Area Organiser – South East region

ccsunison; Woking; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

UNISON is looking for enthusiastic, flexible and resourceful individuals to develop activists and build sustainable branches across Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas. Successful candidates will drive recruitment and organising initiatives, train stewards, undertake case work and mentor branch officers in representation and negotiation.

This field-based role requires travel within the South East, including to the Woking Office, with

Qualifications

• Experience in recruitment and organising campaigns.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Understanding of UNISON policies and objectives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver recruitment and organising initiatives and campaigns in UNISON branches.
• Train and develop stewards and branch officers and provide mentoring in representation and negotiation.
• Undertake case work, advise and support members, and travel within the South East region including to the Woking Office and occasionally to London.

Job description

UNISON is looking for enthusiastic, flexible and resourceful individuals to help develop activists and build sustainable branches. Our region covers Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas

The successful candidates will bring their experience and skills to the role and be able to develop and deliver recruitment and organising initiatives and campaigns in our branches, train and develop stewards, undertake case work, advise, support and mentor branch officers and stewards in representation and negotiation.

You will have excellent presentation and communication skills, both face to face and on paper. A sound understanding of trade unions and their objectives is essential along with a good understanding of UNISON's policies and objectives.

The ideal candidate will possess strong skills in one to one communication, practical problem solving, persuasion, perseverance, and self motivation. You will be able to develop and deliver recruitment and organising initiatives and campaigns in our branches, support negotiations, train and develop stewards, undertake case work, advise and mentor branch officers and stewards in representation and negotiation.

While previous experience as a negotiator, organiser, or campaigner within a trade union, political or community organisation is desirable, transferrable skills are also welcomed. Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of our union's values and objectives.

The South East region aims to represent and reflect the entire public sector in the South East, we support and encourage applications from underrepresented groups, including those from Black, Asian and non white backgrounds. This ensures our union truly reflects our members, the community, and public sector workers, reaching those who need us most. In UNISON, 'Black' with a capital B is used to indicate people with a shared history. 'Black' is used in a broad political and inclusive sense to describe people in the UK who have suffered from colonialism and enslavement in the past and continue to experience racism and diminished opportunities in today’s society. This includes people of African, Caribbean, Asian, Arab, and other heritage.

This is a field-based role and whilst we aim to allocate work to reduce travel time, you will need to be able to travel in and around the South East region as required, including to our Woking Office where our organisers are based, and occasionally to London for training, meetings, or other purposes.

The closing date for completed applications is11.59pm Sunday 22 November 2026.

Interviews will be held on8 & 9 December 2026.

UNISON is the UK's leading public services trade union, with over 1.3 million members working in the public sector, private, voluntary and community sectors and in the energy services. We employ approximately 1,200 staff, with around 370 at our national centre in Euston in central London and the remainder in our 12 regions across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

UNISON is a dynamic, progressive union, committed to equality. We encourage men and women of all ages, Black and minority ethnic groups, disabled people, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to work with us.

Starting salary: £48,787 per annum, plus £3,629 annual subsistence allowance

Job reference: R9/78, R9/93 and R9/35

UNISON in numbers

• UNISON has more than 1.3 million members and activists, making us one of Europe’s largest unions
• More than 70% of our members are women
• UNISON is spread over 12 UK regions
• UNISON has more than 1,000 UNISON UK branches