Deputy Chief Executive

  • Job Reference: 00000946-1
  • Date Posted: 4 February 2025
  • Employer: Durham Students' Union
  • Website: https://www.durhamsu.com/
  • Location: Dunelm House, Durham
  • Remote Working: Some remote working possible
  • Salary: £49,045 to £60,274
  • Sector: Campaigns, Advice, Welfare & Support, Student Engagement & Representation, Student Opportunities, Leadership
  • Job Type: Permanent, Full time

Job Description

About the role:

The Deputy Chief Executive role is a brand-new role created through some of the recent changes to our leadership team. The role holder will work across Durham Students’ Union to advance the students’ union’s mission to be the champion of students at Durham University, leading student-facing services including independent advice, support for student-led sports clubs, societies and interest groups, and democratic services.

Our new Deputy Chief Executive will be responsible for the performance, development and sustainability of the professional staff team and volunteers. They will lead effective and efficient services, and both model and inspire behaviours consistent to our values. This role will also provide advice and make recommendations to student leaders, the Chief Executive and the Trustee Board on policy development within their area of responsibility, support the Chief Executive with policy and strategy development, and create and maintain productive relationships with Durham Students’ Union partners across Durham University, the North East of England, and the voluntary and students’ union sectors.

We’re looking for a good combination of skills and experiences, but we do not expect you to have all of the ones we’ve outlined in the job pack, nor do we expect you to be equally confident or strong in all of them.

Durham Students’ Union expects that all of our volunteers and staff behave in line with our principles that we champion students, we are proud of Durham and we make the future better.

We expect our values and your values to complement each other with ours being:

  • We value care and responsibility, because our students matter more to us than anything.
  • We value imagination and collectivism, because we’re grounded in our distinctive collegiate community.
  • We value ambition and optimism, because we believe Durham students can – and do – change the world.

We offer an inclusive work environment and a very good overall benefits package. We’re a flexible employer and believe passionately in caring for our people. We’re also committed to ensuring that our team reflects the diversity of the world and the student community we serve. We respect everyone’s individual identity and celebrate difference and particularly welcome applications from candidates from Global Majority backgrounds and those who are disabled. We offer a guaranteed interview for candidates who are disabled and meet all main criteria.

Closing date: 5pm Friday 28th February

Longlist interviews (remote): Monday 17th March

Shortlist interviews (in person): Tuesday 25th March

Please click apply to be redirected to our website, where you can find details of how to apply.

For an informal conversation about the role and application process, please contact our recruitment partners, Atkinson HR: anh@atkinsonhrconsulting.co.uk