Job summary
We are establishing a new Strategic Commissioning Service, within our Adult Care Directorate and are ambitious about our plans to invest in and develop, an innovative function which drives the delivery of sustainable, value for money outcomes that meet the current and future needs for the people of Lincolnshire.
The new Service will operate across the full end to end commissioning cycle and in order to deliver this we are seeking exceptional contract managers who are commercially astute and able to provide strategic leadership ensuring statutory compliance, financial sustainability quality assurance and resilient markets.
Expected to work across the full scope of the Service under the direction of our Strategic Contract Assurance and Improvement Manager, you will take the lead responsibility around a portfolio of complex and high-risk adult care and community wellbeing contracts.
Our Contract Managers will also collaboratively lead the development, implementation and review of contract management strategies quality assurance frameworks and performance management processes to raise the quality-of-service provision, ensuring continuous improvement is a built-in feature of our commissioned services.
Main duties of the job
What we are looking for:
Someone who is an expert procurement and commissioning professional, educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or who can demonstrate equivalent knowledge through experience, and also is an experienced manager who can demonstrate how they get the best from their team to successfully deliver intended outcomes.
In depth knowledge and experience specifically in relation to local government, health services and the provider market for all types of adult care and well-being services. This should encompass strategic commissioning processes, partnership arrangements and relevant legislation and trends.
A proven ability to operate effectively at a strategic level with exceptional communication, relationship and commercial skills, combined with an analytical, evidence-based approach to support informed decision making and continuous improvement.
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, weve 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.
Details
Date posted
22 September 2026
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£54,143 to £62,032 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time,
Flexible working,
Home or remote working
Reference number
F0067-260005185213439
Job locations
Lincolnshire County Council
County Offices
Newland
Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN1 1YL
United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide strategic leadership and expert oversight of complex and high risk adult care and community wellbeing contracts, ensuring statutory compliance, financial sustainability, quality assurance and resilient markets.
The post will drive robust contract management, integrated commissioning, effective partnership working and service transformation to improve outcomes for residents and optimise Council resources.
1
To work with Commissioning Leads/Senior Officers across Adult Care and Community Wellbeing services to ensure all aspects of strategic commissioning and contract management activities meet statutory responsibilities, national, regional and local requirements to mitigate commercial, relationship, safeguarding, financial, quality and other related market risks. This will include leading the development of practices to deliver integrated services, partner working protocols and cross-border procedures.
2 To take strategic responsibility for managing a dedicated service portfolio including high risk, complex and strategically significant contracts across a range of health and social care statutory and non-statutory services.
This will include strategic oversight within allocated service portfolio for
-
Effective and robust contract management across service portfolio in line with legal and statutory requirements, national and local minimum quality standards, contract management strategies, frameworks, processes and values.
-
Robust management and oversight of contract spend, costs and allocated budgets within contract portfolio, identifying and responsive to financial viability concerns and where possible, opportunities for additional value for money saving.
-
Proactively ensuring all Providers are held to account for efficient and effective, high quality, value for money service delivery.
-
Ensure obligation matrix and service level risk, issue and development logs are in place for commissioned services within portfolio.
-
Contract escalations within service portfolio, contract defaults, directing and supporting commissioning reviews, provider failure and continuity arrangements.
-
Service-related incidents/feedback including strategic oversight of safeguarding themes, poor practice concerns, complaints and serious incidents.
-
Contract mobilisation and contract exit arrangements.
-
Ensuring all contractual documentation is up to date with legislative requirements and change control procedures.
3 Collaboratively lead the development, implementation and review of contract management strategies, quality assurance frameworks and performance management processes to raise the quality-of-service provision.
4 Responsible for collating, and analyse contract monitoring activity, benchmarking costs, service improvements, efficiency gains and feed into commissioning programmes/projects to measure achievement against the commissioning outcomes as well as contributing to the Council's performance management framework.
5 Support the Council's statutory safeguarding and protection duties in accordance with contracts and the Councils internal procedures. This will include attending and contributing to Safeguarding meetings and supporting large scale provider enquiries as appropriate.
6 To be the Council's expert on the contracts within the post holder's responsibility in compliance with appropriate legislation, budgets and professional standards. This will include providing policy advice in respect of changes in legislation and national local trends. To contribute towards the development of Council corporate policies, procedures and practice.
7 Ensure that work undertaken throughout the commissioning lifecycle is in line with the requirements of the Corporate Risk Strategy, ensuring throughout each stage of the process that potential risks are identified, managed and minimised and escalated as appropriate.
8 Demonstrate, model and coach excellence in relationship management practice, developing and maintaining strong, strategic, positive working relationships to support collaboration across service areas, internal teams and with providers, key partners and system stakeholders. This will include developing partnership and collaborative working with regulators such as Care Quality Commission
9 Continuously looking for synergies and service improvements in area of responsibility, challenging the way services are delivered, presenting creative alternatives, managing services within allocated budgets and identifying where possible, additional efficiency and value for money savings.
10To represent the Council at a senior level and facilitate a range of high-level negotiations including dispute resolution, pricing, referral and allocation agreements between Partner Agencies and Providers as required. This will include developing and maintaining senior level relationships with strategic service providers supporting all contract and market related engagement.
11 Represent Lincolnshire County Council at internal and external meetings, seminars, training workshops and other related functions as required. Participate in any regional or national initiatives to share information on contract management, quality, risk management, commissioning and benchmark performance levels for the delivery of Council services.
12 Deliver specialist contracting input, intelligence and advice to commissioning programmes and projects. This will involve:
-
Contributing to the development and implementation of commissioning strategies and plans, ensuring that contracting issues and market considerations are fully addressed.
-
In collaboration with the Commissioning, Market Shaping and Procurement Officers, contribute market management insights and information to inform commissioning intentions and develop innovative market initiatives to support commissioning strategies and plans.
-
In conjunction with Commissioning, Procurement and Market Shaping Officers, support collaborative market management, shaping and engagement with providers within portfolio and relevant service category.
-
Strategic review of contracted services to support re-commissioning/de-commissioning decisions and service design.
-
Contribution and review of service specifications, design of contract management arrangements and appropriate contract terms and mechanisms.
-
Leading the design of performance management mechanisms within contracts including key performance indicators and provider data return requirements.
-
Contributing to collaborative development and embedding of new ways of working and organisational transformation.
o
13
To write complex Council Executive reports, briefing papers and presentations for a wide range of audiences on policy, strategy and operational issues including with regulated provision. The role will also engage with Elected Members/Senior Management and attend Executive, Scrutiny and relevant Committees.
14
Proactively take personal responsibility for remaining up to date and compliant with all relevant legislation, national policy, organisational procedures and policies, best practice, guidance, development and innovation within the broader health and social care sector and contract management discipline. Contribute to shared learning, professional development, training and coaching of colleagues and partners as appropriate.
15
The post holder is responsible for the planning, co-ordination and management of team resources including decisions on recruitment, conduct and capability issues of staff working across the designated service portfolio.
The post will provide line management and professional supervision to Senior Contract Officers (Grade 10) as required, including planning, checking, allocating work, appraisal and dealing with day-to-day capability and conduct to meet the overall requirements of the service.
The post will also provide strategic and day-to-day leadership as appropriate to deliver the team priorities and work plan. Coaching and mentoring teams and colleagues as appropriate to embed new ways of working and thinking. Deputising for the Strategic Contract, Assurance and Improvement Manager as appropriate and necessary.
Demonstrate and positively model behaviours aligned with the Councils values in all aspects of work activities, duties and responsibilities.
Job responsibilities
To provide strategic leadership and expert oversight of complex and high risk adult care and community wellbeing contracts, ensuring statutory compliance, financial sustainability, quality assurance and resilient markets.
The post will drive robust contract management, integrated commissioning, effective partnership working and service transformation to improve outcomes for residents and optimise Council resources.
1
To work with Commissioning Leads/Senior Officers across Adult Care and Community Wellbeing services to ensure all aspects of strategic commissioning and contract management activities meet statutory responsibilities, national, regional and local requirements to mitigate commercial, relationship, safeguarding, financial, quality and other related market risks. This will include leading the development of practices to deliver integrated services, partner working protocols and cross-border procedures.
2 To take strategic responsibility for managing a dedicated service portfolio including high risk, complex and strategically significant contracts across a range of health and social care statutory and non-statutory services.
This will include strategic oversight within allocated service portfolio for
-
Effective and robust contract management across service portfolio in line with legal and statutory requirements, national and local minimum quality standards, contract management strategies, frameworks, processes and values.
Robust management and oversight of contract spend, costs and allocated budgets within contract portfolio, identifying and responsive to financial viability concerns and where possible, opportunities for additional value for money saving.
Proactively ensuring all Providers are held to account for efficient and effective, high quality, value for money service delivery.
Ensure obligation matrix and service level risk, issue and development logs are in place for commissioned services within portfolio.
Contract escalations within service portfolio, contract defaults, directing and supporting commissioning reviews, provider failure and continuity arrangements.
Service-related incidents/feedback including strategic oversight of safeguarding themes, poor practice concerns, complaints and serious incidents.
Contract mobilisation and contract exit arrangements.
What you will do
To provide strategic leadership and expert oversight of complex and high risk adult care and community wellbeing contracts, ensuring statutory compliance, financial sustainability, quality assurance and resilient markets.
The post will drive robust contract management, integrated commissioning, effective partnership working and service transformation to improve outcomes for residents and optimise Council resources.
1
To work with Commissioning Leads/Senior Officers across Adult Care and Community Wellbeing services to ensure all aspects of strategic commissioning and contract management activities meet statutory responsibilities, national, regional and local requirements to mitigate commercial, relationship, safeguarding, financial, quality and other related market risks. This will include leading the development of practices to deliver integrated services, partner working protocols and cross-border procedures.
2 To take strategic responsibility for managing a dedicated service portfolio including high risk, complex and strategically significant contracts across a range of health and social care statutory and non-statutory services.
This will include strategic oversight within allocated service portfolio for
-
Effective and robust contract management across service portfolio in line with legal and statutory requirements, national and local minimum quality standards, contract management strategies, frameworks, processes and values.
-
Robust management and oversight of contract spend, costs and allocated budgets within contract portfolio, identifying and responsive to financial viability concerns and where possible, opportunities for additional value for money saving.
-
Proactively ensuring all Providers are held to account for efficient and effective, high quality, value for money service delivery.
-
Ensure obligation matrix and service level risk, issue and development logs are in place for commissioned services within portfolio.
-
Contract escalations within service portfolio, contract defaults, directing and supporting commissioning reviews, provider failure and continuity arrangements.
-
Service-related incidents/feedback including strategic oversight of safeguarding themes, poor practice concerns, complaints and serious incidents.
-
Contract mobilisation and contract exit arrangements.
-
Ensuring all contractual documentation is up to date with legislative requirements and change control procedures.
3 Collaboratively lead the development, implementation and review of contract management strategies, quality assurance frameworks and performance management processes to raise the quality-of-service provision.
4 Responsible for collating, and analyse contract monitoring activity, benchmarking costs, service improvements, efficiency gains and feed into commissioning programmes/projects to measure achievement against the commissioning outcomes as well as contributing to the Council's performance management framework.
5 Support the Council's statutory safeguarding and protection duties in accordance with contracts and the Councils internal procedures. This will include attending and contributing to Safeguarding meetings and supporting large scale provider enquiries as appropriate.
6 To be the Council's expert on the contracts within the post holder's responsibility in compliance with appropriate legislation, budgets and professional standards. This will include providing policy advice in respect of changes in legislation and national local trends. To contribute towards the development of Council corporate policies, procedures and practice.
7 Ensure that work undertaken throughout the commissioning lifecycle is in line with the requirements of the Corporate Risk Strategy, ensuring throughout each stage of the process that potential risks are identified, managed and minimised and escalated as appropriate.
8 Demonstrate, model and coach excellence in relationship management practice, developing and maintaining strong, strategic, positive working relationships to support collaboration across service areas, internal teams and with providers, key partners and system stakeholders. This will include developing partnership and collaborative working with regulators such as Care Quality Commission
9 Continuously looking for synergies and service improvements in area of responsibility, challenging the way services are delivered, presenting creative alternatives, managing services within allocated budgets and identifying where possible, additional efficiency and value for money savings.
10To represent the Council at a senior level and facilitate a range of high-level negotiations including dispute resolution, pricing, referral and allocation agreements between Partner Agencies and Providers as required. This will include developing and maintaining senior level relationships with strategic service providers supporting all contract and market related engagement.
11 Represent Lincolnshire County Council at internal and external meetings, seminars, training workshops and other related functions as required. Participate in any regional or national initiatives to share information on contract management, quality, risk management, commissioning and benchmark performance levels for the delivery of Council services.
12 Deliver specialist contracting input, intelligence and advice to commissioning programmes and projects. This will involve:
-
Contributing to the development and implementation of commissioning strategies and plans, ensuring that contracting issues and market considerations are fully addressed.
-
In collaboration with the Commissioning, Market Shaping and Procurement Officers, contribute market management insights and information to inform commissioning intentions and develop innovative market initiatives to support commissioning strategies and plans.
-
In conjunction with Commissioning, Procurement and Market Shaping Officers, support collaborative market management, shaping and engagement with providers within portfolio and relevant service category.
-
Strategic review of contracted services to support re-commissioning/de-commissioning decisions and service design.
-
Contribution and review of service specifications, design of contract management arrangements and appropriate contract terms and mechanisms.
-
Leading the design of performance management mechanisms within contracts including key performance indicators and provider data return requirements.
-
Contributing to collaborative development and embedding of new ways of working and organisational transformation.
o
13
To write complex Council Executive reports, briefing papers and presentations for a wide range of audiences on policy, strategy and operational issues including with regulated provision. The role will also engage with Elected Members/Senior Management and attend Executive, Scrutiny and relevant Committees.
14
Proactively take personal responsibility for remaining up to date and compliant with all relevant legislation, national policy, organisational procedures and policies, best practice, guidance, development and innovation within the broader health and social care sector and contract management discipline. Contribute to shared learning, professional development, training and coaching of colleagues and partners as appropriate.
15
The post holder is responsible for the planning, co-ordination and management of team resources including decisions on recruitment, conduct and capability issues of staff working across the designated service portfolio.
The post will provide line management and professional supervision to Senior Contract Officers (Grade 10) as required, including planning, checking, allocating work, appraisal and dealing with day-to-day capability and conduct to meet the overall requirements of the service.
The post will also provide strategic and day-to-day leadership as appropriate to deliver the team priorities and work plan. Coaching and mentoring teams and colleagues as appropriate to embed new ways of working and thinking. Deputising for the Strategic Contract, Assurance and Improvement Manager as appropriate and necessary.
Demonstrate and positively model behaviours aligned with the Councils values in all aspects of work activities, duties and responsibilities.
To provide strategic leadership and expert oversight of complex and high risk adult care and community wellbeing contracts, ensuring statutory compliance, financial sustainability, quality assurance and resilient markets.
The post will drive robust contract management, integrated commissioning, effective partnership working and service transformation to improve outcomes for residents and optimise Council resources.
1
To work with Commissioning Leads/Senior Officers across Adult Care and Community Wellbeing services to ensure all aspects of strategic commissioning and contract management activities meet statutory responsibilities, national, regional and local requirements to mitigate commercial, relationship, safeguarding, financial, quality and other related market risks. This will include leading the development of practices to deliver integrated services, partner working protocols and cross-border procedures.
2 To take strategic responsibility for managing a dedicated service portfolio including high risk, complex and strategically significant contracts across a range of health and social care statutory and non-statutory services.
This will include strategic oversight within allocated service portfolio for
-
Effective and robust contract management across service portfolio in line with legal and statutory requirements, national and local minimum quality standards, contract management strategies, frameworks, processes and values.
Robust management and oversight of contract spend, costs and allocated budgets within contract portfolio, identifying and responsive to financial viability concerns and where possible, opportunities for additional value for money saving.
Proactively ensuring all Providers are held to account for efficient and effective, high quality, value for money service delivery.
Ensure obligation matrix and service level risk, issue and development logs are in place for commissioned services within portfolio.
Contract escalations within service portfolio, contract defaults, directing and supporting commissioning reviews, provider failure and continuity arrangements.
Service-related incidents/feedback including strategic oversight of safeguarding themes, poor practice concerns, complaints and serious incidents.
Contract mobilisation and contract exit arrangements.
