Job summary

The Associate Director of Integrated Commissioning provides strategic leadership across health, social care, and wider public services to design, develop, and deliver high-quality, person-centred commissioning arrangements. The role drives a unified, outcome focused approach to planning and purchasing services, ensuring commissioning activity aligns with population needs, supports prevention, and delivers value for money quality, person centred commissioning arrangements. The role drives a unified, outcome centred commissioning arrangements. The role drives a unified, outcome-focused approach to planning and purchasing focused approach to planning and purchasing services, ensuring commissioning activity aligns with population needs, supports prevention, and delivers value for money.

Main duties of the job

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Portfolio responsibilities may vary and adapt over time to respond to the needs and strategic priorities of the ICB/ICS. However, the postholder is expected to fulfil the following key functions:

• Strategic Leadership & System Integration
• Commissioning Cycle & Service Redesign
• Market Shaping & Provider Development
• Procurement & Commercial
• Population Health, Inequalities & Prevention
• Co-production & Engagement-Production & Engagement
• Partnership & System Working
• Data, Analytics & Insights
• Digital, Technology & Innovation
• Leadership of Commissioning Function

About us

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside serves a population of over 2.7 million people across nine localities, working with 16 NHS provider organisations, 51 Primary Care Networks, local authorities and voluntary sector partners.

We are proud of Cheshire and Merseyside's record of collaborative working and there are countless examples of brilliant care, but there are also examples of variation in service which only serve to exacerbate health inequalities.

Our vision is for everyone in Cheshire and Merseyside to have a great start in life and get the support they need to stay healthy and live longer.

We will do this by working together, as equal partners, to support seamless, person-centred care and tackle health inequalities by improving the lives of the poorest fastest.

Our values are rooted in the NHS Constitution, and we strive to create a compassionate, collaborative and innovative culture where staff can thrive and make a real difference to local communities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & System Integration

• Shape and lead integrated commissioning strategies across health, social care and public health.
• Drive whole system transformation programmes focused on prevention, inequalities, and improved outcomes.
• Align commissioning intentions with JSNA, population health insights and system priorities.
• Develop shared outcome frameworks with system partners.
• Champion integrated pathways across primary care, community, acute, mental health and social care.
• Lead strategic options appraisals and commissioning roadmaps.

Commissioning Cycle & Service Redesign

• Lead the full commissioning cycle: needs analysis, service design, procurement, contracting and evaluation.
• Drive service redesign to improve quality, flow, outcomes, and productivity.
• Embed evidence-based practice, best practice and lived experience insight into commissioning based practice, best practice and lived experience insight into commissioning.
• Commission integrated pathways across prevention, community support, complex needs and specialist services.
• Lead pilots and scale up successful innovations.Ensure impact assessments inform commissioning decisions.

Market Shaping & Provider Development

• Shape a sustainable provider market across NHS, local authority, independent and VCSE sectors.
• Publish and update market position statements and provider engagement strategies.
• Develop outcome-based commissioning models and alliances where appropriate based commissioning models and alliances where appropriate.
• Lead complex contract negotiations and provider engagement on improvement and innovation.
• Oversee provider capability building in quality, digital and workforce development.
• Manage provider risk, market fragility and contingency planning.

Procurement & Commercial

• Lead strategic commissioning procurements aligned to service redesign goals.
• Develop commercial strategies including outcome-based specifications and payment models based specifications and payment models.
• Engage the market in pre-procurement dialogue and systemwide commercial opportunities procurement dialogue and system wide commercial opportunities.
• Lead evaluation processes and ensure high-quality specifications reflect user needs quality specifications reflect user needs.

Population Health, Inequalities & Prevention

• Use PHM tools and segmentation to inform commissioning priorities.
• Commission targeted interventions addressing inequalities and access barriers.
• Embed prevention, early help and strengths-based models within commissioned pathways based models within commissioned pathways.
• Ensure services are culturally competent and inclusive.

Co-production & Engagement Production & Engagement

• Lead co production with people with lived experience to shape commissioning intentions.
• Establish and maintain panels, forums and networks that inform service design.
• Work closely with VCSE partners to embed community insight and co delivery models.
• Provide visible leadership in public engagement on service change.

Partnership & System Working

• Build strong system partnerships across local authorities, ICB, providers and VCSE.
• Represent commissioning at system boards, programme groups and partnership forums.
• Support joint commissioning approaches and shared investment models.
• Resolve cross organisational commissioning challenges and unblock system barriers organisational commissioning challenges and unblock system barriers.

Data, Analytics & Insights

• Use data, evidence and PHM analytics to shape commissioning priorities and service specifications.
• Use demand modelling, forecasting and outcome metrics to inform commissioning decisions.
• Apply evaluation methodologies to assess service impact and inform improvement.

Digital, Technology & Innovation

• Promote the role of digital tools, assisted technology and data enabled care models within commissioned services enabled care models within commissioned services.
• Evaluate new technologies and innovations for system wide adoption.
• Ensure digital inclusion is embedded within commissioning frameworks.

Leadership of Commissioning Function

• Provide professional leadership for the commissioning discipline.
• Build capability within commissioning teams, ensuring modern commissioning practice.
• Champion collaborative, inclusive, system focused working cultures across commissioning focused working cultures across commissioning

Operational Responsibility

• Responsible for strategic and operational management for a major area of activity, for example, an operational or geographical division or specialist management unit
• Responsible for compiling business plan, developing strategy for area of activity, ensuring implementation and that performance targets, strategic objectives are met; contributes to corporate policies and strategy.
• Responsible for staff and budgetary management.

Financial and Physical Resources Responsibility

• Budget holder; budget setting for several services
• Holds budgets for a major area of activity, monitors budgets, responsible for overall budget setting for major area of activity

Human Resources Responsibility

• Line manager for single function, department / several departmentsInformation Management Responsibility
• Regularly use software to develop reports; responsible for 1 or more information systems
• Updates information system/ uses software to develop performance management reports, responsible for performance management or similar systems

Planning and Organisation Responsibility

• Formulate long term strategic plans, involving uncertainly, impact on organisation
• Develops business plan, strategy for area of activity, makes major contribution to corporate policies and strategy

Policy and Service Development Responsibility

• Responsible for policy implementation and development for a directorate or equivalent
• Leads the development of policies and procedures for a major area of activity, ensures compliance with the corporate policies

Research and Development Responsibility

• Occasionally/ regularly undertake R & D
• Undertakes surveys as necessary to own work

Freedom to Act

• Works within general policies, need to establish interpretation/required to interpret overall health service policy and strategy
• Lead manager for a major area of activity

Analytical and Judgemental Responsibility

• Highly complex facts or situations requiring analysis, interpretation, comparison of a range of options.
• Analyses performance of area of activity in relation to performance targets, strategic objectives; develop strategies, business plans, advice in areas where expert opinion differs

Communication Responsibility

• Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information; barriers to understanding; present complex, sensitive or contentious information to large groups/ communicate in hostile, antagonistic atmosphere
• Communicates with internal staff and external agencies to ensure compliance with performance targets, strategic objectives. Involves negotiation and diplomacy; undertakes presentations to staff groups and the public/ conveys highly contentious information in atmosphere of proposed major chang

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties, which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with their manager. This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements, and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. It will be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on an annual basis.

Job description
Job responsibilities

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & System Integration

• Shape and lead integrated commissioning strategies across health, social care and public health.
• Drive whole system transformation programmes focused on prevention, inequalities, and improved outcomes.
• Align commissioning intentions with JSNA, population health insights and system priorities.
• Develop shared outcome frameworks with system partners.
• Champion integrated pathways across primary care, community, acute, mental health and social care.
• Lead strategic options appraisals and commissioning roadmaps.

Commissioning Cycle & Service Redesign

• Lead the full commissioning cycle: needs analysis, service design, procurement, contracting and evaluation.
• Drive service redesign to improve quality, flow, outcomes, and productivity.
• Embed evidence-based practice, best practice and lived experience insight into commissioning based practice, best practice and lived experience insight into commissioning.
• Commission integrated pathways across prevention, community support, complex needs and specialist services.
• Lead pilots and scale up successful innovations.Ensure impact assessments inform commissioning decisions.

Market Shaping & Provider Development

• Shape a sustainable provider market across NHS, local authority, independent and VCSE sectors.
• Publish and update market position statements and provider engagement strategies.
• Develop outcome-based commissioning models and alliances where appropriate based commissioning models and alliances where appropriate.
• Lead complex contract negotiations and provider engagement on improvement and innovation.
• Oversee provider capability building in quality, digital and workforce development.
• Manage provider risk, market fragility and contingency planning.

Procurement & Commercial

• Lead strategic commissioning procurements aligned to service redesign goals.
• Develop commercial strategies including outcome-based specifications and payment models based specifications and payment models.
• Engage the market in pre-procurement dialogue and systemwide commercial opportunities procurement dialogue and system wide commercial opportunities.
• Lead evaluation processes and ensure high-quality specifications reflect user needs quality specifications reflect user needs.

Population Health, Inequalities & Prevention

• Use PHM tools and segmentation to inform commissioning priorities.
• Commission targeted interventions addressing inequalities and access barriers.
• Embed prevention, early help and strengths-based models within commissioned pathways based models within commissioned pathways.
• Ensure services are culturally competent and inclusive.

Co-production & Engagement Production & Engagement

• Lead co production with people with lived experience to shape commissioning intentions.
• Establish and maintain panels, forums and networks that inform service design.
• Work closely with VCSE partners to embed community insight and co delivery models.
• Provide visible leadership in public engagement on service change.

Partnership & System Working

• Build strong system partnerships across local authorities, ICB, providers and VCSE.
• Represent commissioning at system boards, programme groups and partnership forums.
• Support joint commissioning approaches and shared investment models.
• Resolve cross organisational commissioning challenges and unblock system barriers organisational commissioning challenges and unblock system barriers.

Data, Analytics & Insights

• Use data, evidence and PHM analytics to shape commissioning priorities and service specifications.
• Use demand modelling, forecasting and outcome metrics to inform commissioning decisions.
• Apply evaluation methodologies to assess service impact and inform improvement.

Digital, Technology & Innovation

• Promote the role of digital tools, assisted technology and data enabled care models within commissioned services enabled care models within commissioned services.
• Evaluate new technologies and innovations for system wide adoption.
• Ensure digital inclusion is embedded within commissioning frameworks.

Leadership of Commissioning Function

• Provide professional leadership for the commissioning discipline.
• Build capability within commissioning teams, ensuring modern commissioning practice.
• Champion collaborative, inclusive, system focused working cultures across commissioning focused working cultures across commissioning

Operational Responsibility

• Responsible for strategic and operational management for a major area of activity, for example, an operational or geographical division or specialist management unit
• Responsible for compiling business plan, developing strategy for area of activity, ensuring implementation and that performance targets, strategic objectives are met; contributes to corporate policies and strategy.
• Responsible for staff and budgetary management.

Financial and Physical Resources Responsibility

• Budget holder; budget setting for several services
• Holds budgets for a major area of activity, monitors budgets, responsible for overall budget setting for major area of activity

Human Resources Responsibility

• Line manager for single function, department / several departmentsInformation Management Responsibility
• Regularly use software to develop reports; responsible for 1 or more information systems
• Updates information system/ uses software to develop performance management reports, responsible for performance management or similar systems

Planning and Organisation Responsibility

• Formulate long term strategic plans, involving uncertainly, impact on organisation
• Develops business plan, strategy for area of activity, makes major contribution to corporate policies and strategy

Policy and Service Development Responsibility

• Responsible for policy implementation and development for a directorate or equivalent
• Leads the development of policies and procedures for a major area of activity, ensures compliance with the corporate policies

Research and Development Responsibility

• Occasionally/ regularly undertake R & D
• Undertakes surveys as necessary to own work

Freedom to Act

• Works within general policies, need to establish interpretation/required to interpret overall health service policy and strategy
• Lead manager for a major area of activity

Analytical and Judgemental Responsibility

• Highly complex facts or situations requiring analysis, interpretation, comparison of a range of options.
• Analyses performance of area of activity in relation to performance targets, strategic objectives; develop strategies, business plans, advice in areas where expert opinion differs

Communication Responsibility

• Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information; barriers to understanding; present complex, sensitive or contentious information to large groups/ communicate in hostile, antagonistic atmosphere
• Communicates with internal staff and external agencies to ensure compliance with performance targets, strategic objectives. Involves negotiation and diplomacy; undertakes presentations to staff groups and the public/ conveys highly contentious information in atmosphere of proposed major chang

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties, which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with their manager. This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements, and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. It will be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on an annual basis.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Training & Experience

Essential

• Educated to master's level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in integrated commissioning
• Extensive knowledge and expertise of integrated commissioning gained over a significant period
• Proven and significant leadership experience
• Proven experience of leading and delivering complex change and strategy development programmes in a politically sensitive and complex environment

Skills

Essential

• Dynamic personality and the ability to build trusted stakeholder relationships and wide support networks in a political context
• Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate initiatives
• Leadership, vision, strategic thinking, and planning with highly developed political skills
• Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium, and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly

Desirable

• Experience of project and programme management techniques and tools such as Prince 2 or Managing Successful Projects

Equality & Diversity

Essential

• Will consider the most effective way to promote equality of opportunity and good working relationships in employment and service delivery and has the ability to take actions which support and promote this agenda.

Person Specification
Knowledge, Training & Experience

Essential

• Educated to master's level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in integrated commissioning
• Extensive knowledge and expertise of integrated commissioning gained over a significant period
• Proven and significant leadership experience
• Proven experience of leading and delivering complex change and strategy development programmes in a politically sensitive and complex environment

Skills

Essential

• Dynamic personality and the ability to build trusted stakeholder relationships and wide support networks in a political context
• Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate initiatives
• Leadership, vision, strategic thinking, and planning with highly developed political skills
• Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium, and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly

Desirable

• Experience of project and programme management techniques and tools such as Prince 2 or Managing Successful Projects

Equality & Diversity

Essential

• Will consider the most effective way to promote equality of opportunity and good working relationships in employment and service delivery and has the ability to take actions which support and promote this agenda.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board
Address

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Headquarters (with travel across Cheshire and Merseyside)

No 1 Lakeside 920 Centre Park

Warrington

WA1 1QY

United Kingdom

Employer's website