Public sector jobs in Armagh

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust is a major public employer for people in Armagh, with around 14,000 staff across the Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon, Dungannon and Newry areas. The other major employer is Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, one of the 11 Northern Ireland councils. Schools, the Education Authority, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the civil service provide further posts, and all follow Northern Ireland systems for recruitment and pay.

The Southern Trust and Craigavon Area Hospital

The Trust serves a population of approximately 370,000 and employs approximately 14,000 staff. General acute inpatient services are at Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital, and acute mental health and learning disability inpatient services are at the Bluestone Unit on the Craigavon site. The Trust’s address is 68 Lurgan Road, Portadown. It lists five hospitals: Craigavon Area, Daisy Hill, Lurgan, South Tyrone and St Luke’s.

That range means nursing, medical, allied health and laboratory jobs, plus portering, catering, estates and admin, and, because health and social care are combined in Northern Ireland, social work and care jobs. All of them are advertised on the HSC jobs site, not NHS Jobs. Staff are paid on Agenda for Change bands, but awards depend on Executive funding, and no 2026/27 payment date had been confirmed in October 2026. See Agenda for Change in Northern Ireland and how to apply for HSC jobs.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

The council covers Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon (including Lurgan and Portadown) and the countryside between them. nidirect lists what Northern Ireland councils run: waste collection and recycling, street cleaning, grounds maintenance, cemeteries, planning and building control, environmental health, leisure centres, parks, arts and heritage, registration of births, deaths and marriages, and local economic development. It does not run education, social care, roads or housing.

The council’s jobs page sends applicants to an online recruitment portal. Its Labour Market Partnership, funded by the Department for Communities, runs training and employment programmes and job fairs across the borough. The council also has work experience placements, which it says are generally unpaid. You complete a work experience form, normally at least four weeks before the start date, and the council aims to reply within 10 working days. Some university placement students may be paid, and those posts are advertised formally.

Council pay in Northern Ireland follows the NJC Green Book scales, and council staff are in the Local Government Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland). A 3.3 per cent award for 2026/27 has been agreed and backdated to 1 April 2026, though employers set their own payment dates.

Schools and the Education Authority

Teachers have a Northern Ireland pay scale with no M1 point. After the 4 per cent award from 1 September 2025, M2 is £32,916, M4 is £37,809 and M6 is £43,830, with the upper pay scale at £47,390, £49,104 and £50,876. No 2026/27 offer was confirmed by October 2026. Teachers must register with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland. Teacher pay in Northern Ireland has the full scale.

Teaching posts are usually advertised by the school or its managing body. The Education Authority recruits many classroom assistants and school support staff, and the Education Authority guide covers how.

Further education, police and the civil service

Northern Ireland has six further education colleges, including Southern Regional College, and each recruits lecturers and support staff. The PSNI recruits in periodic campaigns, at pay set separately from England and Wales. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service follows the UK-wide NJC award, so firefighters earn £31,539 in development and £40,358 once competent from 1 July 2026.

The Northern Ireland Civil Service runs general competitions through HRConnect for grades such as administrative officer and executive officer. A pass puts you on a merit list, and offers can arrive months later for posts across Northern Ireland, so check where you are willing to work before you apply. See NICS jobs: how to apply.

Checks and tax

AccessNI checks cost £16 for basic and standard, £32 for enhanced. A DBS certificate from England is not used here. Income tax and National Insurance match England, so a 1257L tax code is typical. Armagh is also near the border, and anyone commuting to or from the Republic should read working in Northern Ireland and living in the Republic.