Student engagement officer volunteer roles in Belfast

Are you an experienced Board-level leader passionate about education, social mobility, STEM, and creating opportunities for young people?

The Engineering Development Trust (EDT) is seeking an exceptional Chair of Trustees to provide strategic leadership to its Board. This opportunity would suit an experienced Chair, Trustee, Non-Executive Director (NED), Board Member, CEO, Executive Director, Managing Director or senior leader with expertise in governance, strategy, financial stewardship and organisational leadership who is passionate about education, STEM and social impact.

 We’re looking for someone with senior leadership experience, strong understanding of charity governance and finance, and the ability to support and challenge at Board level.

About EDT

EDT is a UK-wide education charity delivering over 50,000 learning experiences each year through the Industrial Cadets Awards. We bring together employers, educators and young people aged 9–21, helping them explore STEM pathways and access rewarding future careers. EDT plays a critical role in tackling skills gaps, improving social mobility and increasing diversity across STEM industries.

About the Role

This is a high-impact trustee leadership opportunity for someone who wants to shape the future of a national charity. As Chair, you will provide strategic leadership to the Board, ensuring strong governance, financial oversight and organisational effectiveness.

You will work closely with the Chief Executive, acting as a trusted sounding board while maintaining accountability for delivering EDT’s mission and strategy. You will also act as an ambassador, representing EDT to partners, funders and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and direction to the Board of Trustees
• Ensure effective charity governance and compliance
• Oversee financial health and sustainability
• Support and challenge the Chief Executive
• Lead Board development and performance
• Act as an external ambassador for EDT

About You

We are seeking a collaborative, strategic and values-driven leader with experience operating at Board, Trustee, Non-Executive Director (NED), Chair, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Director, Managing Director or senior leadership level.

You will bring:

• Significant senior leadership, executive, trustee or non-executive experience
• Strong understanding of charity governance, corporate governance, risk management, financial oversight and organisational strategy
• Experience working with Boards, Trustees, Committees or governing bodies
• The ability to provide both support and constructive challenge to senior executives and leadership teams
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, influencing, partnership-building and ambassadorial skills
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, social mobility and creating opportunities for young people
• Strong judgement, integrity and a passion for delivering social impact

Experience gained within the charity, not-for-profit, third sector, education, STEM, skills development, employability, workforce development, youth development, public sector or social enterprise sectors would be particularly valuable, although candidates from the commercial sector with relevant governance experience are equally encouraged to apply.

Commitment

• Approx. 4 Board meetings per year plus committee involvement
• Regular engagement with the Chief Executive
• Attendance at key events and stakeholder meetings

This is a voluntary role with reasonable expenses reimbursed.

Why join EDT?

This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people across the UK, while helping to address critical skills shortages in STEM. You will join a committed Board and executive team and play a central role in shaping EDT’s future at a time of both challenge and opportunity for the sector.

We welcome applications from experienced trustees, board members, non-executive directors, charity leaders, public sector leaders, education leaders and senior executives who share our commitment to improving outcomes for young people and strengthening the future STEM workforce. We actively welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive Board.

About Roots Academy. 

Roots Academy’s Vision.

A generation of young Muslims who embody and promote a God-centred way of life.

At Roots Academy, we’ve built a learning experience that’s changing the lives of the ummah’s future leaders, change-makers and visionaries. Our Mission is to deliver a structured and transformative education in the Essentials of Islam in a way that lowers barriers to access, develops a deep certainty, and inspires action.

Why Does Roots Academy Exist?

Crisis of Faith: 1 in 4 young Muslims are leaving the religion due to various factors, primarily the pervasive anti-religious content and temptations they encounter online and offline. 

Roots Academy exists to bridge this gap by providing a structured and transformative Islamic education that speaks directly to the needs and challenges of young Muslims today, delivered in an engaging and accessible form that removes barriers to access and provokes thought and action.

Role Summary.

To bring our vision to life, we are looking for a dedicated person to play a vital role in managing and strengthening our relationships with partner organisations (such as university Islamic Societies), with a focus on marketing and growth. You will work closely with external partners to increase the number of students attending Roots workshops through creative and innovative methods.

Key tasks

• Marketing Support - Provide guidance and resources to partners for marketing Roots workshops effectively, including sharing marketing collateral and leading growth initiatives.

• Performance Monitoring - Monitor the marketing efforts of partner organisations, track key performance metrics, and provide feedback and recommendations for improvement.

• Communication Liaison - Serve as the primary point of contact through social media between our organisation and partner organisations, facilitating clear and consistent communication channels.

• Training and Onboarding - Conduct training sessions and onboarding for new partner organisations to familiarise them with our brand guidelines, marketing strategies, and communication protocols.

• Collaboration - Coordinate cross-functional efforts with internal teams, such as marketing, design, and external partnerships, to ensure alignment with partnership goals.

What we’re looking for

• Passion for Islamic education and the development of young Muslims. 

• Creative ideas and ability to think outside the box.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to multitask successfully.

• Proficiency in project management and organisational skills.

• Analytical mindset for assessing results and suggesting recommendations.

What we have to offer

• Be part of a team of 100+ dedicated volunteers across the UK, Ireland, Canada, US, UAE and Australia.

• Receive continuous rewards for those that seek Islamic knowledge from the Roots platform. 

• Be a part of a growing organisation that aims to revive and educate Muslims from a grassroots perspective.

• Receive in-house tarbiyah sessions to develop your deen. 

Please note this is an unpaid volunteer position. 

Volunteers are entitled to claim expenses incurred for food, travel and equipment, in line with our Expenses policy.

About Breck Foundation

Breck Foundation is a UK child online safety charity founded in 2014 in memory of Breck Bednar, a 14-year-old boy who was groomed and murdered by someone he met online. Everything we do is driven by a simple but urgent mission: to prevent this from ever happening again.

Since our founding, we have reached more than 335,000 people in person or on video, including over 276,000 children and young people. Through our school programmes, professional training, parent engagement and policy advocacy, we work across whole communities to build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to keep children safe online.

We are now preparing to launch a new growth strategy, and this is a genuinely exciting moment to be joining us.

About the role

We are looking for an exceptional individual to serve as our new Chair of Trustees, following the stepping down of our current Chair after three years of dedicated service.

As Chair, you will lead the Board of Trustees and work in close partnership with the Chief Executive to provide strategic oversight and governance of the charity. You will play a central role in shaping and delivering our new growth strategy, helping us extend our reach, deepen our impact and grow our influence on the policy landscape.

This is a voluntary role with a time commitment of approximately 1 day per month, to cover quarterly Board meetings, sub-committee involvement, regular contact with the Chief Executive and occasional attendance at Foundation events.

A full recruitment pack, including details of all responsibilities and how to apply, is available to download via the link on this page.

What we are looking for

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. You do not need to have been a Chair before. If you bring the right skills, values and commitment, we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

• Senior leadership experience in the charity, public or private sector, ideally including board or committee experience
• A strong understanding of charity governance and trustee responsibilities, or a clear and credible commitment to developing this quickly
• Experience of leading organisations through periods of strategic change or growth
• The ability to chair meetings effectively, build consensus and bring out the best in a diverse board
• An understanding of the financial and fundraising challenges facing charitable organisations
• A genuine commitment to children and young people's safety and wellbeing online

Our commitment to diversity

We are committed to building a Board that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We would particularly encourage applications from people from LGBTQAI+, Black, Asian or minority ethnic communities.

How to apply

Please download our recruitment pack for full details of the role and application process.

Applications close at 10am on Tuesday 1 September 2026.

Initial video interviews w/c 7th September 2026.