Commissioning Officer

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated Commissioning Officer to join our progressive Strategic Commissioning Team at Birmingham Children’s Trust.

The team plays a pivotal role in using commissioning as a strategic lever to improve outcomes for Birmingham's children, young people and families, strengthen service sufficiency, and deliver sustainable value through high-quality, effective services.

Our Strategic Commissioning Team is structured around three key portfolios:

• Strategic and System Commissioning
• Children in Care and Corporate Commissioning
• Early Intervention and Prevention Commissioning

As a Commissioning Officer, you will work across these portfolios, supporting Commissioning Managers and the Head of Service in delivering a broad range of commissioning activities. This will include commissioning services, contract and performance management, stakeholder and service user engagement, market development, and service improvement initiatives.

You will play an important role in ensuring the team takes a coordinated and evidence-led approach to understanding needs, shaping services, influencing the provider market, and directing investment towards interventions that deliver the greatest impact for children, young people, and families.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about improving outcomes, enjoys working collaboratively with partners and providers, and wants to contribute to the delivery of high-quality, effective services across Birmingham.

About you:

The postholder will support activity across all stages of the Commissioning Cycle, whilst building effective stakeholder relationships and managing a diverse portfolio of contracts.

While experience within children's services commissioning is not essential, applicants will need to demonstrate relevant commissioning knowledge and experience. The successful candidate will bring a positive, proactive approach, applying their expertise to deliver a high-quality service and confidently represent the Strategic Commissioning Team across a range of internal and external forums.

This varied role offers exposure to a broad range of commissioning, contract management and engagement activities. Responsibilities will include coordinating contract monitoring and review meetings, leading engagement sessions with children, young people, families and partners to inform service design and improvement, analysing performance and outcomes data, and supporting the development and delivery of commissioning projects that improve outcomes for Birmingham's children, young people and families. The attached job description and person specification provide further information. We have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.

This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.

Additional Information Interviews will be held in person week commencing 9 November 2026. Please provide a CV and Supporting Statement with your application. The Supporting Statement must demonstrate how you meet the requirements for this post. For further information about this role, please contact Natasha Bhandal (Commissioning Manager) via email on Natasha.Bhandal@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk Onboarding Process Please note as part of our onboarding process, the successful candidate will be required undergo a series of background checks with Experian including Experian DBS, Experian Right to Work, and Digital ID verification. These are essential pre-employment requirements.
Our Benefits

• A generous annual leave package of 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 5 years of service and 35 days after 10 years of service.
• Free on-site parking at our offices on One Avenue Road (Aston) and Lifford House (Stirchley). We also provide onsite electric car charging ports which are free to use!
• Full access to our amazing internal employee benefits scheme including, Occupational Health services, Rewards Schemes, Benefits discounts (including the Blue Light Card), Health & Fitness and Personal Wellbeing support and much more!
• Flexible and hybrid working policy - we are well adapted to a hybrid model of working which includes a combination of time spent in the office and at home and we offer a variety of working patterns.
• Pension Scheme - You will receive a generous local government career average pension scheme in line with the local government pension scheme.

Don't miss out! We reserve the right to close this vacancy early once we have received the required number of applications. To avoid disappointment, please submit your application and supporting statement at the earliest opportunity.

Benefits

Help us to change children and young people’s lives!

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city’s most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Please note: We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore encourage you to submit your application and supporting statement as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this opportunity.

Our Values

We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.

We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.

Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.

Safeguarding

At Birmingham Children’s Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.

The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.

We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.