The role offers an excellent working environment and benefits package including generous personal development opportunities and 34 days annual leave plus eight paid public holidays. Full training and supervision will be provided.
The Organisation
Cardiff University Students’ Union (CUSU) has a vision of working with every Cardiff student to enhance their university experience. As a student-led, independent part of the university, CUSU represents students and provides a diverse and inclusive range of activities and services that enrich student life. These include advice, training, skills development, volunteering opportunities, employment and other services that promote inclusion, friendship and personal development. CUSU supports over 200 student societies and 60 sports clubs that boast more than 10,000 members. CUSU is also the recognised voice of students at Cardiff University, joining students in campaigning about the issues important to them.
CUSU is based on Park Place and at the Heath Park campus, employing over 100 permanent staff and 300 student staff. The trading subsidiary of CUSU, Cardiff Union Services Limited, manages a purpose built facility in the centre of Cardiff and operates cafes, shops, bars and events that help fund CUSU’s charitable activities. The organisation achieved 1* accreditation and ranked 56th in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Not-for-Profit organisations 2020, and featured in The Best Companies to Work For in Wales 2020 top 30 list. CUSU has achieved Investors in Diversity Stage 3 and ranked 65th in the National Centre for Diversity (NCFD) Top 100 index in 2020. CUSU aspires to have a positive impact on the wider community in Cardiff, and won the Best Students’ Union in Wales in the NUS Awards 2020, and UK third place in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2020).
Student Voice
This post will join the existing Student Voice and Heath Park teams and provide operational and logistical support to the delivery of the Student Voice functions at the Heath Park Campus and within the faculty of Biomedical Life Sciences:
Academic Representation
The Students’ Union, working closely with the University, facilitates the Student Academic Representative system. Students, elected by their peers, need to be training and equipped with the skills and information to effectively represent those peers’ views and needs when engaging with professional academic staff. We also provide them with ongoing support to ensure they can build effective relationships with decision makers and ensure that students are key partners in the development of the educational experience.
Democracy
The Union is proud to be led by students. We utilise a number of democratic systems in order to enable students to make decisions that influence the future and direction of the organisation. This includes annual elections to select members of our Sabbatical and Campaign Officer teams, full time employed and voluntary roles that represent students’ views within all decision making levels of our organisation. In addition, we are responsive to the wishes and needs of our student population that are formalised through referenda, general Meetings, or Student Senate, our student policy making body.
Supporting Activism
The team are the principle support available to our Campaign Officers and other students who want to make the Union, University or wider world a better and more equitable place. This includes the training and delivery of advice and guidance on how to seek to make such change and put important topics on the agenda for consideration.
Policy Advice and Development
The Students’ Union, as the recognised voice of students within Cardiff University, is involved in consultation with senior staff within Cardiff University other stakeholders regarding the student views, needs and aspirations in relation to their university experience. The Student Voice team are pivotal in informing the organisation of relevant trends, issues or developments within organisational, local or national policy that will have an impact upon students.
The Working Environment
The successful candidate will be required to engage with 35 hours of work per week. These hours will largely be worked Monday to Friday, but the role will be needed to oversee and support events and activities that may fall on evenings and occasionally weekends, for which time off in lieu will be provided.
The role will be based out of hospital based campus (Heath Park) alongside our Heath Park team, with occassional working out our Cathays campus (30 minute walk away).
The Role
The role will seek to:
- Be responsible for facilitating the recruitment, training, retention and reward of volunteers engaged as Student Academic Representatives at our Heath Park Campus
- Support student representatives and University staff to engage effectively, enabling students to provide input into the development of their experience
- Organise and execute events, campaigns and activities that seek to encourage students to exercise their voice
- Provide a framework for our students to make decisions themselves, through the effective operation of our democratic systems and processes.
- Ensure that elected Student Representatives are trained, prepared and briefed with relevant information to ensure their input is effective
- Give support to student activists, whilst being mindful of the need to remain non-partisan on sensitive matters.
The Person
As the successful candidate, you will be able to demonstrate experience in working in a relevant environment in democratic, representative, campaigning or policy development roles. You will be able to work both independently and as part of a team.
- You will have worked with volunteers, ensuring that they were recruited, training and rewards appropriately and be able to apply these experiences to the Student Voice environment.
- You will be exceptionally organised and will have the necessary skills able to manage competing deadlines for multiple projects. You will be reliable and cool under pressure. You will work conscientiously, able to produce high quality work quickly and with attention to detail.
- You will be comfortable managing multiple deadlines and conflicting priorities and will strive for excellence in everything you commit yourself to.
- You will have experience of Higher or Further Education either as a student or staff member and you’ll be an individual who is genuinely interested in the development of national and local educational policy and be able to keep your finger on the pulse of the sector.
- You will be at home in a democratic and campaigning environment whilst being completely impartial.
- You will have the ability to digest information from multiple sources and be able to formulate and deliver a summary of key points to stakeholders in a balanced manner.
- You will have exceptional ICT skills and be willing to learn new software packages. You’ll be up to speed with how to communicate effectively on social media platforms.
- Most importantly you will be conscientious and ambitious, with a commitment to personal and professional development. You will have initiative, energy and enthusiasm. You will be genuinely excited by the prospect of having a positive impact on students and improving the experience of our 32,000 members.
For further information and to apply online, please visit our website:
Please note, we reserve the right to close this position early. We would urge candidates to submit an application as early as possible.
The closing date for this position is midnight on Sunday 17th October 2021.