Collective Disputes Lead

Deadline for applications: 1 September 2026, 10:00am

Location: Across London, and at the LRU offices in Bethnal Green, London – with some working from home as agreed with your line manager

Salary: £36,548 (We have a flat pay structure, and pay increases each January in line with inflation, subject to Coordinating Group approval)

Contract type: Fixed term contract, 24 months (with possibility of extension, subject to funding, to be confirmed in mid-2028)

Hours: 30hrs a week, worked flexibly over 4 days to accommodate evening and weekend meetings with members. Organisers are required to be available to work up to two evenings a week, and one weekend a month.

Interview dates: 9th September, with possible second interviews on 14th September

Start date: This role is available immediately.

About the role

Since 2018, the LRU has grown its membership to over 6000 renters across London. Through our six branches, we support renters to take action to transform the housing system. Organising in communities, the LRU runs training, facilitates peer support, takes collective action and campaigns on local issues, to grow our power.

This role will support the development of collective disputes across the city, strengthening members’ collective power to win change, as part of a key strategic priority area for the union. The role will identify opportunities for collective action, support members to develop and lead disputes, develop the union’s methodology and build leadership from a broad base of renters, with a particular emphasis on working with those who face the worst impacts of the housing crisis. This role will oversee the development of a collective dispute team in the union whose purpose will be to build the wider ability of members and staff to build, run and win collective disputes and build collective bargaining power for renters.

How we work at LRU

You will be part of the LRU staff team alongside 15 other staff, who work with members to build the power of the union by organising, campaigning, training and facilitating peer support and member solidarity actions. We expect staff to uphold the union’s values, and work together to implement collectively agreed strategies. Each staff member has a line manager, and the staff team are accountable to the elected member Coordinating Group, and to each other. Key decisions are held by the elected member Coordinating Group, with staff inputting into and facilitating these decisions.

This role is varied, and can look different month-to-month. This job description outlines some activities that you will be doing every month, and some activities that you will only do from time-to-time.

Building the power of the union

• Developing and evaluating collective disputes across London, using organising, and by doing research, developing ideas, facilitating member and staff discussions
• Supporting with branch organising activities related to member collective disputes in up to two branches at one time – aligned with our union strategy. This can involve coaching branch organisers, doing outreach activities, facilitating meetings, project management, research, action planning, supporting negotiation and anything that supports the success of the branch activity.
• Recruiting and activating members around agreed collective dispute targets. This includes carrying out regular outreach sessions with members and making weekly calls to follow up with new contacts.
• Participating in cross-staff outreach and calls sessions. This includes monthly calls sessions and fortnightly outreach sessions.
• Providing support to members to set up and run teams and make sure collective dispute activities are welcoming and effective.
• Upholding LRU values, strategies and agreements

Building leadership

• Building the skills and leadership of member organisers by having ongoing 1:1s with 3-5 role holders and member leaders in the branch to support them to lead collective disputes, run teams and support others to become organisers. It will also occasionally include working with other staff to prepare and run skills training for members.
• Having organising conversations with members who face housing precarity or oppression to support them to get more involved in the teams in the branch.
• Making sure the database is kept up to date, including tracking engagement and recording call outcomes, and supporting members to use it.
• Responding to requests for support via the website.

Building collective capacity

• Taking part in team meetings
• Joining staff working groups when capacity allows
• Inputting into staff decisions and LRU strategy discussions

Person specification

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build deep, trusting relationships across difference, including with people experiencing crisis or distress.
• Significant experience of organising workplace or community-based disputes, campaigns or collective action on material issues, with the ability to identify opportunities to build collective power.
• Experience of recruiting and activating people through outreach activities (including door-knocking, street stalls and one-to-one organising conversations) and supporting members to become leaders.
• Experience of leading, managing or developing others, including line management, coaching or supporting staff to grow in confidence and effectiveness.
• Ability to empower, motivate and develop members and staff to take leadership, make decisions and sustain collective action.
• Experience of facilitating meetings, strategy discussions, training or group activities across differences, and building collaborative ways of working.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise work, manage competing demands and support a team to deliver against shared objectives.
• Good written communication skills, including experience producing reports, guidance, campaign materials or other organisational writing.
• Good understanding of the housing system, and the ability to learn and apply both legal and practical approaches to a range of housing issues.
• Experience of using digital databases and organising tools to support member organising, planning and evaluation.
• Ability to hold yourself, and support those you’re organising with, when doing difficult work.
• Committed to, and able to uphold, LRU’s values, agreed strategies and member-led organising approach.
• Good working knowledge of housing law.
• Experience of developing organising or campaigning strategy.
• Experience of line management, supervision or performance and development conversations.
• Experience of designing and delivering training or leadership development programmes.
• Good knowledge of the organising and social landscape in London.
• Ability to speak Bangla, Spanish, Arabic, Somali, French, Turkish, Portuguese, Kurdish or Tigrinya at an intermediate or advanced level.