Senior SEND Commissioning Manager Full Time NEW

Salary: £53,460 – £56,681 a year plus £3,203 car benefit allowance

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

Luton is ambitious for working with our partners and parent/carers to deliver the best possible outcomes for all of our children and young people, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. You would be joining a passionate and forward thinking team already transforming the lived experience of our children within an inclusive system focusing on providing the best start in life and transition into adulthood.

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior SEND Commissioning Manager to lead the commissioning, market development and performance oversight of SEND services for children and young people aged 0–25.

The role is a key role within our SEND Transformation as part of the National SEND Reform programme. The postholder will be responsible for commissioning services for children and young people with SEND along with specialist support across our Partnership including health, education and social care and with schools, colleges and early years settings. The role will also manage the contractual relationship with our commissioned services working within an inclusive Partnership and have a key role in ensuring compliance and delivery of agreed outcomes. You will ensure services are needs-led, evidence-based, financially sustainable and compliant with statutory requirements.

The postholder will lead the development of a sustainable and responsive SEND marketplace, embed co-production and evidence-informed decision-making, and support the implementation of local SEND priorities and national SEND reforms. This role offers the opportunity to shape future provision, strengthen local services and improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

About You

You will be an experienced commissioning professional with a strong track record in SEND, children’s services, or a comparable strategic role within a complex public sector or partnership environment. You will bring significant experience of working at a system level, influencing change across education, health, social care, schools and the voluntary sector, often without direct line-management or budget-holding responsibility.

You will have expertise in needs assessment, demand analysis, service reviews and options appraisals, using a range of quantitative and qualitative evidence to inform strategic commissioning decisions. Strong analytical skills are essential, with the ability to interpret complex data, identify emerging trends, risks and future pressures, and translate insight into clear, evidence-based recommendations.

You will be comfortable managing complexity, ambiguity and competing priorities, exercising sound professional judgement in challenging situations. With highly developed negotiation and influencing skills, you will build effective relationships and secure positive outcomes with senior stakeholders and partners. You will also be confident leading sensitive and sometimes contentious discussions with tact, diplomacy and professionalism.

A strong understanding of the SEND agenda is essential, including the commissioning cycle, market development, quality assurance, performance monitoring and outcomes-based commissioning. You will understand how commissioning can be used to reduce inequalities, improve outcomes and respond to changing demand, market pressures and system risks. Knowledge of national SEND reforms and their implications for local systems is highly desirable.

You will hold a relevant postgraduate qualification, or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience, alongside a commitment to continuous professional development and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

About Us

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough

Application Process

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

Benefits

We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 19.2 per cent (at April 2026) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel

How To Apply

We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!

Our ‘How to apply’ page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply