Head of Community Engagement

Leeds University Union; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday pay

Learning opportunities

NUS TOTUM Card

Onsite staff discounts

Discounted travel card

Discounted gym membership

Job summary

Leeds University Union in Leeds is seeking a visionary leader to establish and drive LUU’s new Community Engagement department. You will unite three teams into one high‑performing service and translate strategy into tangible student impact.

Based on campus for at least three days a week with up to two days at home, you will lead partnerships with the University of Leeds, local partners and sector bodies, guiding inclusive, safe, evidence‑led activity and a responsible governance framework.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across 370+ student groups, community events and programmes, student voice and organising, student leadership, sport and physical activity.
• Build influential partnerships across the University of Leeds, accommodation providers, city partners, sector bodies and the wider community.
• Ensure activity is inclusive, affordable, safe and evidence-led, providing confident oversight of budgets, safeguarding, health and safety, freedom of expression and a varied risk portfolio.

Job description

Leeds University Union (LUU) is a charity that helps over 38,000 students Love their time at Leeds. Located at the heart of campus, the Union is a space to meet people, make new friends and get involved.

Find out more about Leeds University Union at www.luu.ac.uk or follow us on Instagram.

About the role:

This is a brand new department and a brand new role. We are looking for a leader who can set the vision, outcomes and priorities for LUU’s new Community Engagement department, bringing three teams together as one connected and high-performing service.

Key duties will include:

• Providing strategic leadership across 370+ student groups, community events and programmes, student voice and organising, student leadership, sport and physical activity.
• Building influential partnerships across the University of Leeds, accommodation providers, city partners, sector bodies and the wider community.
• Ensuring activity is inclusive, affordable, safe and evidence-led, providing confident oversight of budgets, safeguarding, health and safety, freedom of expression and a varied risk portfolio.

This is a full-time, permanent role based at Leeds University Union. The successful candidate will be expected to work on campus for a minimum of three days each week, with up to two days working from home.

Visible leadership is important. The portfolio includes student-led events, trips, sport and other activities that can require flexibility outside normal office hours, as well as participation in LUU’s on-call safety arrangements.

Key Responsibilities

We are looking for an inclusive and transformational leader who can bring people together, give a new department a shared identity and translate an ambitious strategy into visible impact for students. You may be working in higher education, a membership or community organisation, youth or volunteer development, sport, participation or another complex not-for-profit environment. You will bring experience of leading teams and change, developing strategic partnerships and delivering through others. You will understand how to support volunteers or member-led communities, use insight to improve services and manage significant budgets and resources. You do not need to be the technical expert in every area. What matters is your judgement, your ability to ask the right questions and your confidence in giving assurance on risk, safeguarding and complex activity. You will be collaborative, calm under pressure, unafraid to innovate and able to build relationships with students, elected leaders, colleagues and senior partners.

What you get in return

• holiday pay
• extensive opportunities for learning and further development
• NUS TOTUM Card
• onsite venue staff discounts
• discounted travel card
• discounted gym membership