Job Overview
Applications are invited for an Employer Engagement Officer with the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland (RFCA NI). This part-time Crown Service (Civil Service grade AO equivalent) post is available for an immediate start.
RFCA NI
RFCA NI is one of 13 autonomous arms-length bodies of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) with Crown Status. The RFCA NI’s role is to provide first-class support to tri-service reserves and MOD-sponsored cadet forces across Northern Ireland.
The Role
The RFCA NI Employer Engagement Officer provides business support to the delivery of Defence Relationship Management (DRM) activity across Northern Ireland. This includes supporting employer engagement, the Armed Forces Covenant, Employer Notification, Salesforce administration, employer engagement events and business reporting. The role includes building and maintaining professional relationships with employers, Reservists, Defence stakeholders and partner organisations while contributing to the effective delivery of the Defence Relationship Management objectives.
The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate strong communication and IT skills and be able to work at pace, both independently and as part of a team. Customer service experience and social media skills are desireable, though not essential.
A full job description is available from [email protected].
The post holder will be required to work an 18.5 hour week (excluding lunchbreaks).
Salary and Benefits
The salary for the appointment at commencement is £13,825 per annum plus a Northern Ireland Allowance of £750 per annum. The successful candidate will be eligible to elect to join the Council of RFCAs pension scheme. This is a Career Average Revalued Earnings scheme (CARE).
The successful candidate will be entitled to 12.5 days’ annual leave entitlement on appointment, plus bank holidays. (Annual leave entitlement increases by 0.5 days per year up to 15 days; those with 5 years’ prior service with HM Forces/OGD will start with 15 days’ entitlement.)
Requirements
The successful candidate will be required to serve a probationary period of six months and final confirmation of the appointment is dependent upon the satisfactory completion of this probationary period. The successful candidate will be required to be Security Cleared (SC), which will be organised on appointment.
Application and interviews
Applications should be received no later than 5pm on Friday 11th September 2026 and should be sent by email to [email protected] marked “Employer Engagement Officer Application”. The shortlist of applicants called for interview will be notified shortly after this date.
Applications should comprise:
· A completed application form (available at https://cloud.rfca.org.uk/s/cGKx963ZyC3nRbD or on request from: [email protected]).
· A cover letter explaining the applicant’s motivation for applying for the role and outlining their suitability and eligibility.
Interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 21st September 2026.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Employer Engagement Officer
Grade: Administrative Officer (AO)
Department: Defence Relationship Management (DRM)
Reporting To: Defence Relationship Manager (DRM)
Location: 25 Windsor Park, Belfast, BT9 6FR
General Description of Role
The Employer Engagement Officer (EEO) provides business support to the delivery of Defence Relationship Management (DRM) activity across Northern Ireland. This includes supporting employer engagement, the Armed Forces Covenant, Employer Notification, Salesforce administration, employer engagement events and business reporting. The role includes building and maintaining professional relationships with employers, Reservists, Defence stakeholders and partner organisations while contributing to the effective delivery of the Defence Relationship Management objectives.
Principal Areas of Accountability, Tasks and Duties:
Salesforce (Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System)
1. Maintain accurate employer, Reservist and stakeholder records, ensuring high standards of data quality, CRM administration, reporting and CRM system administration.
Employer Engagement Events
2. Support the planning, coordination, delivery and evaluation of employer engagement events, campaigns and stakeholder activity.
Employer Notification (EN)
3. Coordinate the annual tri-service Employer Notification process, handle and process returns and support liaison with Reservists, employers and Reserve units.
Regional Employer Engagement Group (REEG)
4. Providing administrative and logistical support, including meeting coordination, facilities and catering arrangements, agenda preparation, production of minutes, maintenance of action logs.
Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) and Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS)
5. Support the delivery of the AFC programme and the ERS, including responding to enquires from employers and stakeholders; supporting employers through the AFC application process; maintaining accurate records of prospective and existing signatories; and supporting the AFC and ERS events.
Communications & Digital Content
6. Provide communications content to support DRM activity. This includes preparing draft content, images and promotional material for publication by the RFCA Communications Team. It also involves developing and managing online surveys and feedback tools to collect stakeholder feedback, evaluate events and support continuous improvement and performance reporting.
Operational support
7. Provide business support across employer engagement, financial administration, business reporting, event coordination and mobilisation activities.
Other Duties:
8. Carry out other administrative duties as required, such as sharepoint maintenance, responding to phone and email enquiries, acting as secretary to other Committees (e.g. Health and Higher and Further Education), booking travel and accommodation, supporting Head of Engagement with wider engagement activities.
This Job Description will be reviewed annually and may be amended from time to time, however the job holder will be consulted if such a situation occurs.
The post holder must have, or agree to applying for, Security Clearance (SC). Failure to gain the clearance will result in cessation of employment.
This role includes occasional evening and weekend work, for which overtime or time off in lieu (TOIL) can be claimed.
Competences Required for the Post
Essential and desirable competences for the role of the Office Manager are as follows:
Essential
Strong IT skills, particularly Excel and use of bespoke software.
Excellent communication, interpersonal and presentational skills.
Ability to work at pace and manage multiple workloads and shifting priorities.
Self-motivated and able to work on own initiative within a team environment.
Desirable
Stakeholder/customer relations experience
Social media skills
Valid driving licence
Skills & Behaviours (AO grade) (Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours)
· Managing a Quality Service - Gain a clear understanding of customers’ needs and expectations. Plan, organise and manage your own time to deliver a high quality service which gives taxpayers a good return for their money. Act to prevent problems by identifying issues, reporting them and providing solutions. Keep customers and all colleagues up to date with progress. Show customers where to access relevant information and support that will help them to use services more effectively.
· Delivering at Pace - Always work with focus and pace to get the job done on time and to a high standard. Follow the relevant policies, procedures and rules that apply to the job. Use own knowledge and expertise to organise work. Keep focused on delivery and take responsibility for the quality of work produced. Keep a consistent level of personal performance. Keep managers and stakeholders updated on how work is progressing
· Seeing the Big Picture - Understand what your responsibilities are and how these contribute to the priorities of your team. Consider the varied impact your work could have on individuals with different needs and from other backgrounds. Gather information from both inside and outside of the organisation to inform your area of work.
· Changing and Improving - Review ways of working and suggest improvements, including how to make full use of new digital technologies. Learn new procedures and help colleagues to do the same. Query any issues that arise from changes in a suitable way. Respond in an effective and appropriate manner when emergencies arise.
· Making Effective Decisions - Use guidance, analyse relevant information and ask colleagues for input to support decision making. Identify and deal with any errors or gaps in information before making a decision. Consider the diverse needs of those affected by decisions and how it will impact them. Provide advice and feedback to support others in making accurate decisions. Ask others to clarify decisions when confused and query any issues that arise constructively.
· Leadership - Show enthusiasm for your work and take personal accountability for your role. Demonstrate responsibility for your own objectives. Act in a fair, inclusive and respectful way when dealing with others. Be considerate and understanding of other people’s points of view. Understand and support the objectives of the wider team. Demonstrate consideration of the wider consequences of own actions.
· Communicating and Influencing - Put forward your views in a clear, constructive and considerate manner. Use an appropriate method of communication for each person - for example an email, phone call, face-to-face - taking into consideration their individual needs. Use plain and simple language, being careful to check written work for errors. Consider the impact of language used on different groups of stakeholders. Remain honest and truthful when explaining opinions. Listen and ask questions to ensure your understanding.
· Working Together - Proactively contribute to the work of the whole team and remain open to taking on new and different roles. Get to know your colleagues and build supportive relationships. Listen to alternative perspectives and needs, responding sensitively and checking understanding where necessary. Ask for help when needed and support others when the opportunity arises. Be aware of the need to consider your own wellbeing and that of your colleagues. Understand that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.
· Developing Self and Others - Identify gaps in your skills and knowledge and make plans of how to develop these. Take time to achieve development objectives. Listen to and act on feedback from colleagues to find areas you can develop. Share knowledge and skills learnt with colleagues to contribute to the learning and development of the whole team.
Benefits Package
· Salary of £13,825 for 18.5 hrs per week), plus Northern Ireland allowance of £750 pa
· Pension Scheme 5% Employee and 13% Employer
· Annual Leave 12.5 Days (rising by up to 2.5 days pro-rated, for reckonable service) plus bank holidays
· Hybrid working is negotiable, with up to 2 days working from home
· Bonus Scheme
· Support for further training and CPD
Application Process
Applications should be received no later than 5pm on Friday 11th September 2026 and should be sent by email to [email protected] marked “Employer Engagement Officer Application”. The shortlist of applicants called for interview will be notified shortly after this date.
Applications should comprise:
· A completed application form (available through Indeed Messenger or on request from: [email protected]).
· A cover letter explaining the applicant’s motivation for applying for the role and outlining their suitability and eligibility.
Interviews are expected to take place during the week commencing 21st September 2026.
The Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland is committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcomes applications from eligible candidates no matter what their gender, marital status, age, race, ethnic origin or religious belief.
Pay: £13,825.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Paid volunteer time
- Sick pay
- Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Belfast BT9 6FR
