Student Voice and Organising Manager

Leeds University Union; Leeds; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous holiday allowance

Extensive learning and development

NUS TOTUM Card

Onsite staff discounts

Discounted travel card

Discounted gym membership

Job summary

Leeds University Union (LUU) is seeking a Student Voice and Organising Manager to lead the team behind our democratic ecosystem and elected student leadership. You will join the new Community Engagement department, line-manage five full-time Executives and drive LeadLUU elections in a strategy-forward environment.

You will shape how students at Leeds create change, champion inclusivity and collaborate with cross-university teams to deliver democratic engagement and community organising at scale.

Qualifications

• Experience leading operational delivery in a complex, multi-stakeholder organisation.
• Experience line managing, developing and supporting staff and volunteers.
• Experience of building and maintaining relationships with multiple stakeholders at different levels.
• Strong understanding of representational leadership, student voice and democratic ecosystems.
• Real political acumen, with the ability to navigate sensitive or contested situations diplomatically and with sound judgement.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & People Management: Line manage and coach five full-time Elected Student Executives through goal setting, performance reviews, workload management and welfare support, alongside line managing the Student Leadership Support and Projects Coordinator.
• Democratic Delivery: Lead the operational delivery of LUU's community-led democratic ecosystem, including our student Assemblies, Portfolio Committees, Better Forums and the Make It Better platform.
• Elections: Lead the delivery of LeadLUU, our annual student leadership elections, ensuring candidates are well informed, well supported and able to run accessible campaigns.
• Community Organising: Build community organising capability across student leaders and staff, developing the training, tools and structures that enable students to organise around the issues that matter to them.
• Budget & Resources: Manage officer support budgets and Engagement Leader activity funds, ensuring equitable allocation, value for money and accurate financial reporting.
• Compliance & Judgement: Ensure democratic activity complies with our constitution, charity governance, freedom of expression, safeguarding and data protection duties, acting as a point of escalation on politically sensitive matters.
• Collaboration: Work closely with colleagues across Governance, People and Culture, Faculty Engagement, Student Groups, Advice and Wellbeing and Comms and Influence, and build relationships with senior University staff and external partners.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic planning

Budget management

Diplomatic judgement

Job description

Are you looking for a role where you can lead a team that puts student voice at the heart of everything we do? Do you have the leadership skills and political judgement to support elected student leaders to create real change for 38,000 students?

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

Are you an experienced manager with a passion for student voice, democracy and community organising? Leeds University Union (LUU) is looking for a Student Voice and Organising Manager to lead the team behind our democratic ecosystem and our elected student leadership.

You will lead the Student Voice and Organising team within our new Community Engagement department, line managing our five full-time Elected Student Executives and leading the delivery of our democratic engagement structures, including LeadLUU, our annual student leadership elections. You will join us as we embark on our new 2026–2030 strategy, making this an exciting time to shape how students at Leeds create change.

Our culture is based around three core values; inclusive, empowering and fun. These values inform everything we do and so we're looking for these values in our ideal candidate.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & People Management: Line manage and coach five full-time Elected Student Executives through goal setting, performance reviews, workload management and welfare support, alongside line managing the Student Leadership Support and Projects Coordinator.
• Democratic Delivery: Lead the operational delivery of LUU's community-led democratic ecosystem, including our student Assemblies, Portfolio Committees, Better Forums and the Make It Better platform.
• Elections: Lead the delivery of LeadLUU, our annual student leadership elections, ensuring candidates are well informed, well supported and able to run accessible campaigns.
• Community Organising: Build community organising capability across student leaders and staff, developing the training, tools and structures that enable students to organise around the issues that matter to them.
• Budget & Resources: Manage officer support budgets and Engagement Leader activity funds, ensuring equitable allocation, value for money and accurate financial reporting.
• Compliance & Judgement: Ensure democratic activity complies with our constitution, charity governance, freedom of expression, safeguarding and data protection duties, acting as a point of escalation on politically sensitive matters.
• Collaboration: Work closely with colleagues across Governance, People and Culture, Faculty Engagement, Student Groups, Advice and Wellbeing and Comms and Influence, and build relationships with senior University staff and external partners.

What We're Looking For

• Experience leading operational delivery in a complex, multi-stakeholder organisation.
• Experience line managing, developing and supporting staff and volunteers.
• Experience of building and maintaining relationships with multiple stakeholders at different levels.
• Strong understanding of representational leadership, student voice and democratic ecosystems.
• Real political acumen, with the ability to navigate sensitive or contested situations diplomatically and with sound judgement.
• Someone who stays calm under pressure and has a genuine talent for bringing people together around a shared goal.
• Excellent organisational, prioritisation and problem solving skills, with experience of managing budgets.

What you get in return

• generous holiday allowance
• extra Union closed days
• extensive opportunities for learning and further development
• holiday buy back options
• NUS TOTUM Card
• onsite venue staff discounts
• discounted travel card
• discounted gym membership

The people and culture at LUU are often cited as the top reason why people enjoy working here. You will be part of an organisation that not only values but champions inclusion and diversity.

LUU highly values inclusivity and we welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Key Dates:

Interview date: Thursday 22 October 2026

Sounds good?

If you have any further questions please contact [e-mail].