Community Development Coordinator

  • Job Reference: 00001022-1
  • Date Posted: 14 April 2025
  • Employer: Oxford Brookes Students' Union
  • Website: http://www.brookesunion.org.uk
  • Location: Oxford
  • Remote Working: Some remote working possible
  • Salary: £27,462
  • Bonus/Benefits: A progressive, friendly, and inclusive workplace. Flexible working env
  • Sector: Student Engagement & Representation, Student Opportunities
  • Job Type: Full time
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Job Description

Brookes Union is a collaborative and inclusive organisation with a vision to provide ‘A Community where every student belongs’. An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Community Team as our Community Development Coordinator.

The post will involve supporting the Union to deliver its core function of representing students, by enabling them to be active members of the Brookes community, through primarily delivering and developing the Union's societies function.
The role includes working closely with other members of the community team, students officers and colleagues across Brookes Union and the University to support our 100+ student groups to successfully build communities around their cultures, academic courses and personal interests.

Role Type
  • Average 3 days a week on campus in Oxford, with working from home and flexible working options. 
  • Full time, occasional evenings and weekends as required; open to flexible, part-time and job share requests
 
Main Purpose of the role
  • Support Brookes Union to deliver its strategic and operational KPIs
  • Support the Union to deliver its core function of representing students by enabling them to be active members of the Brookes community, through primarily delivering and developing the Union's societies function.
  • Support the elected officers to deliver high-impact and evidence-lead campaigns and activities
Key Responsibilities
  • Facilitate and support the growth of physical and digital communities amongst our members, streamlining processes and strengthening the union's engagement with these communities.
  • Support societies to engage new and existing members in innovative ways, ensuring that all activity is inclusive and accessible
  • Ensure that the Unions’ societies adhere to the Union’s bye-laws and other policies
  • Lead on societies’ engagement with the Union’s annual Freshers’ Fair and similar, supporting societies to deliver engaging activity to boost memberships
  • Support societies to deliver annual elections, ensuring that each society has a full Committee
  • Responsible for collaborative delivery training and onboarding all society committees. This will include ensuring that our training is up to date, accessible and relevant
  • Collaborate with the Community Events Coordinator to support societies to follow the Union’s event planning procedures including budgeting, free speech regulations and health & safety processes.
  • Lead on the Union’s compliance with health and safety rules and regulations in relation to societies
  • Develop strong relationships with key University teams including Estates and Campus Services, Health & Safety and Room Bookings
  • Ensure appropriate management of all society activity on campus, including undertaking duty management responsibilities.
  • Administer the Union’s society grant application process - supporting societies to gain value for money from both grants and membership fees
  • Supporting student groups to seek out external funding for their activity including sponsorship opportunities of their activities and events
  • Support and deliver the Union’s Raising and Giving activity, ensuring that fundraising regulations are followed at all times
  • Support and encourage societies and society members to lead on or take part in Union-wide campaigns, lobbying, research, democracy and other representation activity
  • Support the VP Activities and Employability in any development work related to societies or other communities on campus
  • Lead on and ensure societies’ effective use of the Union’s CRM
  • Provide effective and comprehensive line management for student staff, including objective setting, personal and professional development, performance management and wellbeing/pastoral support
General Terms
  • Lead on, contribute to, or take part in occasional organisation-wide events and activities including Freshers Fair, Awards Ceremonies, Open Days, elections, Officer Campaigns and organisational change projects or similar 
  • Ensure and role-model a positive organisational culture at all times, living by the Union’s values 
  • Minimise environmental impact by attending to your duties in a resource efficient manner, and actively support the delivery of the SU's Environmental Policy in the performance of your role. 
  • Any other duties commensurate with the role, as required 
  • Support the elected Officers to deliver on their manifesto pledges or other ideas, campaigns and lobbying using whatever means available to you
  • Continually streamline services using technology and digital solutions 
  • Lead on the development of online content related to your area of work including social media and website content.
Person Specification
  • Experience of working within, or an understanding of, students' unions or other similar membership organisations
  • Experience in, or demonstrably competent at, delivering training / presenting to large groups
  • Experience of maintaining accurate records and managing databases
  • Experience, or an understanding, of student group governance and compliance requirements
  • Experience of applying, adapting and developing policies and processes 
  • Experience of managing budgets and / or following and adhering to financial procedures
  • Experience in maintaining, editing and updating websites and a membership management system
  • Knowledge and understanding of the needs of students and key issues influencing and affecting the UK Higher Education environment
  • Relevant Health & Safety qualification (eg IOSH, NEBOSH or similar) or equivalent experience
  • Other relevant professional qualification (H&S, Project Planning, First Aid, Fire Safety etc)
  • Role-relevant training (H&S, Project Planning, First Aid, Fire Safety etc)
  • A demonstrable understanding of, and commitment to living by the Brookes Union Values
  • A demonstrable understanding of, and commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace
  • Ability to understand complex problems and provide clear and concise solutions
  • Ability to listen actively and to identify the key priorities for the student, the Union and the University
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Passionate and enthusiastic about improving the student experience
  • Willingness and ability to work on site, and occasional weekend and evenings as required