Sheffield has always been a city of makers and shapers: practical, creative, collaborative and ambitious.Today, that spirit is reflected not only in the city itself, but in the way the Council is thinking about the future of public services. Through Future Sheffield, we are taking a forward-facing look at how we work, how we organise ourselves, and how we make the biggest possible difference for our communities.
This new role sits at the heart of that ambition.
Across the Council, commissioning, procurement and contract management touch almost every part of what we do. They influence the quality, value and sustainability of services; the relationships we build with providers and partners; the way we shape markets; and ultimately the outcomes experienced by residents. When an organisation is responsible for very significant public spend, the questions we ask need to go well beyond “how much?” and “how many?”. We need to understand need, demand, markets, delivery models, risk, value and impact, and bring those things together into a coherent strategic whole.
That is why we are creating this role.
This is not about responding to a burning platform. There is strong practice across Sheffield already, and we have many capable professionals who know their services and communities well. But there is also a major opportunity to bring greater clarity, consistency and strategic grip to commissioning, procurement and contract management across the organisation. We want to build a function that is expert, enabling and influential: a centre of excellence that supports services early, helps shape delivery strategies, and strengthens the Council’s ability to secure high-quality, value-for-money outcomes.
The successful candidate will need to bring technical credibility, commercial judgement and strategic insight. Just as importantly, they will need to bring the relational skill to work across boundaries with senior colleagues, elected Members, NHS partners, education providers, the voluntary and community sectors, regional bodies,
and beyond. This is a role for someone who understands that excellent commissioning is not simply a process. It is about people, partnerships, evidence, stewardship and culture. We’re looking for someone who can put in processes and who can shape, drive and have influence across the whole organisation.
You will be joining us at a point where there is real scope to shape something significant. The task is to align a diverse professional workforce behind a shared purpose, strengthen governance without creating unnecessary bureaucracy, build capability across the Council, and ensure that commissioning, procurement and contract management are fully connected to our wider ambitions for transformation, financial sustainability, social value and better resident outcomes.
We are open-minded about professional background. You may come from local government, the NHS, an integrated care system, another part of the public sector, or a complex organisation with comparable scale and purpose. What matters is your ability to think strategically about need and outcomes, work backwards into effective delivery models, shape markets, manage risk, and build the trust needed to make change work in practice.
This is a rare opportunity to build a function that will improve value for money, strengthen collaboration and directly influence the quality of services Sheffield residents receive. If that is the way you think, and if you want to help shape the next generation of public service commissioning, I would very much welcome your interest.
Greg Fell
Strategic Director, Public Health
& Integrated Commissioning
Sheffield City Council
When you’re spending ten figures a year, you need to be way beyond just asking ‘how many, and how much?’. So as part of our forward-facing Future Sheffield change programme, we’re taking a holistic look at what we really need to make the biggest difference to Sheffield’s communities. What are the drivers of supply and demand? How does the market we’re operating in work? How can our commissioning strategy and behaviour improve outcomes?
And if that’s the way you think too, we should talk.
This brand new role is designed to exemplify the next generation of public service commissioning. We’re taking a first-principles, wholly integrated approach to everything we procure, across all categories. System thinking will power the whole team, and you’ll be the person who brings it all together into a strategically elegant whole. Sound good?
Candidates will be at the top of their profession: technically astute, analytically impressive, relationally deft, and with the ability to take the biggest of big-picture views. You’ll have a track record of innovative commissioning, substantive market stewardship, and building a culture that transforms organisations.
For more information, please review the role profile below. Please note this role is closed and we are no longer accepting applications.
For a confidential discussion about the role please contact:
Zara Bruton
Email: zbruton@faerfield.co.ukHelen Sawbridge
Email: hsawbridge@faerfield.co.ukMartin Tucker
Email: mtucker@faerfield.co.ukOr call us on: 0121 312 3755
Indicative timetable:
Closing date for applications: Sunday 26 July 2026
Preliminary Interviews (via Teams): w/c 3 August 2026
Final Panel Interviews (in-person): w/c 7 September 2026
(Dates may be subject to slight change)Please let us know if there are any interview dates within the indicative timetable on which you are likely to be unavailable.
To apply for this job please click on the Apply button below and fill out the requested information. When prompted, please submit your CV and a Supporting Statement of no more than 1000 words.
With your CV, please also provide the names and contact details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be contacted if you reach the final stages, and we will not contact referees without your permission.
Your supporting statement should express why you are interested in this role and what experience you can bring to the organisation. The statement should tackle the specific requirements of the role; outlining examples and outcomes showing how you meet those requirements.