Reading Students' Union
Student Communities Manager
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Student Communities Manager - Reading Students’ Union
Location: University of Reading, Whiteknights Campus, Reading, Berkshire
Salary: £36,961.59 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 35 hours per week, Monday-Friday
Location: Office based
Build belonging. Empower student leaders. Shape the future of student communities.
About Reading Students’ Union
We are a dynamic, student-focused organisation dedicated to empowering students and enhancing their university experience. Our vision is to be a place for everyone, inspiring and empowering students to change the world. Check out our exciting new strategy.
Student Communities Manager
Do you believe that strong student communities have the power to transform the university experience?
We're looking for a strategic, innovative, and people-focused leader to lead our Student Communities team, ensuring students can create, lead, and participate in safe, inclusive, and sustainable communities that foster belonging, connection, and personal development.
This role sits at the heart of Reading Students' Union's mission to create opportunities for students to find their people, develop new skills, and make the most of their time at university.
You'll lead our approach to sports clubs, societies, volunteering, student media, and emerging community opportunities, ensuring students have meaningful ways to connect, contribute, and thrive.
What You'll Do
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Lead the Future of Student Communities
- Lead the development and delivery of the Students' Union's Student Communities strategy.
- Create opportunities for students to connect, organise, and participate through communities that reflect their interests, identities, and aspirations.
- Develop innovative approaches to engagement beyond traditional clubs, societies, and volunteering models.
- Drive continuous improvement using student insight, sector trends, and emerging best practice.
- Build sustainable and scalable opportunities that support belonging, personal development, and student success.
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Create Opportunities for Belonging and Participation
- Ensure students can easily join, create, lead, and develop student communities.
- Remove barriers to participation and improve access for underrepresented and underserved groups.
- Champion inclusion and belonging across all Student Communities activity.
- Create meaningful opportunities for students to develop skills, confidence, and leadership experience.
- Ensure students play a meaningful role in shaping the future of our communities offer.
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Support Student Leaders to Succeed
- Lead the development of a high-quality student leader journey, from recruitment through to succession planning.
- Oversee training, development, and support frameworks for student leaders and volunteers.
- Equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to govern their groups effectively.
- Ensure student-led communities operate safely, inclusively, and sustainably.
- Celebrate and champion student leadership across the organisation.
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Build Partnerships and Community Impact
- Develop strong relationships with University departments, SportsPark, community organisations, and external partners.
- Create volunteering and community engagement opportunities that benefit both students and the wider Reading community.
- Identify funding opportunities, partnerships, and sustainable models that increase the reach and impact of student-led communities.
- Represent the Students' Union on relevant University and external groups.
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Lead Governance, Quality, and Operational Excellence
- Oversee governance frameworks for student groups, including constitutions, elections, financial controls, and accountability arrangements.
- Provide expert guidance on governance, conduct, disciplinary, and operational matters.
- Lead safeguarding, health and safety, welfare, and risk management arrangements across student-led activity.
- Ensure consistent, high-quality support and service standards across Student Communities.
- Use feedback, complaints, and insight to improve services and student outcomes.
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Deliver Major Projects and Events
- Hold overall accountability for Varsity, providing strategic leadership and oversight.
- Lead Student Communities contributions to major Students' Union projects and events, including Welcome and the SU Awards.
- Ensure key projects and events are effectively planned, governed, resourced, and evaluated.
- Drive continuous improvement across major programmes and activities.
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Lead People, Performance, and Resources
- Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Student Communities department.
- Lead, develop, and support a high-performing team of Coordinators and student staff.
- Manage departmental budgets, resources, and workforce planning.
- Establish clear objectives, service standards, and performance expectations.
- Monitor and report on performance, impact, and student outcomes.
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- Use Insight to Shape the Future
- Analyse participation, demographic, financial, and feedback data to identify trends and opportunities.
- Use evidence and student insight to shape decision-making and future investment.
- Benchmark our performance against the wider sector and identify opportunities for innovation.
- Demonstrate impact through evaluation, reporting, and continuous improvement.
Essential
About You
- Significant experience leading and developing student communities, membership services, or comparable provision.
- Experience managing teams, performance, budgets, and operational delivery.
- Experience leading large-scale projects involving multiple stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of governance and accountability within student-led, volunteer-led, or membership organisations.
- Experience managing complex governance, conduct, complaints, or high-risk operational matters.
- Strong stakeholder management, communication, and partnership-building skills.
- Experience using insight, evidence, and performance data to drive service development and improvement.
- Excellent organisational, project management, and decision-making skills.
- A resilient and confident leader who thrives in a dynamic environment.
- A passion for building communities, empowering student leaders, and enhancing the student experience.
Desirable
- Experience working within a Students' Union, charity, or membership organisation.
- Understanding of Higher Education structures and the student experience.
- Experience of sports clubs, societies, volunteering, community engagement, or student media.
- Knowledge of BUCS, National Governing Bodies, or student media governance.
- A leadership, management, or relevant professional qualification.
Why Join Us?
- Inclusive and supportive team culture
- Flexible working options
- 35 days’ annual leave including Christmas and Easter closure days
- Professional development opportunities
- Unique working environment in the heart of a vibrant Student’s Union, set on a stunning, green campus.
Ready to make our data-led strategy a reality? Apply today!
Committed to equality, celebrating diversity, and embedding sustainability—building an inclusive workplace and a brighter future for all.
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