Universal Commissioning Manager

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

• Job Title: Universal Commissioning Manager
• Job Location: Shire Hall
• Salary: £60,532 - £63,895 per annum
• Hours per Week: 37.00
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Closing Date: 15/11/2026
• Job Requisition Number: 14980
• This post is not open to job share

Are you an experienced strategic leader passionate about shaping the future of education provision in Gloucestershire?

If so, the role of Universal Commissioning Manager could be the opportunity for you.

About the team and the role:

Our Education Planning and Infrastructure Service plays a vital role in ensuring that children and young people across Gloucestershire can access the right education provision and support.

As Universal Commissioning Manager, you will provide strategic leadership across the key key areas: school place planning & sufficiency; coordinated admissions; home-to-school transport & free school meals entitlement; and education capital investment.

You will lead the effective delivery of the Council’s statutory admissions responsibilities, ensuring fair access to school places and the efficient coordination of applications for children and families across the county. You will also provide strategic oversight of home-to-school transport & free school meals entitlement, shaping policy and service delivery to ensure eligible learners can access education through arrangements that are responsive, sustainable and provide value for money.

Alongside this, you will lead plans that respond to changing demand, housing growth and the needs of children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. You will oversee the necessary statutory approvals required to make changes to sufficiency provision. You will oversee a significant programme of education capital investment, ensuring projects deliver the right provision, achieve value for money and support the Council’s strategic priorities.

You will lead education input to the planning process, negotiating with developers and planning authorities to secure appropriate infrastructure and contributions through Section 106, the Community Infrastructure Levy and other mechanisms.

Working across the Council and with schools, academy trusts, dioceses, government departments and other partners, you will develop innovative and cost-effective solutions to complex education challenges. You will lead and develop high-performing teams, manage significant budgets and provide clear advice to senior officers and elected members.

About you

You will have the breadth of leadership experience to oversee complex statutory and customer-facing services, ensuring coordinated admissions and home-to-school transport are compliant, responsive and efficiently delivered, alongside the Council’s wider sufficiency and capital priorities, including playing a key role in the Council’s SEND reforms.

You will bring strategic insight, sound judgement and strong financial and commercial awareness. You will be confident operating in a complex political and partnership environment, balancing competing priorities while maintaining a clear focus on outcomes for children and young people.

An influential communicator and skilled negotiator, you will be able to build effective relationships with senior stakeholders, developers, planning authorities and education partners. You will also have the resilience, creativity and leadership skills needed to develop innovative solutions and deliver effectively within a challenging and changing environment.

Please read the job profile, which provides further information on the experience and attributes sought in our ideal candidate.

About us:

Hybrid working arrangements are available for many of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of remote and office working.

Joining us could mean access to these great benefits:

• Flexible and agile working opportunities
• 25.5 days’ annual leave, rising to 30.5 days after five years’ continuous service
• An option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year (pro rata for part-time staff)
• Family-friendly benefits to help support you and your family
• Career development and qualification opportunities
• A supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) , providing free confidential counselling and advice
• An in-house Occupational Health service
• Employee discount scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme (Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply)
• Green Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme (Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply)
• Access to employee networks, including Prism (LGBT+) network and the Young Employees Network

Eligibility criteria and terms and conditions apply to some benefits.

How to apply:

If you have the leadership, experience and ambition to make a positive difference to education provision across Gloucestershire, please submit your application and personal statement by clicking the “Apply Now” button.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Gareth Vine, Head of Education Planning and Infrastructure, at gareth.vine@gloucestershire.gov.uk or on 01452 427547.

Interview date: 30th November 2026

Additional Information

To access the Job Profile for this role, please follow the link below:-

Universal Commissioning Manager - Job Profile

Due to the number of applications we received, we are unable to provide feedback at shortlisting stage and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Applications from any Gloucestershire County Council's employees who are currently on the redeployment register or at risk of redundancy will be considered first at shortlisting stage.

The council is not currently able to offer sponsorship in this role. Candidates will need to have a right to work that enables them to commit to at least 6 months' employment. Right to work is not transferable from a sponsored role held with another employer. / The council will consider sponsorship for this role, in line with Home Office regulations and subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.

We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.