We currently have a vacancy for:

Head of National Bargaining 

£70,020 + Good Benefits 

The college sector plays a vital role in providing people of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances with opportunities to gain qualifications and develop skills that can transform lives and support career progression. It also makes a significant contribution to the Scottish Government’s ambitions for a more inclusive society and a sustainable, growing economy.

Colleges Scotland is the collective voice of the college sector. As the membership body, it represents all 24 colleges in Scotland and one strategic regional body, delivering further education provision and around a quarter of all higher education in Scotland. Colleges Scotland also acts as the employers’ association – College Employers Scotland (CES).

College Employers Scotland is the national representative body for Scotland’s colleges as employers, with a primary focus on delivering national bargaining for pay, terms, and conditions. Recent achievements include a four-year pay deal for lecturing staff, a three-year pay agreement for support staff, the implementation of the first two national policies on menopause and discipline, a refreshed proposal to advance job evaluation for support staff, and the professional registration of lecturers.

As Head of National Bargaining, you will ensure CES continues to maintain effective and productive relationships with trade union officials, enabling agreements to be reached at both strategic and operational levels in support of the national bargaining programme. Through established negotiation mechanisms, you will lead the development, agreement, and implementation of job evaluation for support staff in Scotland’s colleges. You will also build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, influencing priority issues and fostering sustainable partnerships.

The successful candidate will be an experienced HR professional and a solution-focused negotiator, with a strong track record in trade union negotiations and dispute resolution. You will bring expertise in consultation processes, experience of managing and mitigating employment relations issues and risks, and the ability to communicate with credibility and impact.

This is a unique national role that offers the opportunity to lead on all aspects of national bargaining and engagement with support staff and lecturing staff trade unions, while directly supporting a sector central to inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Scotland.

For more information please review the full role profile: Head of National Bargaining or contact Douglas Adam at Livingston James our retained recruitment advisors, via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NB: Colleges Scotland operates a Hybrid Working Policy. While this post is formally based in Stirling, it is expected that the successful candidate will not be required to work from the office on a full-time basis each week.

Colleges Scotland is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.