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