Reception services and venue manager jobs

The Role

This is a pivotal new role at SUSU, leading the operational delivery of our vibrant student spaces across our three buildings on Highfield Campus. As Head of Operations, you’ll ensure our facilities are safe, compliant, well-maintained, and consistently deliver excellent service.

You’ll oversee room bookings and reception, technical event support, transport operations, and sustainability initiatives, keeping services running smoothly across a busy and diverse programme of over 1,500 bookings each year.

As SUSU’s lead competent person for Health & Safety, you’ll champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance across all activities, working closely with University stakeholders, contractors, and internal teams to drive continuous improvement.

No two days are the same — this is a fantastic opportunity to shape and enhance the student experience at scale.

About You

• Significant experience in soft facilities or operational management, including contracts and service delivery
• A recognised Health & Safety qualification, with strong experience in compliance and risk management
• Proven track record of leading teams in fast-paced, complex environments
• A confident communicator and problem-solver, able to build strong stakeholder relationships
• Highly organised and analytical, with the ability to balance strategic planning and hands-on delivery

About Us
We are the University of Southampton Students' Union (SUSU) – independent from the University and run by students, for students. Our vision is simple:  SUSU is here to enrich the life of every student. We are a workplace that’s buzzing with life, ideas, and opportunities – where your work directly shapes the student experience. 

As part of our team, you'll enjoy:

• Salary of £43,337 to £47,325
• Generous paid holiday - 30 days per year, plus eight closure days (around Easter, August and Christmas) on top of eight bank holidays (and an opportunity to purchase up to an additional week of holiday). 
• Great pension – we contribute 10% into your defined contributions pension scheme. 
• Travel perks – discounted UniLink and Blue Star bus passes, a Cycle-to-Work scheme. 

To find out more, visit our website.

Apply Now
You can easily apply using your CV and covering letter by clicking on Apply Now.

For further information prior to submitting your application, please find the relevant contact details within the advert posted on our website.

Closing Date: 19 April 2026

Interview Date: 5 May 2026

Please note feedback will not be provided if you are not shortlisted for interview.   

SUSU is an equal opportunities employer that values a diverse workforce and we want to reflect the student body that we represent. We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination and will ensure that our recruitment activities are mindful of equality and diversity matters.  

Job title: RWP Employment Keyworker

Reports to: Client Services Manager

Location: Manchester – hybrid working, with a minimum of 2 days a week in the office. 

Salary:                £28,000 - £31,000

Hours:                 37.5 hours

Contract: 2-year fixed term contract

Background

Breaking barriers is delivering a Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) funded programme to provide employment support to participants in the Refugee Welcome Programme (RWP) across Greater Manchester.

Overall purpose

The main purpose of this role is to support asylum seeking and refugee clients as part of a new statutory contract. You will work closely with the Client Services Manager to support clients to progress into relevant opportunities and signpost to appropriate services.

In summary this role will be responsible for:

· Managing a caseload of clients referred through the programme, supporting RWP clients into employment across GMCA boroughs.

· Supporting the Client Services Manager with data collection and reporting, within Breaking Barriers and across all delivery partners

· Conducting outreach to referral partners’ venues, providing introduction and information about the programme to engage potential participants.

· Managing monthly network meeting for referral partners, taking the lead on providing updates and discussing any emerging issues with referral partners.

· Delivery of in-person group sessions with partner organisations at community locations e.g. hotels

You’ll be a confident communicator, comfortable working with a range of partners and maintaining positive working relationships. Most importantly, you’ll share our commitment to working with marginalised communities and have a genuine passion for improving opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers.

The successful candidate will be experienced in supporting individuals to progress along their employment journey and understand the need to refer for holistic support.  We’re looking for someone who has experience working with people with multiple barriers to employment and building relationships with partners to try to address these. You should understand how to adapt your approach in 1-1 and group situations and be creative in developing and delivering group sessions.

Key responsibilities 

We are a fast-paced charity that prides itself on its flexibility and responsiveness so your responsibilities may change, develop and grow according to the needs and development of our services.

RWP Referral Partner coordination:

· Establish and maintain relationships with RWP referral partners to ensure the project is delivered in a collaborative and client-centred way.

· Establish and coordinate a monthly employment network meeting with referral partners

· Share updates on participant progression, emerging trends and anonymised case studies demonstrating impact

· Conduct outreach to various referral partner locations, introducing the service and engaging potential participants.

· Identify operational challenges and strengthen referral pathways

· Support the Client Services Manager to ensure good practice and quality in delivery.

· Support with project coordination to ensure outcomes. This includes but is not limited to recording and sharing minutes in partner meetings and incorporating data/learning for funder reports.

Client support

· Provide personalised employment support to a caseload of participants from the RWP programme across GMCA, helping them understand the UK labour market, define career goals, and develop employability skills.

· Support clients with all aspects of employment support in-person, in community centres, libraries, and RWP partner offices.

· Connect clients to training, qualifications and sector pathways

· Manage a caseload of clients with varying needs, adjusting frequency and intensity of support based on individual requirements. 

· Design and deliver group-based employability support in-person and remotely

· Liaise with volunteers to source additional expertise and mentoring opportunities for clients.

· Maintain relationships with referral partners from across Greater Manchester to manage client support and support agencies to signpost clients to additional services, including welfare, housing, and mental health support.

Monitoring and Reporting

· Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of client interactions, progress, and outcomes in the CRM system.

· Implement and adhere to monitoring and evaluation processes to track client outcomes and inform service improvements.

· Support data collection across all areas, ensuring accuracy for reports.  

· Contribute to monthly and quarterly reporting, working with the Client Services Manager to highlight areas of challenge and also good practice.

· Contribute and support management by sharing client case studies and stories for reports

Safeguarding

· Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns, making appropriate referrals and ensuring clients receive the support they need.

· Act as a first point of contact for safeguarding concerns during place-based employability sessions with RWP partners. Record and inform management as and when required.

Person specification

Essential:

• Experience providing employability support, careers advice, or guidance to individuals facing barriers to employment.

· Confidence in facilitating network meetings and building partnerships

· Experience supporting clients facing multiple and complex barriers (e.g., language, trauma, housing, mental health.

· Understanding of the refugee and asylum seeker experience and the systemic barriers they face.

· Experience of partnership working in the community or voluntary sector.

· Ability to work collaboratively and proactively with partners

· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with clients, colleagues, and partners from diverse backgrounds

· Ability to adapt communication and support style to different needs in both group and 1-1 settings, including low levels of English and varying digital literacy.

· Strong group facilitation and presentation skills, with creativity in designing engaging group-based activities (e.g. employability, ESOL-linked, orientation workshops).

· Knowledge of Greater Manchester employment, education and training landscape.

· Flexibility and willingness to work across multiple community locations in Greater Manchester.

· Experience using a CRM system to maintain client records demonstrating an understanding of data collection and reporting

• Strong administrative and organisational skills

· Ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload, including delivering sessions and providing one-to-one support

• Knowledge of safeguarding principles and experience handling safeguarding concerns appropriately.

· Understanding of Lived Experience of seeking sanctuary or forced migration to the UK.

Desirable:

· Experience supporting data collection and monitoring for projects or services

Additional Information:

• This role will require travel for client support and external stakeholder meetings or events.
• Some evening or weekend work may be required to support clients (TOIL provided)

Breaking Barriers is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion, or belief.

We aim for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our clients. We celebrate diversity within our workforce and are committed to creating a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.

We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative, which advocates and supports organisations to employ more people from a refugee background. With this in mind, we particularly welcome applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background.

We received an accreditation for the Empowered Foundations training with a focus on reproductive health in the workplace. As part of the training, our managers accessed learning on pregnancy loss, fertility, flexible working and eliminating bias. We also have a Menopause and Menstrual Health in the Workplace Policy, to ensure colleagues experiencing symptoms receive the support they need.

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we are committed to offering an accessible recruitment process and guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. We are also committed to ongoing workplace adjustments and support for colleagues who need them.

Accessibility of our offices

Our offices have full disabled access on all floors.

· WeWork Office (London): At the main entrance you can use the free access lift and then the main passenger lifts to all the floors. There is one disabled toilet per floor.

· Landmark Office (Birmingham): This building is designed as three specific cores served by a core staircase in each core – on each floor within each of these cores is the provision of male, female, unisex and accessible toilet facilities, with accessible passenger lifts to each floor.

· Clockwork Office (Manchester): TBC

· Spaces Office (Glasgow): 300 Bath Street offers wheelchair accessible lift from entry at street level up to reception and then accessible elevators serve the building overall. SPACES, located on the second floor, is level-entry throughout and has male, female and accessible disabled toilets available for use. 

We are seeking a forward‑thinking leader with a track record in changing organisations that have a good and loyal team in place with a commitment to our mission and values, and the imagination to explore new ways of meeting local needs. A track record of fundraising in the charity sector is needed. Whether you come with a background from the advice sector, the wider charity world, or another relevant field, if you have the vision and drive to steer CAEW into the future, we would love to hear from you.