National Officer – Education and Children’s Services

Unison; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

London Weighting allowance

Job summary

UNISON is seeking a National Officer – Education and Children’s Services to lead policy and bargaining at UK level, engaging employers, government and industry bodies.

You’ll provide leadership to branches and lay member structures, respond to consultations, run campaigns on education issues and represent UNISON publicly.

Location: UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AY. Permanent contract, 35 hours per week. Starting salary £57,826 plus £7,170 London Weighting.

Qualifications

• Influence strategy and solutions in a large, complex organisation.
• Analyse complex information including legal, statistical and financial data.
• Operate in a political environment and understand trade unions at national/local level.
• Lead in a union context with lay member structures and allocate resources.
• Research employment law and prepare salary and employment claims.
• Promote ideas in difficult situations and manage conflicts.
• Lead strategic campaigns and external advocacy.
• Influence at all levels and engage with media and stakeholders.
• Exercise discretion and initiative in decision making.
• Plan, monitor progress and manage budgets for projects.
• Proficient with ICT including Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Lead national negotiations with employers, employer bodies and government.
• Provide leadership and guidance to the union across regions, branches and lay members.
• Respond to government consultations and legislation and lead campaigns.
• Represent UNISON externally and with outside bodies and media.
• Manage projects with clear objectives, timeframes and budgets.
• Monitor progress and ensure effective evaluation and delivery.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Negotiation

Policy analysis

Campaigning

Public speaking / media handling

Project management

Communication skills

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

National Officer – Education and Children’s Services

If you have the leadership, analytical and communication skills to influence strategic initiatives and solutions in a large, complex organisation, this is your opportunity to make a real impact on policymaking, bargaining, campaigning and organising

UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AY.

UNISON is the public service union. We bring together the voices of over 1.3 million workers in local government, health, education and outsourced services. Our 1,200 staff work across 12 UK regions and our national centre in London. Regional offices support the work of local branches, helping to represent, recruit, organise and retain members – as well as making key contributions in areas such as campaigning, strategies for negotiation and bargaining, and actions against discrimination.

The National Officer is a key member of the central UNISON team leading on policy and bargaining within Education & Children’s Services at a UK level. We have more than 300,000 members across education and children's services, covering early years, schools, 6th form colleges, further education, higher education, careers services and Ofsted.

In this role, you’ll be undertaking national negotiations with employers, employer bodies and government, as well as providing leadership, support and guidance to the union – both at a national planning and policy development level and across the regions, branches and lay member structures. You’ll respond to government consultations and legislation, lead campaigns on education issues, and represent UNISON externally, with outside bodies and in the media.

What we’re looking for..

• Ability to contribute to and influence strategic initiatives and solutions in a large and complex organisation.
• Ability to analyse complex information, including legal, statistical and financial.
• A high level understanding of and ability to operate in the political environment, including the role of trade unions at national and local level.
• Good leadership skills, gained in a trade union environment, with a proven ability to work with a lay member structure and to motivate, delegate, build teams and manage resources.
• Knowledge of current sector issues and key areas of employment law with the ability to research and prepare salary and other employment claims.
• Experience of promoting ideas in difficult situations and managing conflict.
• Experience of strategic campaigning.
• Experience of influencing people at all levels, internally and externally, including the ability to influence and respond to national media using presentation and writing skills.
• Proven use of discretion and individual initiative in making and implementing decisions.
• Ability to manage projects, including planning and evaluation, time and budget management, setting clear objectives and monitoring progress.
• Knowledge of ICT packages including Microsoft Office suite.

Location: UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AY.

Contract type: Permanent

Weekly hours: 35

Starting salary: £57,826 per annum, plus £7,170 London Weighting allowance

Job reference: BNE/85

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