Engagement and Events Executive
Annual Salary - £27,263
Hours per week (full time/ Part time) – 35 hours
34 days’ annual leave (full-time equivalent)
Thank you for your interest in the position of Engagement and Events Executive at Kent Students’ Union Trading Ltd (KUTL), the commercial arm of Kent Students’ Union.
We are a vibrant, student-led organisation with an exciting future ahead. After a challenging few years, we are growing from strength to strength with renewed focus and energy, working to amplify the voice of our members and ensure they have a fantastic student experience. Our new strategy outlines our priorities for the next two years and drives everything we do.
Students are the reason Kent Students’ Union exists.
We support them throughout their university journey, and our dedicated staff and volunteers work to enhance every aspect of their experience—whether that’s helping with their studies, supporting the practicalities of life, or providing opportunities for fun and connection.
Kent Students’ Union operates a range of services for students at the Canterbury Campus of the University of Kent, including retail shops, a bar, a café, a nightclub, and a children’s nursery.
We are excited to be re-launching our Give it a Go programme, which offers one-off events and activities designed to help our diverse student body build connections and feel settled.
Give It A Go (GIAG) is a programme of events open to all students at the University of Kent with the aim to provide a variety of activities for a broad range of students to try out. These could be craft sessions, sports, trips off campus and much more, we want to help students make connections, encouraging belonging, try something new, meet new people and develop their skills.
We also want to enhance the events we deliver for university open days and offer holder days to showcase why students should choose Kent. As a result, we are seeking someone who is innovative, creative, and experienced in delivering events—someone who is proactive, able to work independently, and confident collaborating across departments.
The postholder will be part of a flexible and dynamic team and will be required to work weekends and evenings as necessary to support open days and other events. They must therefore be adaptable and flexible in their approach to working hours.
How to apply: Application and Selection Process and Timetable
Applications Close: Monday 26 January 2026, 12 noon.
Interviews: Tuesday 3 February 2026
Applications
To apply: Please submit your application on our recruitment portal on our website. Please note that we do not accept CV only applications.
Please ensure that you pay particular attention in your application to detailing how your experience meets the requirements of the person specification and why you are interested in the position. When applying, please match your skills and experience as closely as possible to the Person Specification. This will be assessed at application and at interview.
Further Information and Questions
If you require further information, please contact:
Name - Max Weston
Job Title -Commercial Events Manager
Job Specification
Operational Duties
- To oversee and co-ordinate our Give it a Go Programme, ensuring a variety of safe, inclusive and engaging events, trips and opportunities are delivered across the year. Day to day activities might include planning, setting up and delivering events through a small student staff team, liaising with our marketing department to promote the programme, monitoring attendance, seeking student feedback and completing risk assessments and ensuring the safety of attendees.
- To co-ordinate our presence at Arrivals Weekend and deliver a series of events as part of Welcome Week including supporting the delivery of Welcome Fair.
- To co-ordinate Kent Student Union’s presence at University Open Days and Offer Holder Days held on Saturdays, ensuring they are staffed, interactive and showcase Kent Students’ Union’s impact on the student experience to prospective students.
- To support the delivery of wider KSU events as and when required such as Summerball.
- This role involves regular manual handling tasks, including lifting, carrying, and moving items. Training, guidance, and appropriate equipment will be provided. Candidates must be able to perform these duties safely, with reasonable adjustments considered where applicable.
People Responsibilities
- To recruit and manage a small team of student staff to deliver the Give it a Go Programme.
- To co-ordinate the work and monitor the workloads of student staff, ensuring that staff levels are adequate and efficient.
- To undertake performance reviews of student staff, in line with Kent Students’ Union policy.
- To effectively lead, coach and mentor people to help achieve their own potential.
- To actively review, plan and evaluate individual training needs, encouraging a learning and development culture.
Financial Responsibilities
- To manage the budgets for, Give it a Go and Open days/Offer Holder Days , ensuring adherence to Kent Students’ Union’s financial procedures.
- To maintain financial controls and ensure that the Finance Department receives all relevant financial information promptly, in accordance with Kent Student Union’s financial procedures.
Expected Behaviours
- To attend training sessions, and appropriate meetings as and when required by Kent Students’ Union.
- To contribute to the positive image of Kent Students’ Union with students, the University, and the local community.
- To ensure systems are in place to reduce Kent Students’ Unions’ impact on the environment.
- To act as an ambassador for Kent Students’ Union and show loyalty to the organisation, abiding by the Union’s Constitution, policies, and procedures.
- To undertake other tasks and responsibilities compatible with the level and nature of the post as required by your manager from time to time to support the achievement of Kent Students’ Union’s strategic plan.
- It is expected that the post-holder will be in attendance for Open Days and Offer Holder Days held on Saturdays, some evening work is also expected. Whilst not essential, it would be of benefit if the post-holder had a driving licence.
Person Specification
Qualifications
GCSE English and Maths (grade C / 4 or above), or equivalent.
Experience
- Experience of managing people (paid staff or volunteers) to deliver outstanding results.
- Experience of financial management
- A track record of working with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and building effective relationships
- Experience of promoting and delivering a wide range of events
Knowledge
- A good knowledge of health and safety legislation and best practice in the management of health and safety including the completion of risk assessments.
- An understanding of the current issues affecting higher education institutions and students
Skills and Abilities
- Sound judgement and ability to handle competing priorities and a challenging workload in a pressurised environment
- Skilled and committed user of IT, enabling efficiencies and improved service using technology.
- Good verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to relate and communicate effectively with people at all levels.
Values & Behaviours
- An effective and highly capable individual who is punctual, friendly and has a positive attitude and takes pride in their own work.
- Evidence of commitment to continuing personal and professional development
- A firm commitment to equality of opportunity; an individual who values diversity, shows respect for all people and works well with people who have different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds
- A team player, who helps others to build a successful team, celebrates others’ successes and supports others to achieve individual and team goals
This job description does not form part of the contract of employment. Please see our website for a full job and person spec. When applying, please match your skills and experience as closely as possible to the Person Specification. This will be assessed at application and at interview.
Application and Selection Process and Timetable
Applications Close: Monday 26 January 2026, 12 noon.
Interviews: Tuesday 6 February 2026
Applications
To apply: Please submit your application on our recruitment portal on our website. Please note that we do not accept CV only applications.
Please ensure that you pay particular attention in your application to detailing how your experience meets the requirements of the person specification and why you are interested in the position. When applying, please match your skills and experience as closely as possible to the Person Specification. This will be assessed at application and at interview.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
the3million is the largest grassroots organisation for EU citizens in the UK, formed after the 2016 referendum to protect the rights of people who have made the UK their home.
Our work ranges from organising EU citizens’ communities and informing people about their rights, to holding the Government to account on the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and advocating for social justice.
We are looking for an experienced and values-driven Community Organiser to lead the delivery of EU Voices, a project aimed at strengthening EU citizens’ communities in the UK through capacity building of civil society organisations (CSOs) and delivering a programme of engagement events and campaigns directly with EU citizens.
The ideal candidate will be passionate about social justice and migrants’ rights, able to plan, deliver and evaluate community engagement events, while also playing a key role in liaising with CSOs and delivering a programme of capacity building activities, enabling networks to be more effective and strategic in making change happen. The role requires strong experience in community organising, participatory approaches and working with diverse, grassroots-led CSOs.
Key responsibilities
1. Community organising and civic engagement
- Lead the planning, delivery and evaluation of the project’s community organising strategy, working closely with the3million’s other Community Organisers to deliver a cohesive programme of opportunities.
- Plan, organise and facilitate listening sessions with EU citizens’ communities in partnership with local grassroots organisations.
- Deliver outreach activities at cultural, educational and community events, including stalls promoting the project and voter registration drives.
- Design and facilitate intercultural dialogue events that build bridges between EU citizens and British residents.
- Ensure all community engagement activities are inclusive, participatory and grounded in lived experience.
- Work with the Communications Manager to effectively promote the project in the media and the3million’s website, newsletter and social media as appropriate.
2. Capacity building for CSOs
- Lead the delivery of capacity building activities for EU citizens’ organisations, coordinating with fundraising, communications and anti-oppressive practices training providers.
- Work closely with grassroots CSOs providing one to one guidance and support, including on organising local engagement events.
- Support CSOs to deliver and implement community organising plans and deliver local outreach and campaigning events.
3. Coordination and project management
- Act as the main point of contact for the3million within the EU Voices consortium, working closely with the Project Coordinator and partners.
- Coordinate activities to ensure coherence, timely delivery and alignment with project objectives and indicators.
- Lead on project planning, internal coordination meetings, and risk management.
- Support monitoring, evaluation and learning processes, including the collection of qualitative and quantitative data from community activities.
4. Stakeholder engagement
- Work with the Head of Policy and Advocacy to ensure community insights and grassroots priorities inform and lead the3million’s advocacy.
- Support the3million’s policy-focused webinars and engagement with UK and EU decision-makers.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with a wide network of external stakeholders including grassroots community leaders and CSOs.
5. Reporting and documentation
- Lead on the3million’s narrative reporting for EU funders, including event reports, progress updates and evidence of impact.
- Ensure accurate documentation of activities, participant engagement and outcomes in line with EU funding and visibility requirements.
- Support the production of case studies, testimonials and stories of impact from participating CSOs.
6. General responsibilities
- Represent the views of the3million at events, conferences and in the media, as appropriate.
- Provide assistance in other areas of the3million’s work as and when deemed necessary by the CEO.
Person specifications
Knowledge and experience:
- Significant experience (minimum 3 years) in community organising, grassroots mobilisation or community development.
- Proven experience working directly with EU citizens or other minoritised, racialised or migrant communities.
- Strong understanding of participatory, rights-based and inclusive organising approaches.
- Experience coordinating complex projects with multiple stakeholders and partners.
- Experience of working with people from different backgrounds, including different language skills, cultures/ethnicities, ages, etc. Comfortable interacting with people who hold different opinions with a view to build mutual understanding and solidarity.
Skills:
- Excellent facilitation skills (experience of running workshops, events, stakeholder meetings)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing funding reports, ability to write clear emails with compelling calls to action and the confidence to speak in public settings
- Familiarity with anti-oppression practices (which can include anti-racism, co-liberatory and intersectional principles) and ability to apply them in practice (centering the voices of racialised, minoritised and under-represented community members in project design and implementation)
- Strong administrative skills, time management and attention to detail, including the ability to set meeting agendas, keep records of volunteers/partners and to follow up on agreed actions
Personal attributes:
- A deep commitment to migrants’ rights and a passion for social justice
- Strong understanding of power, inequity and intersectionality, and how these shape participation and community engagement
- Ability to work independently, managing competing priorities and thrive in a fast-paced environment
- A positive, proactive and solutions-oriented attitude, able to take initiative
- Willingness to travel across the UK
Desirable
- Experience working on EU-funded projects.
- Experience working with EU citizens’ communities or on post-Brexit rights issues.
Before you apply
One of the3million’s core values is equity - we are people led, we value diversity and are enriched by differences. We strive to listen to, engage with and represent the broadest range of people.
We recognise our team is not currently representative of communities that experience racism and that our own ways of working may replicate wider societal oppression and injustices. We are actively working towards becoming an anti-oppressive organisation, including taking steps to create a more inclusive recruitment process.
You may not have worked in an organisation whose focus is campaigning for migrants’ rights. Or you may have experience in a grassroots setting which is not formalised. Please still consider applying as many other settings offer transferable skills.
If you are from a background that is underrepresented in the migration sector - for example you are from a community that experiences racism, or you have lived experience of migration, or you are a disabled person, or you did not go to University or had free school meals as a child - we strongly encourage you to apply.
We believe our work will be stronger with greater diversity. the3million welcomes the whole person to work, and we understand that each of us brings our experiences, our backgrounds and our own unique lens to what we do.
We are part of the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative. The network supports inclusive recruitment of people with lived experience of the UK asylum or immigration system. If this is your experience, you can find useful resources on their website.
Working conditions
Position: 4 days / week
Duration: three years contract, with possibility of extension, subject to funding
Salary: £38,419
Location: London, UK. Majority home working. Travel will be required - majority within the UK, in addition to trips to Brussels and Rome (all travel expenses covered)
Benefits: 28 days holiday + birthday, bank holidays, contributory pension scheme, flexible working patterns.
Reporting to: CEO
About applying
Apply by submitting an up to date CV and cover letter, detailing your motivations for applying for this post and how your skills, knowledge and experience fit the person specifications of the role. Please note we will not be reviewing applications which do not include a detailed cover letter.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
