Newcastle Organiser

Unions NSW; Newcastle; Hybrid; AUD 97,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave

Christmas leave

Time-off-in-lieu

Work vehicle

Campaign opportunities

Job summary

Independent Education Union of Australia – NSW/ACT Branch is seeking an organiser to recruit, engage and empower members across the Newcastle region. You will build workplace chapters, visit schools and interact with teachers and support staff to advocate for workers’ rights and collective outcomes.

You will provide advice and representation on industrial matters, with a focus on education professionals. Occasional evenings, weekends, and some overnight travel are required.

Qualifications

• Strong relationship building and communication skills.
• Ability to recruit, engage, and organise members.
• Experience advocating for or supporting people in workplace matters.
• Sound judgement, initiative, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work autonomously.
• Current driver’s license and willingness to travel throughout the region.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, organise, engage and empower members to build strong workplace chapters.
• Regularly visit educational workplaces and interact with teachers and support staff.
• Provide advice, advocacy and representation to members on workplace and employment matters.
• Work with workplace representatives to achieve collective outcomes and strengthen presence across the region.
• Occasional weekend/evening work and some overnight travel to visit schools located outside Newcastle.

Job description

Independent Education Union of Australia – NSW/ACT Branch

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

In this role, you will recruit, organise, engage and empower members to build strong workplace chapters, support union campaigns and improve outcomes for education workers. You will work closely with workplace representatives and members to identify issues, build collective action and strengthen the union’s presence across your region.

This hands‑on position will involve regularly visiting educational workplaces and interacting with teachers and support staff.

You will provide advice, advocacy and representation to members on a broad range of workplace and employment matters, including industrial, professional and workplace rights issues, while working with members to achieve collective outcomes.

A solid understanding of the challenges faced by teachers at all stages of their careers, along with familiarity with the current educational landscape, is highly desirable.

We will provide a thorough training and induction program.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for an outstanding communicator who can quickly build trust and strong workplace relationships. You will be organised, resilient and adaptable, with the ability to work independently while contributing positively to a team environment.

You may have experience in education, workplace relations, organising, advocacy, community engagement or campaigning. Most importantly, you will be committed to helping workers collectively improve their working lives and building active member participation in the union.

WHY THE IEU?

• Meaningful work supporting teachers and support staff.
• Additional annual leave and Christmas closedown leave.
• Monthly time‑off‑in‑lieu entitlement.
• Fully maintained vehicle for work purposes with limited personal use.
• Opportunity to contribute to campaigns that improve outcomes across the education sector.

Occasional weekend and evening work will be required. Some overnight travel will also be necessary to visit schools located outside Newcastle.

KEY SELECTION CRITERIA

To be successful, you will demonstrate:

• Strong relationship building and communication skills.
• The ability to recruit, engage, and organise members.
• Experience advocating for or supporting people in workplace matters.
• Sound judgement, initiative, and problem‑solving skills.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and work autonomously.
• A current driver’s license and willingness to travel throughout the region.

SALARY

Salary will be commensurate with skills and experience, on a range starting from $96,556 to over $140,000. Applicants from teaching backgrounds will find the salary structure comparable with promotional positions in schools.

The IEU welcomes applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences who share our commitment to improving the working lives of education professionals through collective action and strong workplace organisation.

For more information, please feel free to contact Dave Towson, Deputy Secretary on 8202 8900 or [e-mail] using the subject line: Newcastle Organiser enquiry via EthicalJobs.