or the Executive Director of Childrens Services, providing senior leadership presence and decision-making as required.

Service Leadership:

Provide strategic leadership and management for the Childrens Commissioning Service across the full commissioning cycle (Analyse, Plan, Do, Review). The role places a strong emphasis on strategy, system leadership, partnership governance and whole-system transformation. Responsibilities include:

Understanding statutory responsibilities and national policy, ensuring the commissioning function is compliant and aligned with local and national priorities.

Assessing current needs and forecasting future demand using research, evidence, data analysis and engagement with children, young people, families and professional stakeholders.

Mapping existing services to identify gaps, duplication and opportunities for improvement across the system.

Setting strategic direction and commissioning priorities for Childrens Services in collaboration with partners.

Co-producing commissioning strategies and service models with stakeholders, ensuring they reflect local need and best practice.

Undertaking evidence-based options appraisals, informed by research, benchmarking and evaluation.

Shaping and influencing provider markets to secure sufficiency, quality, value for money and responsiveness to changing needs.

Seeking democratic approval for commissioning recommendations and ensuring clear, transparent decision-making.

Developing service specifications and KPIs that clearly set out expectations and measure improved outcomes.

Leading or overseeing procurement and major commissioning programmes, ensuring compliance with the Councils Constitution, Contract and Procurement Procedure Rules, and relevant legislation.

Establishing appropriate contractual arrangements that support high-quality, outcome-focused delivery.

Implementing quality assurance frameworks to monitor performance against agreed outcomes and contractual obligations.

Evaluating performance, outcomes, risk and value for money across all commissioned services, using learning to inform future commissioning cycles.

Driving continuous improvement, setting expectations for quality, innovation and system-wide effectiveness across the provider landscape.

Service Transformation:

Provide strategic leadership for a defined category of Childrens Services Improvement, driving system transformation and delivering highquality change. This includes oversight of major transformation programmes, sectorled support, and the development and implementation of new initiatives and national pathfinders. Responsibilities include:

Leading complex change programmes, ensuring strong project and programme management, effective governance, and clear oversight of risks, issues and interdependencies.

Redesigning operating models and service pathways, using data, insight and evidence to inform decisionmaking and shape sustainable, futurefocused solutions.

Working collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure improvements are outcomesfocused, value for money, and aligned with statutory responsibilities and strategic objectives.

Championing culture change and organisational development, strengthening capability, promoting innovation, and embedding continuous improvement.

Ensuring benefits are clearly defined, monitored and realised, applying rigorous benefits management and ensuring delivery against agreed outcomes.

Finance Management:

Manage a budget exceeding £8 million annually and provide oversight of contracts with a total value of over £120 million per year, ensuring robust financial governance and accountability.

Oversee service delivery within allocated budgets, ensuring strong financial control, accurate forecasting and effective monitoring, and provide support and challenge to other Budget Managers responsible for commissioned services.

Ensure commissioned services deliver value for money, applying financial analysis, benchmarking and commercial insight to identify efficiencies that contribute to the Councils financial sustainability.

Interpret and analyse complex financial information, including organisational financial accounts, and develop zerobased budgets, negotiate savings, and identify financial risks with appropriate mitigation strategies.

Lead mediumterm financial planning for commissioned services, including the management of inflationary pressures and contract uplifts in line with financial strategy and market conditions.