Pay & Reward Specialist

12-month fixed term contract

Fólk Recruitment is supporting UNISON 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. They employ approximately 1,200 staff, with around 370 at the national centre in Euston in central London and the remainder in 12 regions across the UK, including Northern Ireland.  

We are looking for a Pay & Reward Specialist to lead a key project that will examine the fairness, effectiveness, and sustainability of UNISON’s current pay and reward arrangements.

Your work will play a critical role in ensuring UNISON’s reward strategy supports fairness, transparency, and organisational values, while remaining realistic within financial parameters.

About the role

You will lead a comprehensive review of UNISON’s pay structures, grading processes, and wider reward framework, including:

• Conducting a robust pay benchmarking exercise.
• Analysing pay data, identifying trends, and surfacing risks or inconsistencies.
• Reviewing outcomes from our equal pay audit and supporting implementation of follow-up actions.
• Assessing the job evaluation scheme and exploring options for its development.
• Making evidence-based recommendations for short- and long-term changes.
• Supporting strategic planning and advising on pay-related live matters when required.

You’ll work closely with internal stakeholders - from HR colleagues to trade union reps - ensuring that proposed changes reflect diverse views and support UNISON’s equality, diversity, and inclusion objectives.

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

• A strong background in pay benchmarking, job evaluation, or reward strategy - ideally in a unionised, public sector, or not-for-profit context.
• Solid understanding of equal pay legislation, pay gap reporting, and employment law.
• Experience analysing complex pay data and translating it into clear, actionable insights.
• Strong communication and report-writing skills - able to explain complex findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strategic thinking, with the ability to propose fair and financially viable solutions.
• A values-led, adaptable and proactive working style.
• Patience and adaptability to work within traditional or evolving structures, and an understanding that change often involves many voices and perspectives.
• Experience working with trade union representatives, ideally in a not-for-profit or similar environments (desirable).

You’ll be confident working independently on a project, but collaborative in your approach - engaging with staff, governance bodies, and leadership to build trust and deliver impact.

Why join us?

At UNISON, your work will make a meaningful difference. This role is an exciting opportunity to influence fairness in pay. You’ll have space to lead this work, support to succeed, and the chance to make change that lasts.

Hybrid working is available | 35 hour week

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. 

Note - This vacancy is being advertised by Fólk Recruitment, an employment agency, in accordance with the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.