Commissioning Service Manager (reference: SCC/TP/288915/4547)

• Location: Victoria Gate, Woking, GU21 6JD

We are committed to the development of our workforce.This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This position has a starting salary of £70,975 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.

This is a secondment opportunity until 31st March 2027. Please discuss with your current Line Manager before submitting your application.

We are excited to be hiring a SEND Education and Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) Commissioning Service Manager to join our vibrant and committed Commissioning team based at Victoria Gate in Woking. You'll be joining colleagues who genuinely care about making a difference, working together in a collaborative, compassionate and supportive environment.

This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between collaborating together in the office and working from home. The ability to travel to venues and educational settings across Surrey is crucial to the role.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

This is a pivotal role within CFL Commissioning for AND & Social Care, right at the heart of Surrey's Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Directorate (CFLL). Here, you'll help shape and deliver the continued transformation of SEND services, guided by Surrey County Council's priorities and the needs of local children, young people and families.

As the SEND Education and PfA Service Manager, you will provide strategic leadership to a diverse service made up of operational teams and specialist commissioning functions. Your work will ensure that children and young people receive high quality, timely and appropriate support - and that Surrey continues to meet its statutory duties.

A key part of your role will be steering the service through cost containment and savings ambitions, while maintaining a clear focus on outcomes for children. You'll communicate progress confidently to senior leaders and councillors, and build strong partnerships with other services.

This is a challenging role, but it's also highly rewarding. Every day you'll see the impact your leadership has on the experiences and opportunities of the young people we serve. The work is varied and fast paced, so you'll thrive if you enjoy problem solving, thinking creatively and bringing people together around shared goals.

As a Commissioning Service Manager, you will:

• Lead and develop four core commissioning teams, including: SEND Admissions, SEND Placements (including Alternative Provision Placement Officers), Contract & Provider Management, SEND in Care / Coming Home Project
• Drive strategic and operational performance, including: Delivering cost containment and savings targets, reporting clearly through KPIs, leadership updates and contributions to the Safety Valve return, and ensuring all statutory responsibilities are fulfilled
• Shape and oversee specialist education provision, including: Specialist schools and specialist centres, the annual high needs place change funding process and the development of new specialist provision
• Strengthen relationships and partnerships by working with providers across all sectors of education provision, building strong collaborative relationships that support service improvement and innovation
• Lead key operational processes including overseeing the annual key stage transfer process and in year specialist placement movement, ensuring high occupancy of the specialist estate and robust funding oversight
• Drive improvement and alignment by leading process and policy development across all teams, responding to national changes, Ofsted priorities and Surrey's strategic direction
• Communicate with impact by producing clear and insightful briefings, decision reports and performance submissions

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours :

• Excellent communication and relationship building skills, with the ability to engage positively with a wide range of partners
• Strong collaborative approach, working confidently with colleagues in education settings and local services
• Experience managing busy operational teams, with the ability to track and drive performance against key KPIs
• A solid understanding of SEND operations, including the legal frameworks that shape SEND and Education delivery
• Experience working within the SEND Code of Practice, particularly around key stage transfers and movement of pupils with EHCPs
• Confidence communicating with senior leaders and councillors on areas of high priority
• Creativity, adaptability and pace, with the ability to identify opportunities and deliver solutions

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

• Please describe a time when you have led busy operational teams with a SEND or School Placements focus? How did you keep the team working at pace, and how did you communicate the performance and progress against KPIs?
• Please tell us about a time you have successfully worked across services within Children, Families & Lifelong Learning, or other directorates. Describe why this was successful, what barriers you came across and what was your approach to mitigating these?
• Please describe your approach to leading a busy service with multiple deadliness and different focuses? How would you ensure you are organised, how you would communicate progress and how would you ensure you are communicating with the right people at the right time?
• What do you think will be the key priorities/challenges within the first 6 months of the role?

This advert closes at 23:59 on Sunday 22nd February 2026 with interviews to follow shortly after.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and Our Life at Surrey Handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.