Job vacancy: Programme Assistant

Are you highly organised, proactive and motivated by work that makes a real difference? Do you thrive in a varied role where no two days are the same, supporting a team to keep a complex national programme running smoothly? If so, we’d love to hear from you. 

nasen is seeking a reliable and detail‑focused Programme Assistant to join the Whole School SEND Project Management Office (PMO) team. In this role, you will play a key part in supporting the effective delivery of the Department for Education (DfE) funded Universal SEND Services (USS) programme through flexible, high-quality project administration and coordination. 

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys organisation, problem-solving and working collaboratively in a fast paced team. The role offers opportunities to develop skills in project and programme coordination, with exposure to programme governance, delivery processes and stakeholder engagement. You’ll work across multiple projects and workstreams, providing essential administrative support that helps the PMO deliver well-organised activity for practitioners across England.  
 
You’ll join a collaborative and welcoming PMO team that is committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND. 

This is a full‑time role with hybrid working in line with nasen’s policy.

About Whole School SEND

Whole School SEND (WSS)  is a national network, hosted by nasen, dedicated to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. We bring together settings, professionals, families and young people to develop inclusive practice that enables every learner to thrive.

About nasen 

nasen is the National Association for Special Educational Needs – a charitable organisation that exists to support and champion those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences.   

We seek to ensure that all education practitioners across early years, schools, post-16 and wider settings are equipped to understand, identify and support those with SEND and learning differences, and provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD), resources, advice, information and much more to enable all staff to meet the needs of all their learners.   

nasen brings organisations together, whether locally or nationally, to share practice, shape solutions. Our priorities are those that matter to the education and SEND sector, drawing on our direct engagement with practitioners, school leaders, SENCOs, local authorities and hearing from the lived experience of children and young people.   

For further information, visit www.nasen.org.uk 

About the role 

In this role, you’ll provide flexible, high quality administrative support that helps keep the Universal SEND Services (USS) programme running smoothly. This will include coordinating meetings, maintaining programme trackers and shared records, and acting as a key point of contact for the Regional SEND Leadership (RSL) team on routine queries and submissions, alongside supporting onboarding and offboarding activities.

You’ll also support the delivery of training webinars, professional development sessions and national crosssector conversations by preparing materials, setting up sessions and ensuring facilitators and participants have what they need for a positive, wellorganised experience. Clear, confident communication will be essential to helping colleagues stay aligned and ensuring participants receive accurate information. 

This is a varied, peoplefocused role at the heart of a supportive PMO team, offering the opportunity to develop strong coordination and communication skills while contributing to work that improves outcomes for children and young people with SEND. 
 
Please refer to the job description below for the full details of this role. 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion  

We aim to be an inclusive employer – let us know if you have any access requirements for the recruitment process. We are happy to offer interviews online or in person.

The interview process will include a conversation with prepared questions. 

Enquires  

If you would like a conversation about the role advertised, please contact Jessica Ng on recruitment@nasen.org.uk  

Application process and interview timetable  

To apply for the role, please send your CV along with a short statement to say how you meet the requirements in the job description provided in no more than 1000 words. Please click apply to be taken to our application platform.

Applications are open until 15th April. We will be reviewing applications as they come in. We reserve the right to close recruitment earlier than this date if we receive sufficient quality applicants. Interviews are expected to take place the week commencing 20th April.  

Employee Benefits  

• ​​​​30 days annual leave per year, pro-rata for part-time
• Christmas Closure - additional to annual leave allowance
• Hybrid working (policy available on request) 
• 8% employer contribution pension
• Flexible start and finish time, Friday early closure
• Employee Assistance Scheme 
• Life Insurance Policy x3 of your salary
• Cycle to Work Scheme available