Regional Officer

The National Education Union is a force for change in the world of education, bringing together more than 450,000 teachers, lecturers, support staff and leaders working in maintained and independent schools and colleges across the UK.

We are currently looking to recruit a Regional Officer in our South East office in Ardingly. This role is a maternity leave cover which we expect to be for approximately 1 year.

The Regional Officer role will contribute to the strength of the Union by efficiently and effectively supporting members, activists and lay officers in a defined geographical area and across the region when required.

In this role, you will be undertaking serious individual casework, including before external bodies where necessary, undertake negotiations with employers in a wide range of educational institutions whilst recruiting and supporting activists to take on the negotiations and motivate and support districts and branches in recruitment, bargaining, representation, equalities and organising work.

Additionally, you will assist in the delivery of national campaigns and training programmes in the region, closely working with other unions to deliver NEU priorities.

We are looking for applicants who have good knowledge of employment law and also knowledge, understanding and experience of Trade Union organising, together with sound analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.

Working collaboratively, you will need to develop and deliver work plans to meet agreed objectives and priorities, therefore strong organisational skills and an ability to manage own workload are essential in this role.

Furthermore, you will have excellent communications skills, coupled with good influencing and negotiating skills, being able to make strong, compelling arguments.

Prospective applicants should be aware that having a full and valid UK driving licence at the point of application is an essential requirement for this role and that the NEU will provide the successful applicant with a company car.

The Regional Officer role is a field-based role, with the expectation of being geographically mobile across the South East Region whilst being contractually based at the South East Regional Office, in Ardingly, West Sussex. There is also some opportunity to work from home, where the demands of the role permits.

In addition to salary, NEU offer good conditions including a non-superannuable luncheon allowance currently set at £1,308 (pro-rata for part-time roles), 35 days’ annual leave plus Christmas closure days and a defined benefit pension scheme.  Salary, benefits, annual leave and office closure days will be calculated pro-rata, for part-time applicant applicants.