Rewards and Benefits

As a colleague at Northumbria University, you’ll have access to excellent benefits and discounts. We know that every individual is different, and with our diverse benefits package we think there is something for everyone. We never stop thinking about how we can improve our benefits, to support you while you’re at work and so that you can make the most of your time off too. Our benefits include:

Generous Annual Leave

We want you have a good work-life balance; that’s why we offer a generous annual leave entitlement in addition to public holidays and institutional closure days. You can also take advantage of our additional leave scheme, which enables you to request to purchase an additional 5 or 10 days’ holiday per year.

Competitive Salaries

We pay and reward our colleagues based on the type and level of role you do. This helps us to make sure we are treating people fairly and that we remain competitive in the marketplace.

Our pay scales are incremental and you can expect to receive an annual increase until you reach the top of the scale.

Nurseries and Childcare

Our Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ Nursery with a state of the art building boasts a range of features, specifically designed with your child’s development, safety and enjoyment in mind. We offer you the option to pay for your child’s nursery place via salary sacrifice, which means that you can save at least 32% (dependent on your individual tax rate and National Insurance Contributions) on the cost of childcare.

We also offer the option for you to purchase childcare vouchers, which are accepted by any Ofsted-registered nursery, playgroup or childminder. Again, you can pay for the vouchers via salary sacrifice, saving tax and national insurance contributions on your pay.

Excellent Pensions

You’ll be eligible to join one of our excellent pension schemes, with generous employer contributions that always exceed your own.

Our schemes provide a range of benefits, including:

• The option to receive a tax free lump sum as well as an annual pension upon retirement
• The option to contribute more to your pension via additional voluntary contributions
• The option to access your pension before your Normal Pension Age
• Early payment of pension in the event that you retire on grounds of ill health
• Substantial life cover should you die whilst in the University’s service

Learning and Development

Continuing personal and professional development is as important to us as it is to you; that’s why we offer a comprehensive suite of learning and development opportunities to support you to be successful in your role and future career aspirations. Developing your skills and knowledge is critical to the University’s success; that’s why we’ll support you to undertake further academic or professional qualifications that are relevant to your role.

Most importantly it’s about giving you room to grow; speaking to you directly, finding out about your ambitions and setting out a clear path, with objectives, areas for development and real opportunities to get there. A regular personal development and appraisal scheme along with one-to-one discussions will ensure you have the opportunity to discuss your individual development needs.

Discounted Travel

We understand that the cost of travelling to work can be expensive; we have a range of schemes to reduce the cost of rail, bus and metro travel.

We offer a discounted public transport travel pass to provide you with a discount on the cost of travel and enabling you to spread the cost throughout the year.

All colleagues are entitled to apply for a car parking permit. This permit entitles the permit holder to search for, and park in an available space in designated parking areas, but does not guarantee a car parking space. Permits are renewed annually.

Discounted parking at John Dobson Street NCP is also available.

Additional Benefits

There are many more benefits of working at Northumbria University. Take advantage of the fantastic facilities and offers available to you:

• A great place to work, with access to multiple on-site shops, places to eat and our award winning library.
• Whether you’re buying clothes, electrical goods, staying in a hotel or going out for dinner, you could save money by signing up for an NUS card or by using the discounts freely available to all colleagues.
• Join our state of the art sports facilities, including gym and swimming pool, at a discounted rate.
• You can keep fit on your journey to work and save money by purchasing a bike through our Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme. You’ll save at least 32% (dependent on your individual tax rate) and will be able to spread the payments over 12 months.
• Our Employee Assistance Programme is an independent telephone helpline available to all colleagues and their immediate family members to offer confidential support, guidance and advice on a wide range of personal and professional matters.