Student Societies Coordinator

Student’s Union

Professional Services

September 2016

Academic excellence for business and the professions

Role Profile

Post:Student Societies Coordinator

Department:Student’s Union

School/Portfolio:Professional Services

Grade:4

Tenure:Permanent, Full time

Responsible to:Student Opportunities Coordinator

Background

The main purpose of this role is to coordinate the development and promotion of the Students’ Union’s student-led group, primarily including Student Societies, by administering day to day support of all Student Groups. This role is also responsible for contributing to the Student Opportunities department’s strategic and operational planning, as well as supporting relevant projects by Students’ Union Officers (Full Time and PartTime).

Responsibilities

Support of Student Societies and other student groups

  • Maintain and populate data systems associated with student societies and groups.
  • Coordinate room booking, travel, facilities hire, budget planning & allocation, external speaker requests and risk assessment processes for student societies and groups.
  • Conducting risk-assessing research regarding individual guest speaker requests, and contributing to recommendations on Students’ Union and university response to speaker requests, in line with Students’ Union and university policy.
  • Creating, communicating, and implementing health & safety risk assessment documentation to cover student groups’ activities, in line with Students’ Union and university policy.
  • Coordinating the promotion of student groups and related activities. In addition to official student societies this may include less formal student groups, such as halls groups or groups by geographical location, depending on the Students’ Union’s current strategic priorities.
  • Working to encourage new student groups to form and facilitate the set-up of new student groups.
  • Assisting in the delivery of elections for student group positions, in conjunction with staff members responsible for overseeing Students’ Union elections.
  • Liaising with University staff and other relevant external parties to share/seek information relating to student groups.
  • Training, supporting and developing all student groups’ volunteers.
  • Providing volunteers with up to date guidance on processes relating to student groups.
  • Advising student group volunteers on matters including increasing membership, acquiring funding, increasing activity, dealing with challenges, and membership support.
  • Advising student groups’ volunteers about their specific events or projects.
  • Liaising with external parties relating to student group activity.
  • Maintaining and developing the Students’ Union’s website content relating to student groups.
  • Act as the primary point of contact for student societies’ leaders and volunteers, dealing with student enquiries in a professional manner in accordance with Students’ Union policies and procedures.
  • To supervise some society events, where supervision by staff is required for health and safety or other reasons. The post-holder will receive First Aid training where required.

Contribution to departmental strategic and operational plans

  • Provide information relating to student groups for key reports and meetings as required by the Student Opportunities Coordinator.
  • Contribute to the Student Opportunities Department planning by putting forward evidence based ideas for improvements to student groups and ideas for new student groups and student group related activities.
  • Contribute to the Student Opportunities Department’s operational planning by planning the tasks and events relating to student groups and other student group related activities.
  • Supporting and liaising with the Student Officers (Full Time and Part Time) on matters relating to student groups and student groups’ related activities.

General Responsibilities

  • To undertake other duties, within their competence, as may reasonably be required to meet Students’ Union objectives. To provide operational cover for colleagues including absence and periods of peak workload, as required.

Context

This post designed to improve two way communications with the membership. The post holder will be expected to create an environment which creates a culture of excellence in customer service, where customer needs and expectations are identified, measured and met or exceeded at all times.

Attendance at conferences and meetings, both internal and external, will be necessary. The post holder will be expected to assist in key events throughout the year e.g. Fresher’s Fair, Balls and other standard or special Students’ Union events.

Hours of work will normally be weekday daytimes, but will also vary depending on operational requirements and periods of peak activity. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required, and this will normally be balanced by Time Off In Lieu (TOIL).

Staff are expected to portray a positive image at all times, both internally and externally of the Students’ Union by displaying high standards of service, integrity, punctuality, politeness and professionalism.

The post holder will have to be pro-active, flexible and have the ability to prioritise a varied and demanding portfolio of work. The successful candidate may be required to undergo a DBS check before taking up the role.

Candidate Specification

Post:Student Societies Coordinator

Department:Student’s Union

School/Portfolio:Professional Services

Grade:4

Tenure:Permanent, Full time

Responsible to:Student Opportunities Coordinator

Qualifications

Essential

  • Good general education, typically to the Higher/A levelequivalent

Desirable

  • University/CollegeDegree
  • Basic First Aid certificate (otherwise, training will be provided whilst in post)

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Personal experience of further education and/or highereducation
  • Significant experience leading, running or being involved in community or co-curricular activities - preferably in a universitysetting
  • Experience working with, managing or supervising volunteers
  • Experience training students orstaff
  • Experience of managing or being involved in the managing of anevent
  • Experience in dealing with enquiries (such as bookings or complaints) from a wide network of customers, clients, members, stakeholders, or similar groups
  • Experience of working on multiple projects simultaneously
  • Knowledge of using or creatingdatabases
  • Good understanding of best practice in volunteermanagement

Desirable

  • Previous experience working in a democratically led organisationor within democratic structures
  • Experience of supervisingothers
  • Strong understanding of current issues and themes in Higher Education and Students’Unions
  • Excellent working knowledge of key themes and issues in student activities/opportunities within the university context

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Excellent communication skills verbal andwritten
  • Ability to quickly build relationships withothers
  • Excellent numeracyskills
  • Ability to think creatively to develop new ideas andopportunities
  • Ability to develop and grow existing services or opportunities
  • Excellent planning, organisation and administrativeskills
  • Self-motivated andself-reliant
  • IT competent with working understanding of MicrosoftOffice

Desirable

  • Ability to develop websites and onlinecontent
  • Ability to use web search engines as a research tool

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • Desire to work within a democratic student ledenvironment
  • Understanding of and commitment to equalopportunities
  • Desire to work within organisation servicing a culturally diversemembership

Additional Information

  • The post holder must at all times carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the University’s Equal Opportunities Statement
  • The post holder must accept responsibility for ensuring that the policies and procedures relating to Health and Safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times.
  • The post holder must respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically and by other means in line with the Data Protection Act.
  • The post holder must carry out their responsibilities with due regard to the non-smoking environment of the University
  • Sustainable Development

The University is committed to a policy of best practice to assist in building a sustainable way of life by taking a positive, solutions-orientated approach. All post holders are encouraged to contribute through their roles to improving the environment, for the University and the wider community.

Details of policy, information and staff development supporting the policy on the environment and sustainability can be found at

The above list is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. All members of staff are required to be professional, co-operative and flexible in line with the needs of the post, Department, School and the University.

Job descriptions should be regularly reviewed and at least prior to the annual appraisal, if applicable or on a regular basis to ensure they are an accurate representation of the post.

Salary and Conditions of Service
  • The salient features of Conditions for Clerical and Certain Related Administrative staff are as follows:
  • This is on Grade 4 of the salary scales for Clerical and Certain Related Administrative staff.
  • Annual Leave is 26 days, plus 8 statutory and 3 additional days during the Christmas holiday period.
  • You will automatically be entered into the London Pension Fund with an option to opt out.
  • All offers of appointment are subject to the University receiving satisfactory references and medical clearance.
  • All posts at City University are subject to reasonable adjustment under the Equalities Act (2010).
  • All appointments at City University are subject to a probationary period.

Applications

When preparing your application, you should address carefully the post details enclosed and in particular the qualities outlined in the Person Specification. Please include examples where appropriate.

All applications must be received by 11:59pm on 19thSeptember 2016.

Further Information

We operate a no smoking policy.

The University offers an excellent pension scheme, generous leave allowance, season ticket loan, a good working environment, and access to our student fitness and social facilities.

If you would be moving to the UK, please visit This one-stop shop of information is designed to assist and support your move to live in the UK and work at a UK University and includes information specific to City University London.

City University confirms its commitment to equal opportunities in all its activities. It is intended that no job applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of political belief, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or social class. Selection and promotion criteria will be kept under review to ensure that individuals are treated on the basis of the job requirements and on their relevant personal merits, and are not disadvantaged by conditions or requirements, which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

If you have a disability and are interested in this post, your application is welcomed. For an informal discussion you may wish to contact the Recruitment Team on:

Telephone:020 7040 3085

E-mail: