Role Type
Full time; open to flexible, part-time and job share requests
Main Purpose of the role
- Support Brookes Union to deliver its strategic and operational KPIs
- Support the Union to deliver its core function of representing students through effective individual and group advocacy
- Support the elected officers to deliver high-impact and evidence-lead campaigns and activities
- To support the Advocacy Team in its delivery of the Academic Representation System, ensuring that students are able to effectively represent themselves within the University’s academic governance systems
- Responsible for delivering an effective academic representation system that seeks constant improvement of the student experience at course, faculty and university level
- To ensure that the structures and processes support the success and impact of elected representatives, including regularly reviewing and delivering academic representative training and providing networking
opportunities between reps - Enhance the quality of the academic representation system by working with the Advocacy Team, Policy Coordinators and other staff to provide briefings, factsheets and policy positions related to changes in local or national policy, informed by insight from the Advocacy Team’s group and individual casework
Key Responsibilities
- Responsible for delivering an effective academic representation system that seeks constant improvement of the student experience at course, faculty and university level
- To ensure that the structures and processes support the success and impact of elected representatives, including regularly reviewing and delivering academic representative training and providing networking opportunities between reps
- Enhance the quality of the academic representation system by working with the Advocacy Team, Policy Coordinators and other staff to provide briefings, factsheets and policy positions related to changes in local or national policy, informed by insight from the Advocacy Team’s group and individual casework
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all relevant stakeholders as required including University teams, Associate Deans of Student Experience, other Students’ Unions, and external
organisations such as NUS - Ensure that the Union’s officers and staff are briefed on the education experiences of students at Brookes and wider Higher Education Policy so that it can inform and support other campaigns and policy
development. Provide termly briefings on the issues raised by reps across the academic governance system - To support the delivery of the annual election cycle of academic and Union representatives including Faculty Reps
- To support officers and the wider organisation in preparing for University committees, review papers, conduct insight gathering and write relevant reports
- To work directly with and enable the VP Student Voice and other Officers/colleagues to plan and deliver successful and impactful education quality campaigns, primarily by providing insight and information regarding the issues raised by reps across the University
- To regularly review and evaluate the academic representation system to ensure its continued effectiveness and alignment with KPI
- To coordinate the delivery of student-led teaching awards and other activities to enhance the academic experience and celebrate the impact of our student reps, in conjunction with University departments such as OCAED
- To ensure sections of the Students’ Union website and physical resources dedicated to course and school representation systems as well as other initiatives the union’s student-led teaching awards are up to date, accurate and relevant to students
- To work closely with the communications team to ensure the Union communicates the successes and impact of course and school representatives
- Lead on the Union’s use of the CRM in relation to academic representatives
- Provide effective and comprehensive line management for student staff, including objective setting, personal and professional development, performance management and wellbeing/pastoral support
Reporting to
Head of Advocacy
Responsible For
Student staff as required
General Terms
- Lead on, contribute to, or take part in occasional organisation-wide events and activities including Freshers Fair, Awards Ceremonies, Open Days, elections, Officer Campaigns and organisational change
projects or similar - Ensure and role-model a positive organisational culture at all times, living by the Union’s values
- Minimise environmental impact by attending to your duties in a resource efficient manner, and actively support the delivery of the SU’s Environmental Policy in the performance of your role
- Any other duties commensurate with the role, as required
- Support the elected Officers to deliver on their manifesto pledges or other ideas, campaigns and lobbying using whatever means available to you
- Continually streamline services using technology and digital solutions
- Lead on the development of online content related to your area of work including social media and website content
Person Specification
Experience/Knowledge/Understanding
Essential:
- Experience of working within, or an understanding of students’ unions or other similar membership organisations
- Experience of working within, or an understanding of higher education quality policy & processes
- Experience of, or an interest in effective representation and advocacy (i.e. trade/students unions, government)
- Experience of working within a confidential environment, or an understanding of the principles required to work within such an environment
Desirable:
- Tangible experience of leading a campaign or project, which resulted in success
Tested at: Application
Qualifications/Training
Desirable:
- Relevant professional qualification
- Role-relevant training
Tested at: Application
Personal Attributes
Essential:
- A demonstrable understanding of, and commitment to living by the Brookes Union Values
- A demonstrable understanding of, and commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace
- Ability to motivate others to achieve a goal x Interview
- A passion for change-making and social justice x Interview
- A collaborative approach to work
Tested at: Interview