Insight Coordinator

University of Hertfordshire Students' Union; Hatfield; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Hertfordshire Students' Union in Hatfield is seeking a Research and Insight Officer to coordinate and deliver research activity across the Union, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to inform decisions.

The role covers developing dashboards, analysing engagement data, supporting policy work, and presenting clear recommendations to elected officers and staff, with a focus on student representation and service improvement.

Qualifications

• Good general education and knowledge of higher education issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to create and maintain strong working relationships with university staff and external providers.
• Self-motivated and proactive with a collaborative mindset.
• Flexible working, including occasional evenings and weekends.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt to change.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and deliver research, insight and evaluation activity across Herts SU.
• Monitor and analyse student engagement and participation data, producing regular trend reports.
• Support development, monitoring and evaluation of departmental projects and policies.
• Design and undertake research projects using surveys, focus groups and interviews.
• Develop and maintain data visualisations, dashboards and performance reports for stakeholders.
• Analyse evidence to identify themes and inform priorities for representation and policy work.
• Produce high-quality reports and briefings for officers and staff.
• Coordinate the work of Insight Assistants and related outreach activities.

Skills

Communication skills

Computer literate

Team player

Self-motivated

Flexible working

Relationship building

Education

Degree-level education or equivalent

Tools

Data visualisation tools

AI/data analysis tools

Job description

Key Role Requirements

To support the development and delivery of the Union's research, insight and evaluation activity through:

• Analysis of institutional, engagement and participation data, including the production of reports, dashboards, visualisations and recommendations for elected officers and staff.
• Market research projects canvassing student opinion and attitudes on aspects of the student experience.
• Qualitative research, including focus groups, interviews and consultation activities, to better understand student needs and experiences.
• Monitoring and evaluation of departmental projects, student engagement trends and representation across the Union.
• Sector-wide research and benchmarking to support the Union's policy development, representation work and strategic decision-making.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Student-focused research

• Coordinate and deliver research, insight and evaluation activity across Herts SU, helping to build a robust understanding of student needs, experiences, behaviours and priorities through both quantitative and qualitative evidence.
• Monitor and analyse student engagement, participation and interaction data across Herts SU, producing regular reports that identify trends, gaps in engagement, and opportunities to increase student representation and involvement. This includes comparison against year-to-date performance, historical trends, University demographic data and proportional representation measures.
• Support the development, monitoring and evaluation of departmental projects, tracking progress against objectives, assessing impact and providing evidence-based recommendations to improve engagement and outcomes for students.
• Design and undertake research projects using a range of methodologies, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, consultation activities and analysis of institutional, sector-wide and internal data.
• Develop and maintain engaging data visualisations, dashboards and performance reports that transform complex research, engagement and evaluation data into clear, accessible insights for staff, elected officers and University stakeholders, supporting evidence-based decision-making and service improvement.
• Analyse evidence from research projects, student feedback, democratic structures, engagement monitoring, and the Advice & Support Centre to identify emerging themes, inform priorities and support the Union's representational and policy work.
• Produce and deliver high-quality reports, briefings, presentations and recommendations for elected officers, staff and University stakeholders, communicating complex information in a clear and accessible way to support decision-making and service improvement.
• Support and coordinate the work of Insight Assistants, including outreach activity, event delivery and the collection of student feedback and insight.

General

• Provide front-line support for students vising the Herts SU offices on de Havilland and College Lane, as needed.
• Supporting wider Herts SU activities and events during the core periods (such as Start of Term and Elections), including supporting the set-up/down of events and facilitating stalls and promotional stands.
• To develop and maintain contacts with colleagues within other Students' Unions and relevant organisations, including site visits to other Students' Unions.
• To keep track of relevant national and local developments, changes in legislation, and good practice and attend conferences, training events and meetings as necessary.
• To make effective use of appropriate tools for conducting work, including the use of artificial intelligence.
• To have a flexible approach to work and to undertake any other reasonable duties which may be required.
• To aspire to the highest standards of customer care at all times and, in conjunction with other relevant Union staff, to identify and respond to customer needs.
• To respect the democratic structures of Herts SU.
• To abide by the Herts SU Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Herts SU Policies and Procedures at all times.
• To work flexibly and efficiently and to promote a positive image of Herts SU at all times.
• To set high standards of integrity, punctuality, accuracy, politeness and professionalism by personal example.
• To be aware of the department's impact on the environment and to work within the environmental policies of the Union and the University (where applicable).

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Application / Interview

ESSENTIAL

• Good general education, to degree level or equivalent
• Knowledge of key issues affecting students in Higher Education
• Computer Literate
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to communicate at all levels
• Ability to create and maintain strong working relationships with a wider range of people including university staff and external providers
• Ability to overcome hurdles and problems in a constructive manner
• Self-motivated and self-reliant
• A good team player and pro-active with drive and enthusiasm
• Facilitative of others' ideas and non-judgemental
• Flexible working, including evenings and weekends where required.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and embrace change

DESIRABLE

• Experience of working with data visualisation tools
• Experience of or awareness of policy creation
• Experience of working or volunteering in representation
• Experience of working with artificial intelligence in data analysis
• Experience of supporting meetings or committees
• Experience of providing briefings
• Experience of writing reports
• Experience of people or volunteer management or working with Students
• Appreciation of the culture and working arrangements within Students' Unions