UNISON
Job Brief: National Conference Organiser - Executive Office
Introduction
UNISON is Britain’s leading trade union, with over 1.3 million members
working in the public services, private, voluntary and community sectors and
in the energy services. We employ 1200 staff, approximately 370 at our
national centre in Euston, central London and the remainder in our 12 regions
across the UK, including Northern Ireland.
The Executive Office is located at the centre of the union, supporting the
General Secretariat and the National Executive Council in the effective
management of the union, ensuring the union meets its objectives.
The function of the Conference Team within the Executive Office is to provide
and ensure:
 A national centre of excellence and resources for UNISON rule
book conferences and events, providing expertise, systems,
knowledge, corporate identity, consistency of approach, delivery
of high quality services to UNISON members and staff.

Strategies to systemise the service delivery of UNISON’s
conferences, promoting best practice on delegate participation
and fair representation and proportionality, use of venues,
access, childcare, equalities, management of external suppliers,
harnessing IT developments, promoting health and safety and
environmental practices, preparing and monitoring conference
budgets, value for money, providing a corporate image for the
union.
The National Conference Organiser is part of a team delivering national rule
book conferences and other events. They will project manage conferences
and events, working closely with a range of key stakeholders at all levels, to
ensure effective implementation of UNISON’s rule book requirements for
conference administrative arrangements and events.
The National Conference Organiser:

Plans and organises UNISON’s rule book conferences plus UNISON
national events.

Delivers aspects of conference organisation including site visits, venue
choice, venue/accommodation contracts, delegate registration,
delegates’ dispatch, scheduling, build plans, audio visual, staging, IT,
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print, logistics, exhibition, floor plans, catering, headquarters’
accommodation and childcare provision.

Promotes best practice in delivery of UNISON events, including
corporate image, managing contractors, health and safety,
environment obligations.

Provides information and advice on application of schemes of
representation for UNISON rule book conferences.

Follows the tendering process for the provision of services

Takes day to day responsibility for managing and monitoring
relationships with a wide range of external service providers for
individual events.

Negotiates with external suppliers to achieve the best value possible
for additional goods and services for each UNISON conference and
event.

Contributes to the development, scrutiny and management of budgets,
financial control and payment of invoices in accordance with financial
standing orders, and authorises appropriate expenditure.

Utilises, contributes to change requirements, and promotes the use of
the union’s online conference system (OCS).

Takes responsibility for health & safety and environment obligations at
events, improves the environmental impact of the activities organised
and contributes to improving standards on health & safety.

Contributes to improving standards on equalities.
They have a strong understanding and commitment to the aims and
objectives of the union.
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UNISON
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ORGANISER
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
REF: EXE/7
JOB DESCRIPTION
Grade:
6
Hours:
35 per week
Location:
Head Office, UNISON Centre NW1
Reports to:
Head of Conferences and Project Support
Accountable to:
Head of Conferences and Project Support
Overall Summary
Reporting to the Head of Conferences and Project Support the post holder will
be part of a team delivering national rule book conferences and other events.
The post holder will project manage conferences and events, working closely
with range of key stakeholders at all levels, to ensure effective implementation
of UNISON’s rule book requirements for conference administrative
arrangements and events.
Key Responsibilities

Delivery of UNISON conferences to a high standard, within budget and to
an agreed timescale.

Lead on specialist areas in provision of services across all conferences
e.g. crèche, access, Online Conference System.

Individual lead responsibility for planning and organisation, from inception
to delivery, of a number of UNISON’s 14 national conferences, attending
conference as lead organiser.

Produce and deliver aspects of conference organisation within a
managed framework, including site visits, venue choice,
venue/accommodation contracts, delegate registration, delegates
dispatch, scheduling, build plans, audio visual, staging, IT, print, logistics,
exhibition, floor plans, catering, headquarters accommodation and
childcare provision.

Working as a team member at other UNISON conferences including
staffing the members’ conference enquiry desk.
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
Involvement in the tendering process for the provision of conference
services including assessment of service levels, recommending contract
specifications, assessing bids, and participating in the award process for
high value contracts as panel members.

Commissioning of specialist services for conferences and negotiating
with external providers to achieve best value possible for additional
goods and services.

Working with a range of external service providers, managing the
relationship on a day to day basis, ensuring contract and KPI
compliance, providing a central point of contact between service
providers and staff.

Responsibility for ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and
standards on data protection, health and safety, childcare, and equalities
for conferences and delivering UNISON’s environmental obligations
through improvement of the environmental impact of conferences.

Recommending conference standards, monitoring effectiveness,
evaluating conference processes, promoting best practice,
recommending improvements, and implementing changes in delivery of
UNISON events.

Working with UNISON senior officers, senior lay members, branch
members at all levels, on operational aspects of conferences.

Attending management meetings including conference management team,
project boards and meetings with National Officers.

Providing information and advice to regions and branches on the
application of UNISON’s NDC scheme of representation and use of the
OCS.

Seeking resolution of individual personal requests, dealing with conflict
situations, escalation of formal complaints to appropriate manager.

Contributing to the development, scrutiny and management of large
budgets, financial control and invoices payments in accordance with
financial standing orders.

Operation of comprehensive data management systems, contributing to
change requirements, training and promotion of the online conference
system (OCS), building a technological knowledge database.

Assist in preparation of bulletins, conference guides, circulars and other
publicity material for regions, branches or members.
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
Preparing reports, agendas and minutes and undertaking appropriate
action following meetings, maintaining electronic and paper files.
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UNISON
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ORGANISER
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
REF: EXE/7
PERSON SPECIFICATION
UNISON is an equal opportunities employer, committed to providing equal
opportunities regardless of race or ethnic origin, gender identity, family
situation, sexual orientation, disability, religion or age. This person
specification is designed to help members of Interviewing Panels judge the
qualities of interviewees in a systematic and consistent way and in
accordance with UNISON’s equal opportunities policy. It is given to all job
applicants for information.
Heading
Knowledge
Thinking Skills
Selection Criteria

Ability to understand relevant aspects of the
UNISON rule book, structures and conference
arrangements.

Ability to understand OCS and conference
systems.

Ability to understand conference requirements and
specifications

Ability to undertake site visits and assess venues.

Knowledge of relevant legislation and standards,
including health and safety, equality, data
protection, childcare.

Knowledge of tendering processes.

Ability to use a range of project planning
techniques.

Ability to evaluate and contribute to the
improvement in the organisation of conferences.

Ability to analyse and assess requirements and
proposals.

Experience of developing solutions to resolve
problems.
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Interpersonal and
communications
Initiative and
independence
Financial
Administrative

Excellent communication skills including ability to
liaise and negotiate with diverse groups of officers,
lay members and external suppliers, both orally
and in writing.

Ability to draft reports, advice and minutes as
required.

Ability to contribute to discussions at meetings.

Ability to facilitate and chair meetings.

Experience of prioritising own workload including
decision making within guidelines, following policies
and procedures.

Ability to devolve work to others appropriately.

Ability to undertake lead responsibility for specialist
areas.

Ability to work collectively as part of the wider
conference team.

Ability to contribute to the formulation, monitoring
and control of budgets.

Experience of working to financial standing orders.
 Ability to work to set deadlines and to agreed
service levels.
 Ability to operate ICT, databases and filing
systems.
 Ability to evaluate and contribute to the
improvement of IT and administrative systems.
Other Information
Please submit three copies of your completed application form.
Completed application forms must be received by Sophie Wilkinson,
Executive Office, UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London, NW1 2AY by
no later than 12pm Monday 10 March 2014.
It is proposed to hold interviews week commencing 24 March 2014.
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