Governance and Policy Coordinator

National Union of Students; London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Union of Students seeks a dynamic professional to join the Student Voice & Representation Team in London. The role involves managing democratic processes, engaging with students, coordinating projects, and producing insightful reports that inform decision-making across the organisation. The successful candidate will empower student representatives and contribute to strategic planning initiatives.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Opportunity for professional development

Qualifications

• Relevant experience in charitable organisations.
• Experience with project and operational management.
• Strong stakeholder engagement capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of democratic practices and student engagement initiatives.
• Manage student staff and oversee insight projects.
• Prepare reports and briefings on student insights and trends.

Skills

Teamwork

Project Management

Time Management

Communication

Education

Continuing Professional Development

Job description

Job Description

Duties and Key Responsibilities

This postholder will be part of the Student Voice & Representation Team and will be expected to play a key role within Team planning and delivery of objectives.

The post holder will:

• With the Democracy & Insight Manager, deliver core democratic functions of GSU, and ensure effective process is continuously improved for our student members, including but not limited to; Officer Elections, Student Assemblies, Scrutiny Panels and relevant Student Forums.
• Be responsible and accountable for delivery of all GSU democratic practices, including but not limited to; implementation of democratic refresh changes, and contributing to an action plan for the academic year for our democracy and member engagement.
• Provide administrative support to the Officer team including campaign administration, reports and briefings.
• Provide detailed policy briefings to the organisation on key trends across Higher Education.
• Manage student staff to undertake key insight projects related to the needs of Officer Campaigns and relevant projects across GSU.
• Produce information and reports on student insight to share with GSU staff, Officers and University colleagues, to inform decision making on programmes and services.
• Work with Academic Communities & Representation Manager and Democracy & Insights/Research Manager to deliver a system of information sharing across University governance and feedback we capture from students, within the Team.
• Play a role in Student Voice & Representation team strategic planning and budgeting, including student staff budgeting.

Key Areas

• Be an engaged and an active member of the Student Voice & Representation Team, contributing regularly and working collaboratively with peers.
• Be the lead team member for Policy briefings and articulating governmental policies to staff.
• Taking a key role in developing, training, and supporting elected Officers in their roles. This includes but not limited to; providing insight to inform decision making, briefings from the sector and supporting with campaigns.
• Provide briefings, workshops or alternative sessions to support student understanding of how to influence their Union and their knowledge of our democratic processes.
• Delivery of liberation through our democratic channels and needs of members, including but not limited to; campaigns, impact and understanding issues.
• Support our calendar of democratic work and the implementation of democratic changes within GSU.

Student Intelligence & Insight

• Be able to produce informed reports showcasing student intelligence, to inform decision making across GSU and the University.
• Lead and manage student staff to support the delivery of work, and to empower them to be part of our team.
• Ensure data relating to projects work and campaigns is collected, analysed and reported.
• Ensure evaluation mechanisms are embedded working practises and that findings are shared and used to implement learnings with the goal of improving services.
• Support Officers by preparing information, statistics and trends about key services to be shared within the University committee cycle.

Budget Management

• Contribute to the budgetary planning of the project budgets and ring-fenced funding, ensuring effective spend of budgeted sums.
• Being responsible for delivering activity within the allocated budget and ensuring these are effectively managed.
• Oversee student staffing budget and forecasting.

Stakeholder management

• Collaborate with GSU colleagues to ensure we have a consistent approach to how we work with and support students.
• Support students from all demographics, and particularly those from under-represented groups to engage with GSU Democracy so that elected Officers are representative of the diverse student body.
• Provide ongoing support to students to ensure that representatives are empowered to create change, influence and shape initiatives within the Union.

General Responsibilities

• Represent and be an ambassador for GSU.
• Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop, or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
• Support and promote liberation, diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
• Treat with confidentiality any personal, private, or sensitive information about individual organisations and or clients or staff and Project data.
• Actively seek better ways to assist GSU in its effort to become a more sustainable workplace.
• Any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.
• Lead delivery on the awarding gap project including monitoring progress of student-staff, liaising with senior stakeholders and working to the existing project plan

Personal Specification

Experience

• Relevant experience or exposure to a charitable organisation
• Experience of working as part of a multi-functional team
• Experience of understanding information to inform decision-making
• Experience of project management and operational management
• Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and partnership working

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work within a high performing team
• Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently and effectively
• Ability to produce confident, clear written reports and be able to write succinct documents on complex areas
• Awareness of basic IT packages
• Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to reach deadlines, within agreed budgets and to a consistently high standard
• Ability to write and deliver clear project plans and be able to effectively communicate these
• Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face on changing priorities
• Track record of successfully developing and implementing projects

Knowledge

• Awareness of current issues within the higher education sector and barriers to participation
• Knowledge of relevant external bodies and organisations including NUS, OFS etc
• Knowledge of Higher Education Policy
• Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation
• Knowledge of GDPR, risk assessments and external speaker processes

Education/Training

• No one specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development.

Personal Attributes and other requirements

• Able to travel extensively to all sites, and to additional locations when required
• Flexibility to support key work activity across the Union, such as but not limited to; Welcome, Elections
• Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work
• A commitment to the principles and practices of equality and diversity
• An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
• Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU