Head of student experience

University of Sussex Students' Union; Stanmer; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Nine-day fortnight

Additional leave

Staff socials

Learning and development

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

The University of Sussex Students' Union is seeking an ambitious, values-driven Head of Student Experience to lead our student voice, services and activities. Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will shape strategy, oversee representation, liberation work and officer support, and energise a high-performing team to deliver positive outcomes for Sussex students.

This permanent, full-time role involves budgeting around £1 million and generating income, strengthening partnerships with the

Qualifications

• Proven strategic leadership across student experience, representation and welfare.
• Experience advising and supporting elected officers and student groups.
• Commitment to inclusion and equality in student services.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across student experience functions.
• Shape services, activities, events, and liberation work to impact students.
• Lead budgets and resources, ensuring strong governance and performance.
• Support cross-functional collaboration with university stakeholders and external partners.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

People management

Job description

At the University of Sussex Students' Union, we are passionate about making student life better. We are looking for an ambitious, values-driven and inclusive leader to join our Senior Leadership Team as our new Head of Student Experience.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and deliver services, activities and opportunities that have a lasting impact on thousands of Sussex students. You will provide strategic leadership across student representation, advice, activities, events, liberation work and elected officer support, ensuring the student voice remains at the heart of everything we do.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across all student experience functions, driving high-quality advice and representation, activities, events and liberation work to maximise impact and improve outcomes for Sussex students. You will play a key role within the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to the development and delivery of the Union's strategic priorities, and lead cross‑organisational support for Full‑Time and Part‑Time Elected Officers, ensuring they are empowered and well‑supported.

You will ensure student voice, insight and lived experience inform organisational priorities and service design, champion equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of student experience, and develop productive relationships with senior University stakeholders and external partners. You will lead, motivate and develop a high‑performing team, oversee operational planning, performance management and risk management, and manage departmental budgets of approximately £1 million alongside income generation of approximately £250 000.

ABOUT US

We are looking for skilled, friendly and highly motivated people who share our values. With our vibrant environment and organisational culture, the Students' Union is a dynamic workplace that few could match. Led by students, we are all about working with students to help them get the most out of their time here at the University of Sussex or Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Although we are located on Sussex Campus – close to Brighton & Hove – we are separate from the University, something that is crucial to our campaigning and lobbying work. We think of ourselves as one big team and are often working together on projects or helping each other out at big events such as Freshers Week or Elections.

Working on Sussex Campus and for the SU comes with many perks: our staff receive one day off each fortnight as part of our nine‑day‑fortnight working trial, and access to enhanced time off, which normally amounts to an extra 6 days leave in addition to 20 days of annual leave per year, plus bank holidays. We also allocate funding for staff socials, learning and development opportunities for all our roles, and create a supportive workplace through regular one-to-one meetings, an employee assistance programme and professional health services.

KEY INFORMATION

Job Title: Head of Student Experience

Responsible to: Chief Executive

Rate of pay: Grade 8

Contract: Permanent

Hours of work: 36.5 hours per week (including some evenings and weekends)

Applicants: Open to internal and external applicants*

Please note that applications from full‑time students will NOT be considered for full‑time positions, as it exceeds the recommended hours of work for individuals in higher education. This applies to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

• External applicants deadline: 10 August 2026 at 23:59

We welcome applications from abroad for all of our vacancies. Due to legal regulations we have to ensure that everyone is eligible to work in the UK, and this would be done by us checking and making a copy of the correct original identification/documentation before your first day of work. You may also be limited in the number of hours you would be allowed to work. Find out more information about applying to work in the UK.

In any case, we would encourage anyone to apply for a job in one of our friendly departments to give yourself the chance of being selected, and we would look to see the appropriate original documents before your first day of work.

GETTING PAID

Everyone working in the UK needs a National Insurance number in order to get paid. If you are a UK citizen you will automatically have this, however if you are not a UK citizen you might want to apply for an NI number at the same time as you apply for a job so there is no delay in your payments. You can do so using this link: https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number . Please note you cannot apply for a National Insurance Number until you're in the UK, but this should not stop you from completing your application for this role.

COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION

We are really committed to maintaining a diverse workforce because we know how important it is to have decision makers and collaborators with varied lived experiences and backgrounds that reflect the range of needs from our diverse student community.

We welcome applications from everyone, and we want to strongly encourage applications from: people with an ethnic minority or Chinese background, people with a disability, people with dependents, and people who identify as LGBTQ+. We conduct anonymous shortlisting and all of our interview panels have Unconscious Bias Training in order to support the above. We also consider flexible working for those with care commitments. If you have any suggestions as to how we could improve our language or application process please let us know.

As a representative body, one of our key aims is to increase applicants that identify as Black, Asian or a minority ethnic to work in the Students' Union. To support this we will ask you an optional question about your ethnic origin. Not providing this information will not adversely affect your application for the role. This information will be hidden during the application process. Staff that identify as Black, Asian or minority ethnic are also welcome and supported to join our BAME Staff Network.

STAFF AND APPLICANTS WITH LONG TERM CONDITIONS

The Students' Union aims to implement reasonable adjustments for all staff and applicants with disabilities, creating a culture of cooperation, shared responsibility and proactiveness to ensure equitable access to jobs. We want to make sure everyone is supported in our selection processes, and are equipped to work safely and get as much as possible out of their role as possible.

MORE INFORMATION

To find out more about working for the Students' Union go to: