Closing date for applications: 31st May 2025
Location: New Cross, London
Salary: Voluntary, Unpaid
Interviews: June 9th - 10th 2025
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About Us:
Goldsmiths Students’ Union is a charity representing over 10,000 students studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, on issues that matter to them. We are student-led, with hundreds of volunteers, dozens of part-time elected officers, and four Sabbatical Officers - students who have been elected by their peers to take a year out of their studies to lead us from the front.
We are a democratic organisation, with a Student Assembly and established trustee board. The Trustee Board delegates responsibility for the day to day management of the organisation to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive serves the Trustee Board and is responsible for developing and implementing the strategic plan for the management of all staff and resources. The Students’ Union staff team is made up of over 120 permanent and casual employees who work full-time and part-time.
Our Culture:
At the heart of our culture lies a genuine dedication to nurturing the personal and professional growth of our staff. In this year's engagement survey 93% of our staff wholeheartedly agreed that they would recommend Goldsmiths Student Union as a fantastic place to work. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where each team member thrives.
The Role:
As a trustee, you will work closely with the Student Union Officers, staff team and students, to deliver on our strategic aims, ensuring that we are making continuing progress to be recognised for the innovation and quality of the services and support that we provide.
We are seeking at least one trustee with experience in the charity or education sector. The Trustee Board meets formally six times annually, with meetings generally held midweek in the early evening and lasting a few hours.
Download the full job pack below:
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Applications Process
If everything above sounds good to you, we would love to receive your application. Please use our application form to apply as we do not accept CV's and Cover Letters.
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Students at Goldsmiths University come from a variety of backgrounds. We are therefore committed to ensuring our workforce is reflective of our members. We encourage applications from people with different circumstances and from all walks of life as well as those from traditionally underrepresented groups.
Registered Charity 
21 - 50
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Background to the Role
We are currently creating a brand new three-year strategy, setting out an exciting vision to support, promote and defend the mental health, rights and social position of young people. This follows a period of organisational growth, where expanding services into the North Somerset region, and working in partnership with the local statutory mental health provider, has increased our staffing to over 100 employees.
Our new Chair will be an experienced Trustee or Board member who is skilled in effectively managing meetings for productive discussions. We are looking for someone with energy and drive and who will ensure robust governance, aligning strategy and operations. A number of our Trustees have been with us for less than a year and we also have a new CEO and a fairly new SLT, we are therefore looking for an experienced hand who is a skilled relationship manager and a decisive leader, capable of listening to all sides and finding compromise to make difficult decisions.
Main Responsibilities
- To be responsible for providing effective strategic leadership and management to the Board of Trustees, enabling them to fulfil their responsibilities for the overall governance and strategic direction of OTR.
- To chair meetings of the Board of Trustees effectively and efficiently, bringing impartiality and objectivity to the decision-making process.
- To plan the annual cycle of Board meetings.
- To set agendas for Board meetings and review minutes.
- To ensure the Scheme of Delegation to the CEO is reviewed and updated.
- To be knowledgeable about, and abide by, the Articles of Association and Charitable Purpose.
- To represent OTR at functions and meetings, and act as a spokesperson as appropriate.
Person Specification
- Strong leadership skills and a collaborative team member.
- Strategic vision.
- Able to display impartiality, fairness and the ability to respect confidences.
- An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of Trusteeship from the Charity Commission and Companies House.
- Excellent people management skills, and an ability to build trusting relationships with Trustees, senior staff, external partners and stakeholders.
- Ability to make measured and fair judgements and decisions.
- A regard for Nolan's 7 principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
Diversity and inclusion
At OTR, whatever your role or professional background, you will be expected to work in a way that is anti-oppressive and inclusive. A key focus for OTR is to develop an organisation that is inclusive for all. We do not claim to be experts in this, but we are committed to continuous learning and improvement in these areas and invite you to join us on this journey.
OTR recognises the benefits to individual practice and organisational credibility of having a diverse community of staff and volunteers and to this end, is continually working towards building and maintaining an environment which values and pursues diversity accordingly.
We recognise that tackling systemic inequality, prejudice, racism, and oppressive practice requires each of us to actively engage, self-examine and make changes where necessary in order to improve access and ensure an equitable experience for all in society and all of those who come through our doors at OTR.
How to apply
Eastside People is supporting Off the Record (Bristol) in the recruitment of this role. Please click here to apply by submitting a CV and a cover letter both in Word doc. format. Please use the cover letter (max 2 pages) as an opportunity to add to the information you have shared in your CV and ensure that you cover the following:
- Why is OTR’s work important to you and how can you contribute as our Chair?
- Your experience of working at a strategic level and of effective governance.
- How would you go about ensuring that our many stakeholders are heard and represented at Board level
Having a call of this kind will not influence the success or otherwise of your application.
The closing date for applications is Friday, 16th May. Longlisting interviews with Eastside People will take place shortly after and shortlisted candidates will have an interview with the panel at OTR during the week beginning 2nd June.
