Job Description

The Students' Association has been on a change journey for the last eighteen months and following an extensive expansion and re-structuring of our student engagement function, we are now looking for an exceptional individual to

take the strategic lead on our Academic Representation, Advocacy Service, Activities, Democracy and Insight functions

. Sitting as a member of the

Senior Management Team

and reporting to the Chief Executive, the post-holder will also present reports to the Trustee Board on all areas of the remit.

Timeline:

- Applications close at 9am on Friday 6th June.

- Interviews for short-listed candidates will be held on Monday 23rd June.

Role Details

Hours of work: 36.25 hours / week. Salary: From Grade 7.37 (46735) - 7.39 (49559) p/a, depending on experience. Location: University of St Andrews Students' Association, some remote working possible.

Additional Benefits

Annual Leave: 30 days + 5 public holidays. This includes 2 weeks annual leave over the Christmas period. On shift staff discount. Free staff parking. Time off in lieu for any hours out with contracted hours. Staff discount scheme to local and national services. https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/employeebenefits/ Cycle to Work Scheme and subsidised local bus travel (75% discount). Employee Assistance programme.

Job Title: Head of Student Engagement

Responsible to: The Chief Executive

Responsible for: Departmental leads within Student Engagement including;

Academic Representation Advocacy Campaigns and Impact Democracy and Insight Student Activities
Key Relationships: Senior Managers, Officers, staff and volunteers of the Association, Trustees, University senior management and external stakeholders

About Your Union

The University of St Andrews Students' Association (aka Your Union) sits at the heart of the Campus - recently voted as one of the leading Universities in the UK, ranked first in the UK by the Guardian and Times/Sunday Times and with a reputation to protect. With over 11,000 members we are the primary student venue in St Andrews and support a thriving student scene with over 140 affiliated societies.We are a dynamic, student-led organisation dedicated to enhancing the student experience for every student in St Andrews. We provide a wide range of services, including events, campaigns, societies, support, and representation. Our mission is to empower students, support their development, and create a vibrant campus culture.

Purpose of the Role

To lead the strategic development and delivery of student engagement activity for the Association, ensuring the highest possible level of high-quality, inclusive services that positively impact and empower students to shape their experience of the Union and the University.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. Leadership

Lead on development and implementation of strategies to drive student engagement and to support volunteer activity across all areas. Ensure that all activities and services align with the charitable objectives, mission and EDI commitments of the Association. Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholder groups including within the University, external partners and other student organisations. Specifically, to ensure effective partnership working with the University to further the wider student experience.
2. Service Delivery

To oversee key services including advocacy, academic representation, societies, campaigns, elections and democratic governance To ensure services and activities are accessible, inclusive and responsive to students' needs To establish feedback mechanisms to enable continuous improvement and continued relevance of all services To maintain external networks to maintain sector-wide awareness of innovative ideas and opportunities for enhancement of services and activities
3. Governance & Democracy

To support elected officers in the delivery of their objectives To provide leadership for all democratic processes within the Association including annual elections, support for democratic forums and committees. To act as the Deputy Returning Officer for elections
4. Management

To effectively lead and support a diverse team, setting clear objectives and ensuring the development of staff To lead on the setting and monitoring of budgets for the student engagement section in collaboration with the Chief Executive and Finance department
5. Impact & Insight

Monitor and evaluate engagement levels and service impact in all areas, establishing regular reporting across the team Develop reporting to ensure transparent and evidence-based impact reporting is provided to members To produce strategically aligned reports for the Board of Trustees, impact and insight as appropriate Play a key role in development of engagement surveys alongside the Design & Marketing department
6. General

As a senior member of staff, to be an inspiring, approachable role model for all staff in the departments and the Association as a whole. To always meet the highest personal and professional standards, undertaking professional development as necessary To embody the values of the Students' Association.

Person Specification

Experience & Qualifications

Significant leadership experience within student engagement or similar field (E) A track record of strategic planning and delivery of successful services (E) Experience in managing and developing teams (E) Strong understanding of student-led representation and democratic engagement (D) A formal management qualification or similar (D)
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Ability to support, enable and coach others to succeed, demonstrating a commitment to personal and professional development (E) Strong relationship management and influencing skills and an understanding of how to apply these to effective and successful leadership in a complex organisation (E) Excellent communication with an ability to adapt language for the audience (E) Demonstrable stakeholder management skills (E) Knowledge of, or understanding of UK Higher Education sector including trends, challenges, policies impacting on students and Students' Associations (E) Qualification in, or understanding of, project management, particularly with regards to project reflection and impact reporting (D)

Values

A commitment to put students at the heart of everything that the Students' Association does. (E) A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and an ability to turn this commitment into real change for under-represented groups. (E) A commitment to a positive workplace culture which is friendly, approachable and open to listening. (E)

Essential Criteria (E

) - requirements without which a candidate would not be able to undertake the full remit of the role. Applicants who have not clearly demonstrated in their application that they possess the essential requirements will normally be rejected at the short listing stage.

Desirable Criteria (D)

- requirements which would be useful for the candidate to hold.

When short listing, these criteria will be considered when more than one applicant meets the essential requirements.

Inclusivity and Accessibility

The University of St Andrews Students' Association is committed to promoting diversity and equality for all and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. While successful candidates will always be recruited on merit, we particularly aim to include applicants with disabilities, from BAME backgrounds, and those with diverse sexualities or marginalised gender identities.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 46,735.00-49,559.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Cycle to work scheme Employee discount Free parking On-site parking Sick pay
Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work Location: Hybrid remote in St. Andrews KY16 9UZ

Application deadline: 06/06/2025
Reference ID: Head of Student Engagement St Andrews Students' Association