Assistant National Officer - Health Service Group

UNISON is a trade union with just under half a million members employed across a wide range of occupations in the health service in the four parts of the UK.  

We work collectively with other unions to represent and advance the interests of health workers with governments, policymakers and employers.

Our central Health Service Group team plays a leading role in Industrial Relations in the NHS and works with our regions and other central teams to win improvements for the whole healthcare workforce.

Assistant National Officers are based in our London headquarters (with access to hybrid working arrangements) and support the following types of work:

• Overseeing campaigns and projects run through our national committees and branches. For example, fighting workplace discrimination and inequality, and building job evaluation capacity.
• Commissioning/conducting research, producing reports and providing analysis of data from a range of sources to inform and boost our policy positions.
• Producing materials and providing advice and guidance to support the democratic structures of the union.
• Organising training and development sessions linked to the recruitment and organisation of members and representatives.
• Working with National Officers to negotiate with employers and governments.
• Supporting our engagement with policymakers on health workforce issues including through the NHS Social Partnership Forum.

ANOs also ensure the smooth running of committees and forums by preparing reports, briefings, agendas and minutes.

We are looking for an Assistant National Officer to join our Health Service Group team.

The Person

The person we are looking for will support our NHS pay campaign work; help deliver our nursing and midwifery work programme and lead on our healthcare student recruitment strategy. They will work with our NHS job evaluation (JE) lead to build JE capacity in our health branches and regions. They will also help co-ordinate our ‘Value nurses fairly’ pay banding campaign as well as being involved in a wide range of other policy and campaign initiatives.

Are you:

• Able to deploy good digital, research and technical skills to develop reports, tools and visual representations of data, and intelligence to support formal consultations on pay and policy?
• A good communicator in person, in writing and over social media?
• Willing to share and develop your expertise in policy or industrial relations issues for staff employed in the health service?

If so, we would love to hear from you!  

Our ideal candidate will also have experience of working in a membership environment; understand democratic structures and processes; and have a developed knowledge of parliamentary and policy-making systems in the UK.

We are particularly keen to receive applications from underrepresented groups especially those with protected characteristics.  

For further information and to apply please visit www.unison.org.uk/jobs

To apply for this opportunity, please download and complete the General application form referring to the job description and person specification

Please note that only the relevant application form will be accepted.  
CVs will not be accepted.  

The completed application form along with the Recruitment and Disability Monitoring Form should be returned by e-mail to healthrecruitment@unison.co.uk quoting reference: BNE/36T on your application form.

Please save your documents starting with your full name in the document name.

Closing date for applications is 5pm on Tuesday 7 July 2026

The interviews will be held on 12 and 13 August 2026 at UNISON Centre in London

About UNISON
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.