Job Description

The Post

The Head of Community Engagement is responsible for fostering a safe, supportive, and positive campus and living environment for all students, staff, and visitors. The post holder provides strategic and operational leadership across campus community experience, residence life engagement, welfare support, behaviour management, security operations, and 24/7 campus response.



The role ensures that campus operations run smoothly and that the wellbeing, safety, and sense of belonging of students, staff and guests is central to service delivery. The post holder leads the campus Residence Life and Campus Support Teams including Security, Night Management and Portering teams, and works closely with partners across the institution to ensure early intervention, pro-active support and consistent responses to student conduct, safety concerns, and occupancy-related issues.

Description of Duties

Leadership and Service Management

Provide strategic leadership for community experience, residence life, security and campus operations across the estate Lead, manage and develop the Residence Life Manager and Night Operations Manager, ensuring strong communication, accountability and performance standards Ensure campus operations function effectively 24/7, maintaining visibility and high service standards across teams and sites Promote a culture of continuous improvement, proactive engagement, and student-centred service delivery Responsible for performance development, HR processes, training and ongoing support for security, residence life, campus support and night management teams Foster a collaborative, supportive and inclusive team culture across day and night operations, promoting a visible, compassionate and values-based leadership approach

Community Development & Residence Life

Oversee the development and delivery of the Residence Life programme, ensuring it supports wellbeing, academic transition, community cohesion and belonging Lead early intervention, pastoral support and proactive welfare engagement across residences Ensure reporting staff are trained to identify signs of vulnerability, risk, and welfare concerns, providing appropriate referrals and follow-up Responsible for overarching case management for student behaviour, wellbeing and conduct, assigning cases and ensuring appropriate follow-up, providing briefings to and escalating to the Director of Accommodation Services where appropriate Building strong working relationships with colleagues across the institution, ensuring that holistic approaches are taken to case management Establishing and overseeing the approach to occupancy breach follow-up, ensuring a fair, clear and supportive approach is taken, and being responsible for handling escalated occupancy breaches and breaches of the Code of Student Discipline, consulting with the Director of Accommodation Services as appropriate in addition to regular briefings and reports to the Director Supporting with the investigation and resolution of complaints, particularly complex and escalated complaints relating to campus and accommodation operations and experience Provide advice, guidance and escalation on serious incidents affecting residential communities and the campus estate

Campus Safety & Operational Planning

Oversee security and campus support operations, ensuring a welcoming, responsive and proactive approach is taken to customer service and incident response Lead on SafeZone and related security technologies/platforms Ensure effective deployment and scheduling of staff for security presence, emergency response and routine patrols Ensure all spaces are prepared, set-up and taken down Maintain and contribute to operational protocols for incident reporting, escalation and post-incident learning, at the direction of the Director of Accommodation Services Ensure compliance with safeguarding, health and safety, PREVENT obligations and emergency response requirements Support the Director of Accommodation Services in the creation of annual operational plans, service targets and performance indicators, engaging with Heads of different teams in accommodation to understand and support their operational plan delivery Collaborate on the transition between student use of accommodation and commercial use, ensuring that resources are managed efficiently and effectively across the department Lead data-informed service and budget planning, evaluating service utilization, incident trends and student feedback

Essential Criteria

Degree-level qualification or equivalent experience Strong understanding of safeguarding, welfare support, risk management and incident response Significant leadership experience in student accommodation, residential life, campus operations, security or comparable environment Experience leading diverse operational teams Experience in developing service improvement plans and leading operational change Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and participate in an on-call 24/7 rota Confident communicator able to build rapport and trust across stakeholders Ability to problem solve, analyze trends and develop strategic proposals

Desirable Criteria

Understanding of/training in regulatory frameworks relating to campus safety, such as PREVENT, Terrorism Act 2025, safeguarding and health and safety Experience working in a university of multi-residential campus environment Experience managing emergency response processes or security operations

Additional Information

Full time

Open ended



The closing date for applications is midnight on Monday 09 February 2026.

Interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 25 February 2026.



There is an expectation that work will be undertaken in the UK.


This role will require a Level 1 Disclosure check. An offer of employment will be subject to a satisfactory outcome of this process.



This role may be eligible for sponsorship depending on candidate circumstances under SOC code 1251.



The University of Stirling recognises that a diverse workforce benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers and welcome applications from those who would contribute to further diversification of our staff and ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is woven into the substance of the role. We strongly encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds including gender, identity, race, age, class, and ethnicity.

Behaviours and Competencies

The role holder will be required to evidence that they can meet the qualities associated with the following behavioural competencies, as detailed within the AUA Competency Framework.

Managing self and personal skills

Being aware of your own behaviour and mindful of how it impacts on others, enhancing personal skills to adapt professional practice accordingly.

Delivering excellent service

Providing the best quality service to external and internal clients. Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to drive up service standards.

Finding solutions

Taking a holistic view and working enthusiastically to analyse problems and to develop workable solutions. Identifying opportunities for innovation.

Embracing change

Being open to and engaging with new ideas and ways of working. Adjusting to unfamiliar situations, shifting demands and changing roles.

Using resources effectively

Identifying and making the most productive use of resources including people, time, information, networks and budgets.

Engaging with the wider context

Enhancing your contribution to the organisation through an understanding of the bigger picture and showing commitment to organisational values.

Developing self and others

Showing commitment to own ongoing professional development. Supporting and encouraging others to develop their professional knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to reach their full potential.

Working together

Working collaboratively with others in order to achieve objectives. Recognising and valuing the different contributions people bring to this process.

Achieving Results

Consistently meeting agreed objectives and success criteria. Taking personal responsibility for getting things done.

The University

The University of Stirling is committed to providing education with a purpose and carrying out research which has a positive impact on communities across the globe. Driven by our mission to be the difference, we are addressing real issues, providing solutions, and helping to shape society.



The University has more than 17,500 students globally and employs 1,800 staff, with more than 140 nationalities represented within our community. Our campus environment is ranked first in the UK and top 10 in the world, and our sports facilities rank first in the UK and second in the world (International Student Barometer 2024, wave two), reflecting our long-standing designation as Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence.



We were shortlisted for University of the Year 2024 at the Times Higher Education Awards and are proud holders of a Silver institutional award from the Athena Swan Charter, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality. We have an overall five-star rating in the QS Stars University Ratings and are ranked top 30 in the UK for postgraduate teaching and learning (Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2024). In recognition of our excellence in business education, we are accredited by AACSB International.



Eighty-seven per cent of our research has an outstanding or very considerable impact on society, with more than 80% rated either world leading or internationally excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2021), and we are ranked among the top 100 institutions in the world for our contribution to meeting 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. We have twice been recognised with a Queen's Anniversary Prize; for our Institute for Social Marketing and Health (2014) and our Institute of Aquaculture (2019).



Alongside partners, the University spearheads the 214 million Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal - which will deliver three major University-led projects: the National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub, Scotland's International Environment Centre, and the Intergenerational Living Innovation Hub. We are also a central partner in the Forth Valley University College Health Partnership.

www.stir.ac.uk

Job Reference: SERV02027