Manager : Student Life

IIE MSA and IIE Varsity College; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 500,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent educational institution in Johannesburg is looking for a Manager of Student Life to define and execute co-curricular strategies. The ideal candidate will cultivate stakeholder relationships and oversee budget management, ensuring successful student engagement. A Bachelor's degree and at least three years of relevant experience are required for this position.

Qualifications

• 3 years experience in training and development.
• 3 years managing cross-functional teams.
• 3 years experience in stakeholder management.
• 3 years experience in project management.
• 3 years in fiscal/budget management.
• 3 years in managing risks.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a co-curricular strategy.
• Cultivate relationships with students and stakeholders.
• Develop communication strategies for activities and events.
• Manage budget for student life programs.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Communication skills

Budget management

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Honours Degree in relevant field

Job description

Job title : Manager : Student Life

Job Location : Gauteng, Johannesburg

Deadline : October 03, 2025

Duties and Responsibilities

Co-curricular, Extracurricular and Meta curricular Strategy

• Defines, develops and executes a comprehensive Co-curricular, Extracurricular and Meta curricular strategy that aligns with the Institution goals and objectives.
• Evaluates multifaceted non-curricular needs and trends and establishes key performance and participation metrics.
• Establishes and maintains clear and robust frameworks and procedure for formal and non-formal non-curricular pursuits with a national, regional and campus footprint.
• Develop, analyse and interpret the implications of non- curricular student life: social, cultural, clubs, associations affiliation and interest groups and services and applies insights to improve student participation, sustainability and longevity.
• Evaluate and develops co-curricular and recreational student leadership programmes, materials, workshops and activities commensurate with students’ needs and interests.
• Engages with empirical research and establishes best practices to collaborate on the design and advancement of a high-quality and non-curricular offerings for Institution.
• Aligns internal and external partnerships intended to improve non-curricular participation commensurate with faculty goals and objectives.
• Define and establish success metrics to support the sustainable management of student life: social, cultural, clubs, societies, associations and interests across all sites of the Institution.
• Reviews, evaluates and plans human and fiscal capital work force requirements and needs against the strategy requirements.
• Defines, develops and executes rewards and recognition criteria for participation in formalized clubs, societies and associations.
• Evaluates health, safety, and risk protocols and procedures against campus events, offerings and programmes.

Stakeholder Management

• Cultivate strong relationships with students by understanding their needs, interests, and aspirations.
• Ensures non-curricular offerings uphold the Institution commitments to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Cultivate strong relationships with campus student life team by understanding their needs and challenges and provide guidance and mentorship.
• Collaborates with the faculty / school Deans in co-creating a sense of belonging through the provision of inclusive clubs, societies and associations that supports and enhances the academic business of the Institution.
• Engage with external stakeholders, networks and partners (both current and potential) in order to enhance opportunities and pathways for engagement of social, cultural, clubs, societies and associations.
• Collaborates with the national marketing department to ensure student life: social, cultural, clubs, societies, associations and interest group events, activities and initiatives are represented in brand exposure activities.
• Work with the campus student experience teams to ensure that all student life: social, cultural, clubs, societies, associations and interest activity is delivered equitably and sustainably within the policies and procedures of the Institution.
• Create, maintain and promote a programme and activities calendar of all student life: social, cultural, clubs, societies associations and interest groups with a campus, regional and national footprint.
• Identify, research, and analyze current and potential non-curricular participation initiatives.
• Provides support and mentorship on the planning and implementation of on-campus and off-campus events at local and regional businesses, departments, clubs, and organizations
• Develop and facilitate leadership opportunities for students such as, but not limited to workshops, developmental training, conferences, and events.
• Support the Student Experience Directorate on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary projects, events and activities.

Awareness and Communication

• Develop, contribute and implement effective communication strategies about activities, events, and opportunities to maximize awareness and participation.
• Ensures and enables clear and open communication between internal stakeholders and student life: social, cultural, clubs, societies, and associations unit.
• Utilize omnichannel communication platforms, to promote, maintain and market student life: social, cultural, clubs, societies, associations and interest groups across the Institution.
• Collaborate with and internal stakeholders’ departments to ensure successful event planning and execution.

Budget and Fiscal Management

• Analyzing the resources needed to fulfill social, cultural, clubs, societies, and associations support obligations.
• Monitoring expenditures compared to budgets and taking needed corrective action to assure budgetary integrity
• Developing and managing sound long-term strategies for optimizing the return on financial resources for student life: social, cultural, clubs, societies, and associations unit.

Reporting and Governance

• Develops best practices to ensure reasonable safeguarding and risk assessment and mitigation.
• In collaboration with The Director of Student Experience ensures sustainable student representation and governance of student life (social and cultural), clubs, societies and association student leaders on student representative councils.
• Monitor and report on clubs, societies, and associations unit trends and factors against establish success metrics.
• Monitors and reports on achievements and progress of the set targets and goals with a heightened focus on sites that are not performing to the required standards.

Minimum Qualification Requirement :

• Bachelor’s degree (NQF Level 7) or equivalent in areas such as education, communication psychology or business.

Ideal Qualification Requirement :

• Honours Degree (NQF level 8)in relevant field.

Minimum Experience Requirements :

• 3 years Training and development
• 3 years experience managing cross functional teams
• 3 years Stakeholder management
• 3 years Project Management
• 3 years Communication skills with the ability to communicate to a variety of audiences.
• 3 years Fiscal / Budget management
• 3 years Risk assessment and management
• Administrative / Management jobs