Vacancy Information
Hourly rate of pay: £ - £
Days and Hours of Work:
Monday - Friday
Flexi time is applicable, and starting and finishing times are flexible.
To start 13th July 2026.
An exciting opportunity has arisen in our central education Strategy & Operations team for an experienced Principal Officer - Staffing to provide a strategic and operational lead role in workforce planning. This role provides advice to school leaders and education managers to maximise efficiency, facilitate business continuity and achieve best value service delivery within approved budgets, in accordance with Council policies and in line with SNCT and Local Government standards and legislation. The job holder is accountable to the Local Negotiating Committee for Teachers and responsible for managing the management side of the SNCT Job Sizing Team, developing and maintaining policy to ensure consistency and equity of all promoted posts across the authority. The job holder plays a key role in continuous improvement of the staff support function and implements a comprehensive solution focussed workforce support service to all Education Service leaders to assist them in achieving Directorate priorities.
The job holder has direct line management for one Business Support Officer - Staffing post and is supported by a small administrative team of Council Support staff.
The successful candidate will have significant experience in workforce planning, be familiar with teachers and support staff employment terms and conditions, be able to interpret and apply policy equitably and be numerate with good IT skills for assembly of data driven decision making. The role involves supporting Head Teachers with solutions for individual employees that match the business need of the school. Professional integrity, the ability to negotiate with management, employees and trade unions and a high degree of confidentiality are required.
Interviews for this position will take place on the 10th of June 2026.
Home / Hybrid Working Consideration
Applications for home or hybrid working will be considered for this post in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies which can be found. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview.
Please Note:
All home/hybrid workers must live in the UK. Where an application for home-working is supported, it will be subject to a satisfactory trial period. Employees will be expected to attend Council offices for the duration of induction, and be on site in East Lothian workplaces, as required. Employees with a hybrid working arrangement in place will be office based and able to work from home, with permission, on an ad hoc basis.
Job Details
Strategic lead on the oversight and challenge of workforce planning across the Education Service, co-ordinating all aspects of staffing to maximise efficiency, facilitate business continuity and achieve best value service delivery within approved budgets, in accordance with Council policies and in line with SNCT and Local Government standards and legislation.
Accountable to the LNCT, the Jobholder is responsible for managing the Management side of the SNCT Job Sizing Team, developing and maintaining policy to ensure consistency and equity of all promoted posts across the authority.
To develop and implement a comprehensive solution focussed workforce support service to all Education Service leaders to assist them in achieving Directorate priorities.