The Opportunity
Are you a senior relationship management professional with experience of managing and leading successful teams to deliver innovative and engaging experiences for a wide range of stakeholders?
The University of Leeds has one of the largest alumni constituencies in the UK, with a global community of more than 340,000 alumni in 190 countries. Alumni play a pivotal role in the life of the University and its mission to make a positive global impact, as stakeholders, advocates, ambassadors, supporters and lifelong learning participants.
Alumni of Leeds University Business School are an important part of this community, with a strong affinity to both the University and the Business School. Developing lifelong, mutually-beneficial relationships with its graduates is critical for a world-class Business School and we aim to maximise their experience, knowledge and diversity to enhance our school’s reputation, student experience, research agenda and add value to the experience of alumni themselves as members of a lifelong community.
This new role will enhance the strategic impact of our alumni to both the Business School and the University more widely through creative and collaborative working, and evaluating, and prioritising activity to best effect. Working in a matrix-management environment, you will be based in the Business School, reporting in to the Director of External Engagement (Partnerships and Executive Education) and will also be part of the University’s Advancement Team with professional accountability to the Head of Alumni and Supporter Engagement.
The post holder will therefore work in close partnership both with staff in the Business School (in particular External Engagement, key undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, Executive Education and the marketing and communications team) as well as with Advancement colleagues. You will be responsible for leading and managing the Business School’s alumni relations team, translating the School and University strategies into meaningful action, across two key areas of focus:
- Building our alumni community through a programme of engagement, events and communications that enhance our community engagement, identifying opportunities to maximise the impact within the context of Advancement and Business School strategies.
- Increasing the strategic impact of alumni engagement on research and student experience objectives, particularly through volunteering and advocacy.
Working with the team, you will play a critical role in adding strategic value to the Business School from alumni engagement, and developing how Business School engagement, content and activity can benefit the student and alumni community more widely. You will also be delivering against the strategic needs of the wider University, as we enhance our engagement of alumni and supporters (donors and volunteers). You will therefore have a proven approach to collaborative working and developing successful partnerships across organisations.
Person Specification
You will have significant experience of managing relationships and influencing senior stakeholders, both internally and externally, to deliver value-adding projects and initiatives. You will have experience of developing strategies, and translating these into activity, maximising events, communications and face-to-face relationship building activity to achieve strategic aims. You will be an experienced leader, able to manage and inspire a motivated, high performing, purpose-driven team with a culture of collaboration and a creative approach to opportunities and problem-solving.
Application
Valued Recruitment is working exclusively with the Alumni of Leeds University Business School to recruit for their team. We are an ethical recruitment company, intent on hiring inclusively and transparently.
The closing date for this role is 12th September 2025.
Valued Recruitment is conducting informal chats with applicants between the 1st - 12th September.
First stage interviews are likely to take place on the 18th and 22nd September 2025. There will be two stages of interview, the first one virtual and the second stage will be in person.
To apply, we welcome a CV and a 1-2 page covering letter detailing your interest in the role.
Accessibility
Accessibility is incredibly important to us here at Valued Recruitment and at the Alumni of Leeds University Business School. If you would like any accessibility amendments or support throughout the application and interview stage, please don’t hesitate to let us know. No question or request is too big or too small. We want this process to be comfortable and enjoyable and a chance for you to bring your best self to the process
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Are you passionate about sport and physical activity and want to use this to share the good news of Jesus to children & young people across South England?
About the role
Scripture Union England & Wales (SU) one of the UK’s longest-established children and youth ministry organisations is working in partnership with Activate, an exciting local sport and wellbeing project, to offer this unique role to reach many more young people in the Bushy Park area and across the South of England through physical activity.
We’re looking for a creative and entrepreneurial individual with a passion for using sport to help children and young people across the South of England to explore and respond to the good news of Jesus.
This unique role combines the benefits of direct face-to-face engagement with young people in a local context, delivering mission through sport activities and programmes, while also developing and mentoring others to expand ministry across the South region. The ideal candidate will have equal passion and experience in both contexts.
Key details: Employed by Scripture Union you will spend three days per week developing sports mission across London and the South. For two days per week, you will work on the Activate sports and wellbeing project working across the Bushy Park area.
Location: Home based with travel across London and the wider south region for SU & St Peter’s Church in West Molesey for Activate.
Important things to note before you apply.
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This role will focus on Bushy Park, London and the South of England and will require extensive regular travel across the region.
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We are committed to building a culturally diverse workforce. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from people, regardless of their background.
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We take Safeguarding seriously. This role will require a Disclosure from the Disclosure & Barring Service and has an occupational requirement to be filled by a committed Christian, active in church life. Equality Act 2010, Part 1, Schedule 9 applies.
A flexible role shaped around you
The role is full-time, offering the best of both worlds by working with two partner organisations that collaborate synergistically. This position suits a candidate who enjoys face-to-face interactions with young people locally and strategic work regionally, training others for delivery. You’ll work closely with the Activate team and maintain weekly connections with the SU Sports Mission team as well as contributing to the wider work of the SU South region team.
Who we’re looking for team
You are someone who loves variety in your work and thrives on the fact that no two days are the same. You value a blend of face-to-face interaction with children and young people through sports coaching and leading, while also adopting a facilitating approach; equipping, training, and motivating others. You enjoy being rooted in a local context but are also happy travelling and working in a range of settings.
You’re a connector who relishes being in the community, with experience in leading teams whilst working with diverse groups of people. Your creative mindset, combined with excellent organisational skills, enables you to spot and create opportunities for impact. You love Jesus and are filled with energy and passion for sharing the gospel. You excel with people and thrive when given a blank canvas to drive projects from conception to completion. You are a confident communicator with experience in training, coaching, and empowering others. You have a passion for sport and experience in using this as a tool for sharing the gospel with children and young people. You’ve got a Level 2 coaching qualification or you’re willing to work towards one.
If this describes you and you would like to join a like-minded organisation that offers the flexibility of an exciting, varied role, provides a competitive salary, a generous pension scheme, and other valuable benefits, then read on.
Invest in our mission, as we invest in you: Our Benefits:
This joined-up role with Activate and Scripture Union means being part of a vibrant team dedicated to making a real, positive difference in the lives of children and young people. We’re proud to be employers that truly value and support our staff. This role offers the flexibility you need for a healthy work-life balance, alongside a competitive salary. Your benefits package includes 23 days annual leave plus bank holidays, plus an additional 5 days for volunteering at Scripture Union events and two days for spiritual refreshment.
We offer a comprehensive group pension scheme with an employer contribution of up to 12%, as well as life insurance (death-in-service coverage). We offer generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave benefits. You will also have access to SU’s bible notes, and the opportunity to join daily staff prayers.
About Scripture Union
You might have heard of us before if you're one of the 1.5 million+ who have attended one of our Christian holidays or missions over the years, or maybe you're one of the 40,000+ subscribers to have used our brilliant devotionals or been stirred by our exceptional bible resources. We've been at this for a fair few years... over 150 to be precise. Over this time, we’ve remained passionate about helping children and young people develop a vibrant faith in Jesus. As our name describes, the radical power of God's word has always been central to our approach.
We still do all the great stuff with resources and holidays, but in the last few years, we have sharpened our vision with a renewed focus to help the 95% of young people (primary and secondary school age) across the UK who have never stepped foot inside a church, to hear and respond to the good news of Jesus. We do this through equipping and resourcing the local church, training up volunteers from local churches (we call them ‘Faith Guides’) and collaborating with local and national partners across the UK to connect with children and young people and support them on a journey of exploring faith in a way that is relevant and meaningful.
In the last few years we’ve developed a brand new approach to how we do this, it’s deceptively simple and incredibly effective, we call it Revealing Jesus, and its making a massive difference, in the last couple of years we’ve trained up nearly 600 faith guides across 400+ churches all over the UK, collectively we’re seeing over 50,000 young people across the UK on a journey of exploring the Christian faith and responding to an invitation to become followers of Jesus. We have 24 staff organised into four regional mission teams, and alongside our local and national partners, we’re playing our part in a network of organisations that seeks to reach children and young people in every context, across every town and city across the whole of the UK. The journey ahead is significant, and we invite you to be a part of it!
Since 2015, SU has had a dedicated Mission Through Sport team which contributes directly towards this outreach to the 95. We have recently developed some innovative new resources, aligned with the RJ framework, which the post holder will be involved in both delivering and equipping others to utilise. These include our flagship programme called Holy Ground which empowers churches to adopt a local sports space in their community to connect with the 95 in their context. Half Time is our brand new Explore-Respond resource which uses sports-themed videos and fun games to help the 95 to explore the life of Jesus by journeying through Mark’s Gospel.
About Activate
Activate is a sport and physical activity-based programme, formed in 2018, seeking to build community through wellbeing that invigorates faith. Activate seeks to release God’s people to join in his mission through sport and physical activity in the areas surrounding Bushy Park. This includes gathering, encouraging and empowering local Christians involved in sports ministry, including expressions of chaplaincy and missional communities centred around sports clubs, centres, educational settings and gyms. A number of local churches across denominations and Dioceses have been supporters of the project.
In the past Activate has supported sports projects in local schools, an activity-based church service, wellbeing cafe sessions, exercise sessions for the elderly and youth activities. The successful candidate will be involved in re-launching Activate’s mission after a break due to staff changes.
About your team
With this role, you will have the benefit of being part of a national-focused sports team at SU, as well as the south team with a regional focus and the local context with Activate. You’ll work out of the office of St Peter’s Church, West Molesey, benefiting from the support of a local parish-based team including clergy and youth workers. You’ll contribute your expertise in a variety of settings, ranging from urban and suburban to coastal and rural areas across the south. You’ll have a brilliant time getting acquainted with this rich tapestry of local and national partners. Across the south region, we currently work with 130 churches and have 150 faith guides. We’d like to see these numbers grow significantly over the next few years and believe that a vibrant sports ministry can contribute meaningfully to this.
Interview date: 17th September 2025
Interview location: St Peter’s Church, West Molesey
* (CONTRACT) Funding is in place for year one and partly secured for year two. We are confident that through the development of innovate partnerships via the Activate role, including within the church of England, the funds can be generated to not only fulfil the two initial years but also beyond that to ensure longevity in this vital mission. We invite interested applicants to contact Mark Oliver, Sports Mission Team Leader at Scripture Union, for an informal conversation.
Registered Charity
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ScriptureUnion is a Christian charity that exists to see a new generation of children and young people with their own vibrant, personal faith in Jesus
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