50 Senior communication officer jobs in Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Conference Programme Coordinator. This fixed term appointment is designed to support the Head of Programming by providing full-time programme administration support. The post will be required until early May 2027, with the potential for extension.

Reports to: Head of Programming

Location: Home-based, with some travel to Birmingham, London & Nottingham.

Salary: £28,990 per annum, pro rata.

Annual leave: 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, pro rata.

Working hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday – Friday, typically 9.00am – 17.30pm, 1-hour unpaid break per day. 

Interviews: Interviews will be held online via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th November 2026.

Role Overview

The Confederation of School Trusts (CST) brings together trust leaders from across England through a programme of conferences, events and professional development.

We are looking for an organised and proactive Conference Programme Coordinator to support the planning and delivery of our conference programme during a busy period of activity.

Working closely with the Head of Programming, you will help coordinate speakers, manage programme information, keep projects on track and support the successful delivery of conferences and events. You will work with colleagues across the organisation, as well as speakers, partners and suppliers, ensuring that information is accurate, deadlines are met and events run smoothly.

This role would suit someone with experience in administration, events, project coordination, communications or stakeholder engagement who is looking to build on their experience in a role with variety, responsibility and opportunities to develop. 

Key responsibilities

Programme coordination

• Support the development and delivery of conference programmes

 • Maintain programme schedules, planning documents and speaker records.

• Monitor key deadlines and ensure actions are progressed on time.

• Coordinate the collection of session information, speaker biographies, images and presentation materials.

• Prepare programme updates, briefing documents and supporting materials.

• Ensure programme information is accurate, up to date and ready for publication.

Speaker management

• Act as a key point of contact for speakers and contributors.

• Coordinate invitations, confirmations and briefing meetings.

• Prepare and issue speaker information packs.

• Respond to speaker enquiries in a professional and timely manner.

• Process speaker invoices and expenses.

• Ensure speakers are well supported before, during and after events.

• Help create a positive and professional experience for all speakers and guests.

Project and administrative support

• Provide day-to-day support to the Head of Programming across multiple conference projects.

• Maintain project plans, action logs and programme trackers.

• Organise meetings and prepare agendas, notes and follow-up actions.

• Support effective communication between programming, events, marketing and partnerships teams.

• Help identify and resolve administrative or logistical issues before they become problems.

• Contribute to improving systems and ways of working across the team.

Conference delivery

• Support conference preparation and on-the-day delivery.

• Coordinate speaker schedules and running orders.

• Welcome and support speakers at events.

• Communicate programme changes clearly and promptly.

• Assist colleagues in ensuring a professional and high-quality delegate experience.

• Remain calm and adaptable when responding to last-minute changes.

 Evaluation and improvement

• Support the collection and organisation of speaker and delegate feedback.

• Help prepare evaluation summaries and reports.

• Identify opportunities to improve future events.

• Contribute ideas that enhance the quality and impact of CST's conference programme.

Personal Specification

Essential

• Experience in an administrative, coordination, events, project support or similar role.

• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.

• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to producing accurate work.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Confidence working with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

• Good judgement and the ability to work independently when required.

• Strong Microsoft 365 skills, including Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams.

• A proactive approach and willingness to take ownership of tasks.

• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.

• A flexible and positive approach in a busy environment.

Desirable

• Experience supporting conferences, events, training programmes or member-facing activities.

• Experience working with speakers, senior leaders or external partners.

• Experience using event management, CRM or project management systems.

• Experience working in a membership organisation, charity, education or public sector environment.

• An interest in education and leadership.

Personal qualities

The successful candidate will be:

• Highly organised and dependable.

• Calm and professional under pressure.

• Friendly, approachable and confident working with people.

• Curious and keen to learn.

• Resourceful and practical in solving problems.

• Comfortable managing detail without losing sight of the bigger picture.

• Committed to delivering a high-quality experience for speakers and delegates.

educa• Motivated by supporting work that makes a positive difference.