Student services officer jobs

Future Frontiers is seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation through an exciting new phase of growth and impact.

This is a remarkable opportunity to lead an organisation that has already helped thousands of young people across London to build confidence, shape their own future careers, and realise their potential. This is a pivotal time for Future Frontiers, as we continue to move forward with our 2025–28 strategy, we are expanding our offer, aiming to increase our reach and deepen our impact.

In recent years, like many similar organisations, we have navigated a challenging financial environment, and through the commitment of our leadership team and Trustees, we are returning to a more positive financial position. The next CEO will build on this momentum – strengthening our foundations, expanding our reach, and ensuring that even more young people can benefit from our work.

This role is an opportunity to lead an ambitious, passionate, and talented team united by a powerful mission: advancing social mobility and transforming life chances. We are seeking a strategic leader, commercially astute, and deeply motivated by the potential of young people. As CEO, you will play a defining role in shaping our future, forging new partnerships, securing vital support, and amplifying our impact.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has proven senior leadership experience, ideally within a charity or purpose-led organisation
• Can set and deliver strategic direction while driving measurable impact
• Is a strong relationship-builder, confident engaging funders, partners and stakeholders
• Brings commercial and financial acumen, with experience of income generation
• Is deeply committed to improving outcomes for young people and advancing social mobility

How to apply
To apply, you will need to send us your CV and a separate supporting statement. Your supporting statement should be no more than 2 sides of A4 explaining why you are interested in the role and how you meet the criteria.

Application deadline: Wednesday 22nd April, 5pm
Round one interview: Thursday 7th May (shortlisting will take place w/c 27th April)
Round two interview: w/c 11th May (date TBC)

Both rounds of interviews will take place in person at our office near London Bridge.

Start date: To be agreed with the successful candidate. Ideal start date September 2026.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo enhanced DBS and reference checks to cover employment for the last 5 years.

To support fair and inclusive hiring, we are asking all applicants to complete our diversity and equal opportunities monitoring form. This helps us to identify barriers and improve our processes. Responses are anonymous, not linked to your application, and do not affect hiring decisions.

For full details on the role, responsibilities, and how to apply, please see the attached CEO Applicant Pack.

About The Role

We’re looking for an organised, proactive Programme Coordinator to help us deliver exceptional training experiences for aspiring counsellors. In this role, you’ll support students, manage course logistics, and work closely with tutors to ensure our programmes run seamlessly. If you’re passionate about education, wellbeing, and making a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

 Together we can change children’s lives. At Place2Be, we believe every child should have easy access to mental health support whenever they need it. We create a safe place in schools where children and young people can open up without pressure or stigma, allowing our highly skilled and diverse counsellors to reach children, young people and their families who need us.

For a career with purpose, this is your place.

Recruitment Process:

As part of your application you will need to answer some shortlisting questions. Please answer these as fully as you can, we recommend using the STAR model. Situation, Task, Action Result.

Closing date for applications: Midnight on 19 April 2026

1st Interview date: 28 and 29 April 2026 via Teams

Our Benefits

When you work at Place2Be –whether that's in a school, supporting families, providing clinical supervision, or in IT, Finance, or Fundraising –every role can make the difference to a young person. To achieve this, we ask that you bring your best self to your role and our commitment to you, is to welcome you into our community, and help you progress. Because we know that you being at your best, means the best outcomes for the children we support.

Here’s just a few things we have on offer:

• Annual Leave that increases with service
• Comprehensive learning and development to enable you to progress your career
• 5% contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance of four times your annual salary
• A comprehensive employee assistance programme
• Mobile Phone Discounts (EE network)
• Wellbeing days to allow you some ‘you’ time
• Christmas holidays closure period in addition to your annual leave

We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented within our organisation.

We are proud to be a disability confident employer and will ask you during your application If you wish to be considered for a guaranteed interview under the disability confident scheme. Under the scheme we commit to offering an interview to disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria as outlined in the job role.

We recognise that AI is becoming part of daily life and you may want to use it to help you format your CV, create responses to application questions or even help you prepare responses. AI can be a powerful enabler and we are open to you using it to apply for roles with us, but we ask you to ensure anything you submit truly represents your capabilities and viewpoint. We value honesty, integrity and creativity and want to understand what you will uniquely bring to our team. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We provide excellent benefits including a generous pension scheme and holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. 

The role is a 0.8 FTE (29.2hr per week) and fixed term contract for one year. This role is based across our Bloomsbury campus with work across various tennis sites in London. The post holder is required to be flexible in their hours of work as the position entails attendance during evenings and weekends.

Job description

We are looking for a Tennis Development Officer to support the delivery of tennis as one of our Focus Sports. The role combines tennis delivery with desk-based sports administration and student engagement. We are looking for someone passionate about developing tennis in all forms - from running beginner friendly sessions to working with students to co-create community volunteering projects.

Do you have experience coaching tennis? Have you had experience delivering sports leagues and events? Do you want to support students to develop professional skills through tennis? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you.

Our ideal candidate will be able to coach a range of abilities, have experience of working with and motivating volunteers and good verbal and written communication.

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. 

The role is full time and permanent. This role is based across our Bloomsbury and UCL East campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

We are looking for a Community Projects Coordinator (Community Research Initiative) to coordinate and support the further development of our diverse programme of extra-curricular student activity including our Research Volunteering and Pro Bono Research programmes.

Do you have experience in coordinating events, engaging volunteers, and creating meaningful opportunities for students? Do you excel at awareness‑raising, campaigning, or storytelling? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you.

Our ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of high‑quality student engagement, experience in building effective relationships with volunteers and stakeholders, and the ability to communicate confidently with people from a wide range of sectors, backgrounds, and cultures. They will be highly organised, adaptable, and motivated by working in a democratic, student‑led environment, with a clear commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Director of Commercial Services

Salary: £60,727
Location: University of Reading Students’ Union
Contract: Full Time – 37.5 hours per week (worked flexibly)

Are you ready to shape exceptional student experiences through vibrant and innovative commercial services?
Reading Students’ Union is seeking a progressive and values-driven Director of Commercial Services to provide strategic and hands-on leadership across all commercial services, helping to deliver outstanding spaces, services and experiences for the student community.

About Reading SU

Reading Students’ Union is an independent education charity led by, and for, students.

The Students’ Union is central to the University experience and works to support all aspects of student life for the 19,000 plus students studying at the University of Reading. Located in one of Britain’s top green spaces, the Students’ Union is an ambitious and diverse organisation, committed to supporting every student at Reading University in achieving personal success.

Reading SU sits at the heart of a thriving student community, with activities and initiatives inspired by students themselves. The Students’ Union is committed to promoting the interests and welfare of its members, representing their needs, and offering opportunities for personal development through a wide range of social, cultural, sporting and recreational activities.

This commitment to student experience also underpins the Union’s commercial activity. Reading Students’ Union’s venues, services and events are designed to be inclusive, welcoming and vibrant spaces where students can connect, feel a sense of belonging and create lasting memories. Guided by student insight, the commercial services play an important role in supporting the Union’s mission while enhancing student life across campus.

About the Role

Reading SU are thrilled to be searching for a Director of Commercial Services, a dynamic leader experienced in licensed trade, catering, events, and marketing. This role is not just about maintaining the status quo but about reimagining and diversifying the commercial services in line with student community needs.

The ideal candidate will be both strategic and hands-on, with an ability to develop Reading SU’s commercial services while also being involved in delivery of the operations.

The successful candidate will not necessarily come from the Higher Education sector but will be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of the trends, challenges and opportunities that shape student life and the Students’ Union sector. They will bring a sound understanding of charity governance and financial management, alongside the strategic and operational capability required to lead complex commercial services within a democratic, student-led organisation.

Reading Students’ Union offers an inclusive and engaging working environment and is passionate about developing its people. The organisation is committed to ensuring its workforce reflects the diversity of the community it serves, respecting individual identity and celebrating differences. Applications are encouraged from all candidates regardless of background, and Reading Students’ Union particularly welcomes applications from candidates from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and from candidates with disabilities.

The SU offers a range of sector-leading benefits including enhanced leave, onsite nursery, occupational sick pay, access to campus facilities and winter shutdown over the Christmas period- a rare opportunity within the hospitality and commercial sector.

It’s a genuinely exciting time for Reading Students’ Union and we look forward to receiving your application.

Key Dates

Closing Date: Thursday 9th April, 12pm
First Stage Interviews (Remote): 20th April
Final Interviews (In-person): 27th April

Optional Q/A session with the CEO and Interim Commercial Director: 26th March, 12pm. Email to register (see below)

How to Apply

Please click 'Apply' to be redirected to our website, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and apply.

For an informal conversation about the role and the application process, or to register to the optional Q/A session, please contact our recruitment partners at Atkinson HR Consulting. Their details can be found in the candidate pack.

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. 

The role is full time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

We are looking for an Advisor to provide quality advice, information and support to students using the Advice Service, including casework and accompanying students to meetings and hearings. This is an opportunity to work as part of our Advice and Wellbeing department, ensuring students feel supported, informed and striving for positive outcomes whenever possible.

The advisor will provide support by delivering high quality and accurate advice and information to students using the Advice Service. This will include housing, academic, and employment matters, through casework, support and acting as a ‘friend’ for students in UCL committees, panels, hearings or other meetings. The successful candidate will work effectively with Union and UCL teams, including academic and professional services staff in Casework and Student Support and Wellbeing Services. They will also contribute to the production of engaging and useful content to support students needs.

Do you have experience of giving advice or support in a student or other client facing environment? Do you have knowledge of relevant issues in Academic, Housing, Employment or Consumer Advice and Casework? Are you able to understand and work within policies, procedures and regulations? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you.

The Organisation

The Open SU serves the interests of around 170,000 part-time and distance-learning students spread across the UK, continental Europe and beyond. Our role is to represent and support the interests of this vast and diverse community of students. The Open SU is an independent registered charity, governed by elected student leaders. Our team of vibrant, friendly and dedicated professional staff provide the vital support needed to deliver our ambitious strategy. Though your skills and experience are important, vital to us, are your values. Here at the Open SU we are committed to a positive team culture to enable and empower all members to be their very best.

The Job

This exciting permanent role involves managing multiple projects that further Open SU’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) objectives. Your involvement will be key from conception through to evaluation. You will work alongside the other Officers in the EDI and Belonging Team to create events and raise awareness of various EDI campaigns for students. You will also work closely with our volunteers, supporting them through inductions, training and helping them materialise their ideas.

The Person

This role is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated individual with great communication skills and experience of leading projects. You will have a passion for EDI issues and supporting individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. For a small organisation, we are a very busy team. You must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and able to work to deadlines, manage time and prioritise your workload efficiently. You will also enjoy working collaboratively as you will be supporting other colleagues and volunteers with the planning of campaigns.

Please read the full role description and application pack below.

We’re an award-winning charity that runs local learning centres in the heart of communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide an innovative education programme which includes practical learning support and motivational and confidence-building activities for children and young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to inspire students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to broaden their horizons and achieve their full potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping thousands of young people each year. From Autumn 2022 we will have thirty-nine centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, with ambitious plans to scale-up our provision further over the coming years.

We are creating a new and centralised Student Opportunities Team to manage the oversight of student opportunities across the charity and the continued development of IntoUniversity’s Associate Network (alumni community). This team will work closely with our local learning centres to advertise, recruit and facilitate opportunities for students.

We are looking for a motivated individual to take on the role of Student Opportunities Officer to work closely with the Head of Student Opportunities and Student Opportunities Manager to manage current opportunities and promote and deliver these throughout the charity’s network, and to plan and create resources for the student opportunities programme.

Contract: Full-time, permanent
Start date: June 2026
Working hours: Mon and Thurs: 09:30-18:00 Tues, Weds, Fri: 09:00-17:30 (Some out-of-hours work will be required from time to time - for example, early starts to deliver workshops in schools).

We are a delivery organisation providing frontline educational services for young people. We are an organisation with team members at different stages of their career, including many in their first roles: we are committed to nurturing talent and providing a developmental culture for all. Our Student Opportunities team works in-person 4 days per week with 1 day from home.

Salary: £28,250 per annum.
Location The role could be based at one of the IntoUniversity centres in: Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester or Nottingham. This role will include regular travel across the network and to our Head Office in London. This may include overnight stays.
Annual leave: 33 days (inc bank & public holidays) + 3 closure days (two in December and one in July) + additional length of service entitlement (one day per year of service, up to 5 days)

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. 

The role is full time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

We are looking for a Networks Development Coordinator to support the development of our networks to create inclusive, dynamic and engaging communities at UCL. We currently have nine networks at UCL and the purpose of this role is to empower, train and support our students to host events, run campaigns and raise awareness. You will help broker new partnerships with charities and other student groups, facilitating our students to build communities and get the most out of their time at UCL. You will also take a leading role in coordinating history months and awareness days, working with our student communities. 

This role will also work closely with UCL's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Team to oversee support and development of elected student EDI Reps who drive equality initiatives across the institution.

Do you have experience in supporting students from liberation communities? Do you have experience of empowering and training students or volunteers? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you. 

Our ideal candidate will have experience of supporting others to make meaningful change, experience of lobbying and campaigning as well experience of event management and facilitation. 

This is an exciting role in a unique organisation.  Our vision is to provide an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.  We aim to build a vibrant and empowered student community with real influence in UCL and beyond, that enables students to enjoy their time at university; pursue their interests and passions; see the world in new ways; and develop the skills and experience to change the world for the better.

We are a registered charity employing over 150 career staff and 300 student staff, delivering a wide range of services and representative functions for UCL students. We have the widest portfolio of services of any student organisation in the country, managing UCL’s extracurricular programmes for sport, music, drama, dance, media, volunteering, academic societies and intercultural engagement; providing a wide range of fantastic social spaces; leading on student democracy and representation across UCL; and offering excellent student support services.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking new Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work. We will consider applications to work on a flexible and job share basis wherever possible. 

The role is full-time and permanent. This role is based at our Bloomsbury campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office).

We’re looking for an Education & Advocacy Manager to empower over 2,000 academic representatives to influence decision makers and shape the future of education at UCL. This is your opportunity to support one of the largest networks of elected academic representatives in the UK, at a global top 10 university, ensuring students are core to the learning experience across all stages and levels of study.

You'll lead strategies that strengthen student representation, ensuring students are central in shaping UCL’s academic experience. You’ll work closely with student leaders and university stakeholders to deliver meaningful change and enhance the student experience.

Do you have knowledge of student engagement practices and effective volunteer management? Do you have experience empowering others and shaping educational policy?

If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you.

We are looking for an Operations Manager to take ownership of the systems and outcomes that allow hundreds of students to learn each week - from how enquiries become enrolments, to how teaching schedules are organised across venues and schools, and how families experience the service day-to-day.

You will be responsible not just for managing these areas, but for the results they produce. You will work alongside a small team, while taking primary responsibility for how this area of the organisation operates.

Greenwich Music School is a charity providing high-quality music education for children and adults across South East London and online. Founded and led by musicians, we have grown steadily by combining strong teaching with a thoughtful and well-organised experience for students and families. Each week hundreds of students learn with our teachers in venues, partner schools and online.

As we grow our school-based provision, we are continuing to improve how the organisation works - simplifying processes, strengthening how we support teachers, and making progress and communication clearer for students and families.

You will work closely with the CEO and Principal, but day-to-day you will manage your own priorities and move work forward independently.

How the role works day-to-day

• Much of this role is carried out independently, often working remotely or on your own
• You will be responsible for managing your time and priorities without close day-to-day supervision
• Much of the work is practical and operational, focused on making day-to-day systems run clearly and efficiently.
• There is regular communication with the CEO, Principal and wider team, but the role does not involve a shared office environment
• You will need to be comfortable working in this way over extended periods
 

What you will be responsible for:

Student journey and communication

• Own day-to-day communication with parents through our support inbox and ticketing system
• Ensure enquiries and issues are handled promptly and clearly
• Work with a colleague to resolve queries efficiently
• Maintain a consistently high standard of written communication with families

Scheduling and capacity

• Manage teaching schedules across venues and partner schools
• Ensure teaching capacity is used effectively
• Identify and fill gaps in timetables
• Maintain accurate scheduling data in our booking platform

Enrolment and conversion

• Monitor enquiries and take practical steps to improve enquiry-to-enrolment conversion
• Ensure families are guided clearly towards appropriate lessons or courses
• Reduce unnecessary delays between enquiry and enrolment

Operational systems

• Develop and maintain clear processes and SOPs
• Improve how we use templates, saved replies and automation tools
• Simplify processes where possible, reducing unnecessary steps and communication

Operational insight

• Track and report key metrics such as capacity, enrolment and retention
• Spot patterns in enquiries, withdrawals or complaints
• Work with the leadership team to improve systems over time
 

This role suits someone who

• enjoys taking ownership of how things work in a small organisation
• looks for ways to simplify systems and reduce unnecessary friction
• thinks carefully about the experience for students, parents, teachers and colleagues
• focuses on the most important improvements rather than trying to do everything
• is comfortable keeping things running while building and improving systems at the same time
• writes clearly and thoughtfully, even in difficult situations
 

This role may not suit someone who

• prefers highly structured environments with established systems already in place
• is looking for a primarily strategic or managerial role rather than hands-on operational work
• prefers working in a busy office environment with constant interaction
• finds working independently or managing multiple priorities without close supervision challenging
 

What we are looking for

You might currently work in operations, programme management or service delivery in a small organisation. The key thing is that you are comfortable taking ownership of outcomes and improving processes over time.

Strong candidates typically:
• write clearly and calmly, even in difficult situations
• enjoy improving systems and reducing recurring problems
• are comfortable working independently and taking responsibility for their work
• pay close attention to detail while keeping sight of the bigger picture
• communicate clearly with colleagues and move work forward without needing constant supervision

Experience in education is welcome but not essential.

What success looks like

Within the first year:

• teaching capacity across venues and schools is actively managed and well utilised
• enquiries convert more consistently into enrolments
• operational processes are documented and working reliably
• written communication with families is clear and supportive
• the organisation runs smoothly day-to-day, with the CEO and Principal spending less time on reactive operational matters

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.  

Our client, The Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) is an affiliate What Works Centre, and part of the UK Government’s What Works Movement. Their vision is to eliminate equality gaps in higher education (HE). Their mission is to improve lives through evidence-informed practice.

​TASO was set up in 2019 and became an independent charity in April 2021. Their work focuses on the generation, synthesis and dissemination of high-quality evidence about effective practice in widening participation and student outcomes. They primarily focus on developing and disseminating causal evidence.

​Role:

​The Chief Research Officer will ensure the smooth and successful delivery of TASO’s Research & Evaluation programme, with overall responsibility for TASO’s Research and Evaluation budget. This will involve managing the staff involved in these functions to deliver TASO’s research, evaluation, synthesis and evidence mobilisation activities to time and within budget.
 
Working closely with the Chief Executive, the postholder will help shape TASO’s overall strategic direction and translate this into a clear programme of research and evaluation activity. They will lead and manage the teams responsible for research and evaluation to ensure that TASO’s strategies are delivered effectively on time and within budget.
 
The role includes overseeing the delivery of TASO’s research programmes, ensuring compliance, managing research funding rounds, and maintaining strong oversight of subcontracted work. The Chief Research Officer will also oversee the development and implementation of TASO’s evaluation strategy, including the commissioning and monitoring of evaluations and the effective functioning of governance mechanisms such as the Research Sub-committee and Evaluation Advisory Panel.
 
Working with the Chief Executive and Head of Communications, they will ensure a strategic approach to communications, dissemination and stakeholder engagement, strengthening awareness and uptake of TASO’s work across the sector. The postholder will champion the quality, accuracy and transparency of TASO publications and act as a credible and respected voice for robust service research and evaluation.

Key objectives:

• Act as overall in-house lead on all TASO research and evaluation activities, upholding methodological standards to ensure the production of high-quality casual evidence
• Plan and oversee TASO’s research and evaluation programmes, including ensuring adherence to all relevant procurement, legal and ethical requirements, delivery of research funding rounds and effective management of research and evaluation partners
• Take overall responsibility for the TASO research and evaluation budget, including budget allocation, forecasting, monitoring and reporting
• Lead resourcing and budgetary planning and reporting for the research and evaluation team
• Oversee the quality, accuracy and transparency of TASO research and evaluation publications
• Oversee the running of the Research and Evaluation subcommittee of the TASO Board to ensure effective scrutiny of the Research and Evaluation programme and a clear line of support for the Board to understand our work
• Act as ambassador and leader of TASO, speaking at external events about the TASO Research and Evaluation programme
• Provide line management for team members, with overall leadership for a team of seven
• Work with the Chief Executive to develop and monitor TASO’s overall strategic direction, and to translate this strategic direction into the effective operations and activities of the organisation
• Lead on work to mobilise Research and Evaluation outputs (e.g. through events, publications and stakeholder engagement) via effective liaison with the Communications team.

​Candidate:​

Education/qualification and training
Essential

• Undergraduate degree in relevant discipline PhD or Masters level qualification with evidence of applied research

Knowledge/skills
Essential

• Overseeing and managing research projects, including scoping, planning, delivering and reporting, and quality-assurance
• Confident and clear written and verbal communication, and the ability to review and edit others’ work in line with organisational style
• Considering and synthesising complex information into formats that are useful to a wide range of stakeholders, including senior managers, practitioners and the lay public.

Desirable

• Budget planning and monitoring
• Coordinating and influencing diverse stakeholders to deliver strategic. priorities, including building positive relationships and convening forums where stakeholders can be briefed and issues surfaced.
• Understanding of widening participation and/or student success agendas.

Experience
Essential

• Designing and implementing rigorous quantitative impact evaluations, including randomised controlled trials, difference in differences, regression discontinuity, and propensity score matching, particularly applied to policymaking
• Applying academic research to real-world problems
• Line and project management of staff with a range of development needs, including developmental coaching and performance management
• Managing multiple projects and competing demands.

Desirable

• Commissioning and overseeing external research providers
• Developing and delivering capability-building presentations and workshops for professional audiences.

Personal characteristics/other requirements
Essential

• Committed to evidence-led decision-making
• Determined, resilient and optimistic approach to work
• Able to advocate for robust evaluation and build enthusiasm and capacity in non-expert collaborators. ​​

Apply:
​
Please review the Job Pack for full details.

​To apply, please send of a copy of your CV together with a separate personal statement (maximum 2 sides of A4) outlining why you’re interested in the role and how you meet the person specification, to Tim Hamilton-West at Whiton Maynard, via the link below. 

Please note that you must already have the right to work in UK to apply for this role.
 
Closing date: Monday 13 April (1pm)

​As specialist recruiters we are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations, and welcome applications from all sections of the community.​

We are seeking to appoint a Compliance Officer for an immediate start. Reporting to the school's in-house Legal Advisor, you will ensure the school operates in full compliance with all statutory, regulatory, and internal policy requirements, promoting a culture of compliance across all areas of school activity.

This role is initially offered on a one-year fixed-term contract working term-time, plus INSET days and a further three weeks during the school holidays (38 weeks). The role also has part-time support provided by the Compliance Administrator.

Salary circa £63,000 per annum, depending on experience. This is based on a full-time equivalent annual salary of £75,000.

We will be shortlisting and interviewing as applications come in, so early applications are advised. Please note that we may appoint before the closing date.

To apply and find out more about the school and our attractive staff benefits package, please visit our dedicated recruitment page via the 'Apply' button.

Closing date: 9.00am on Tuesday, 21 April 2026.

Interviews: Monday, 27 April 2026.

Diversity – The School is fully committed to the principles of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion. We have an established and representative staff Equality and Diversity Board to help drive forward positive change. A further Equality and Diversity Committee has recently been formed from our student population.

We are committed to attracting and retaining the very best staff, ensuring that our staff body reflects the diversity of our students and local community. Acknowledging a lack of ethnic diversity within our Support staff community, we particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates for this role. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the School may employ positive action where diverse candidates can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All posts are subject to an enhanced DBS, online checks and receipt of two satisfactory references.