Regional Secretary

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 now seeking to recruit a Regional Secretary to lead the NEU North West and Northern Ireland region. As a member of the Senior Management Team, the Regional Secretary provides strategic leadership for the region, ensuring the union is a formidable force across the region, an inclusive organising union which builds strength in the workplace, promotes issue-based bargaining, supports members and elected officers.

We are seeking applicants with significant experience of leading and managing in a trade union environment, who can work strategically at senior leadership level to prepare, review and deliver organisational and team plans to agreed objectives and priorities.

The NEU is a dynamic education union, committed to shaping the future of education, improving educators’ rights and championing social justice. Prospective applicants will need to be committed to operating within the NEU’s culture; political, educational and legal contexts, being able to develop and maintain positive working relationships with external bodies and stakeholders, represent the NEU externally with credibility at a senior level to a range of audiences, and to manage productive relations with the media.

Prospective applicants are also advised that your normal place of work will be the NEU office specified in this advert. The NEU operates a ‘Blended Working Policy’ for office-based staff, which means staff will typically need to be based in the designated NEU office (for this post, that is in Bolton in the North West) for 3 days a week (based on a full-time contract), with the remaining days based at home, and subject to business needs. There will also be a requirement for occasional travel to Belfast.

The Regional Secretary will be required to manage their own time to ensure that they spend time in the regional office with travel across the region. Travel arrangements will be discussed in more detail at the interview stage.

In addition to salary, we offer good conditions including 35 days’ annual leave plus Christmas closure days and a generous pension scheme. Salary and benefits will be calculated pro-rata for part-time applicants.

Further details can be downloaded from our website at https://neu.org.uk/working-neu where applicants will also be able to complete an online application on our recruitment portal, by the stated closing date of midday Thursday 10th September 2026. Prospective applicants are also advised that interviews are likely to take place on Wednesday 30th September at our Hamilton House offices in London.

THE UNION IS FUNDAMENTALLY COMMITTED TO EQUAL OPPORTUNIES IN ITS POLICIES AND PRACTICE