Job opportunities at CST

Our staff are crucial to delivering CST's mission to advocate for, support, and connect school trusts. Any opportunities to join our team will be posted on this page.

Current vacancies 

Employer Policy Specialist

The DfE has nominated CST as the employer representative for academy trusts for specific purposes (for example, the school support staff negotiating body). The postholder will be required to work directly with the Department for Education at a senior level to undertake the duties associated with this employer representative role. CST also wishes to strengthen its support to members on wider matters of employer policy. There is significant scope to shape and develop this role. 

Start date: 1 September 2025
Reports to: Director of Public Affairs & Policy.
Location: Home-based, with occasional travel for meetings and events. We provide equipment to support you working from
home and pay reasonable expenses when you need to travel for work.
Salary: 0.6FTE: £40,658 (full-time equivalent salary is: £67,763).
Pension: We offer a workplace pension and life assurance scheme. CST makes contributions equivalent to 10% of your gross salary.
Annual leave: Initially 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with an additional two days leave after three years, holiday allowance will be pro-rata 0.6FTE.
Working hours: 0.6FTE (full-time equivalent 37.5 hours). There is a degree of flexibility surrounding the working hours which will be determined by the demands of the role.

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter to recruitment@cstuk.org.uk by 5pm on Friday 18 July 2025. Interviews will be conducted online on Thursday 24 July 2025. 

Key responsibilities

1. Have a detailed understanding of the terms and conditions of employment of teaching and support staff and the workforce issues affecting the education sector, particularly those influencing recruitment and retention of staff.
2. The ability to build relationships with key stakeholders (members, senior DfE officials and ministers) and work closely with other employer representative organisations.
3. Working closely with the CEO and Deputy CEO, build relationships at senior level with trade unions (leadership, teacher and support staff unions).
4. Lead on developing CST’s employer policy and guidance, working with our members and commanding their support and respect, and working closely with the policy team.
5. Support the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Public Affairs and Policy to influence and respond to government policy in respect of employer policy, including drafting responses to government consultations and being our representative on the DfE’s formally constituted groups.
6. Provide professional support and guidance to members on matters relating to employer policy, within the restrictions of what we are insured to do as a professional body.
7. Support our HR professional community.
8. Speak with authority at events and conferences as CST’s nominated representative on employer policy.
9. Offer support to the wider CST policy team in other areas that fall within the postholder’s experience or expertise. This may include occasionally deputising for other team members for example covering for annual leave or sickness absence.
10. Any other duties and responsibilities that may be delegated by the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive or Director of Public Affairs and Policy from time to time. 

Person specification

Essential skills and experience:

• Likely educated to degree level (or holding a similar professional qualification or experience) with significant knowledge and experience of employment matters within the education sector and employer policy.
• The ideal candidate will have experience working at senior level likely within an educational, policy or consultancy setting.
• Knowledge of schools and the trust sector is essential as is the ability to respond to issues in a way which conveys the practical realities of working in schools.
• A sound understanding of the differences between academy trusts and the maintained sector.
• Secure knowledge of legislation, regulations and policy that affect school trusts. 
• Authority and gravitas with the ability to speak up at meetings with senior officials with the required diplomacy and at all times with the members’ interests in mind.
• People-centred, with excellent relational skills, adept at forming and maintaining positive relationships with colleagues, members and senior external stakeholders (including policy makers, employer representative organisations and trade unions).
• Output focused, able to execute a range of communications across channels efficiently.
• Fluent and precise, an excellent communicator who writes well. 
• The ability to analyse detail and distil key points, identifying matters of concern or interest to school trusts.
• Highly organised, with the ability to prioritise and work to tight deadlines, including turning around high-quality responses to members and DfE in short timescales.
• Someone who embodies the Nolan Principles and acts with integrity and discretion.
• Aligned with CST’s aims to promote education for public benefit.
• Skilled at working remotely as part of a close-knit team. Whilst this position is remote (home-based) there will be the requirement to attend in person meetings from time to time. 

Employer Policy Specialist Application Pack 

Education is universal, and we believe it is important that our staff reflect the diversity of our members’ schools and the children that they serve. We welcome applications from every background. Several of our staff work part time or compressed hours to help ensure a good balance between work and home life. If you need any help applying or have any questions about the role, please just let us know.