Chief Executive

We are seeking a new Chief Executive to deliver a world-class students’ union.

Applications close: 9 a.m. Friday 11th July 2025

Location: Hybrid/London (at least 3 days per week on-site)

About the LSE Students’ Union

LSE Students' Union (LSESU) is a £5.6m not-for-profit organisation for LSE students. We've been part of the LSE community since 1897, and all LSE students automatically become LSESU members when they enrol.

We exist to:

• Support students holistically in terms of their academic and student experience, serving as an independent source of advice and advocacy.
• Help students shape and lead their own academic and student experience by providing opportunities that foster connection and engagement, building their skills and future careers.
• Use our influence to forge and create change in the interests of students within the institution, the community, and wider society, by empowering the students themselves.

We are emerging from a change programme which has seen us significantly enhance our culture, governance, and partnerships. We are proud to have positive morale internally, with 93% of staff feeling they are trusted and well respected at work. We have enhanced our Trustee board and enjoy a great level of support and engagement from Trustees.

Our new approach to building partnerships with LSE is working exceptionally well, including investing in dedicated partnerships management roles within our staff structure. We are also excited to be opening a newly refurbished commercial offer in the very near future.

About the role

We have set an ambitious strategy for 2030, which our team is enthusiastic about. Our vision is to be a union today, empowering every student to shape tomorrow. This is a journey about us transforming the educational journey and student experience of our members, setting a global standard for a world-class students’ union. Our plan has three core pillars focused on partnerships, advancing student voices, and creating a lifelong sense of identity.

We are seeking a new Chief Executive to drive this strategy and deliver a world-class students’ union.

Who we are looking for

Our ideal candidate brings proven senior leadership experience from a high-profile organisation, with expertise in managing complex situations and challenges, including those of a politically complex nature. You will have exceptional strategic vision and a successful track record in building institutional partnerships.

Your track record will show that you have led transformational change and provided empowering, inspiring leadership to your teams to achieve organisational goals.

Staff well-being, professional development, and having an inclusive culture where teams feel valued and motivated are important to us. Our new CEO will be responsible to the Trustee Board and the Sabbatical Officers, so we need a leader who is authentic, communicative, and committed to ethical leadership and decision-making.

We care deeply about the well-being of our team, but the nature of our work can mean that we need to respond rapidly to complex, emotional, and political challenges at a moment’s notice. Our leader will need the ability to remain calm and resilient under pressure and adapt to change and challenges as needed.

We welcome all candidates with the leadership experience required to consider this post, including those who might be considering working within a Students’ Union for the first time. You will be supported by an exceptional team that is excited to work with a new CEO.

Please click 'Redirect to recruiter’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Friday 11th July 2025.