About Us 

We’re Heriot-Watt University Student Union, an independent charity buzzing with energy, driven by and for our students. We’re all about doing good, that’s why all surplus funds generated through Liberty’s Café, Geordies Bar and the Student Union Shop are channelled straight back into crucial student support services like our Advice Hub. So, yes, we're a charity, but we also mean business. 

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

At HWSU, diversity isn’t just celebrated; it’s our strength. We thrive by bringing together voices from all walks of life, and we’re excited for you to help us champion this mission. At HWUnion, you’ll find more than just a job—you’ll find a community eager to welcome your talents. Let’s do something great together.  

Role Overview 

As one of our Student Engagement Coordinators, you'll be the heartbeat of creating an awesome student experience. You'll team up with societies, volunteers, and elected officers to boost participation, enhance peer-support networks, and plan activities that truly connect with our and build our diverse student community. 

What You’ll Do 

• Boost Engagement: Dream up strategies to get more students involved in our student groups and activities, making sure everyone feels like they belong. 

• Support Societies: Be the go-to person for society leaders, providing tips, training, and support to help them shine. 

• Volunteer Network: Build and maintain a lively Union Volunteer Network, creating chances for students to develop skills and boost their employability through volunteering. 

• Peer Support: Work with the VP Communities to expand and improve our peer support networks, making sure students can easily get the help they need. 

• Event Coordination: Organise and manage key events, like the annual Volunteer Awards, Freshers’ Week, and Societies Council meetings. 

• Continuous Improvement: Stay on top of best practices and bring in fresh ideas to keep improving the student experience. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Champion Activities: Promote our student activities and increase engagement, especially on our satellite campuses. 

• Record Keeping: Manage and maintain accurate records of student engagement and activities, reporting annually on the impact. 

• Funding Support: Oversee the Societies Fund, ensuring societies know how to access it and making sure applications are timely and complete. 

Your Superpowers 

• Creative and Engaging: You’ve got great ideas and know how to make activities fun and inclusive. 

• Excellent Communicator: You can chat with anyone and make sure they feel heard. 

• Organised and Efficient: You juggle tasks like a pro, making sure everything runs smoothly and on time. 

• Empathetic and Supportive: You get what students need and are always there with a friendly word and helpful advice. 

Values You’ll Champion 

• Inclusivity: Make sure all our activities and messages are welcoming and make every student feel valued. 

• Student Focus: Keep students at the heart of everything you do, building a vibrant and supportive community. 

• Team Spirit: Work well with staff, officers, and students, creating a positive and fun environment. 

What could a typical day look like?

Join Us 

If you’re excited about making a real difference and creating a dynamic, supportive student environment, we’d love to chat! 

Principal Duties 

This role is key to enhancing the extracurricular opportunities available to students and empowering them to explore their passions and interests. You will work closely with elected officers, societies, volunteers, and other student groups to enhance their experience. Broadly, this role will: 

• Continually develop Heriot-Watt Union societies and volunteers, keeping informed of best practice across the sector and implementing initiatives and training to enhance the student experience. 

• Create, maintain, and motivate a network of Union volunteers. 

• Champion our student activities and increase engagement within this area, especially in our satellite campuses. 

• Empower and guide the VP Communities to achieve their manifesto. 

• Provide a programme of support and recognition for volunteers, from coordinating and organising the annual Volunteer Awards, to ensuring volunteer experience is recorded on transcripts.  

• Manage and maintain accurate records of engaged students and activity, reporting annually on the impact of work, demographics of participating students, and create a plan on how to remove barriers to participation. 

Societies 

The Student Engagement Coordinator (Communities) is responsible for supporting, guiding, and developing our societies. These are some of the ways you might do that: 

• Support societies with day-to-day queries, help them identify and explore opportunities, and guide them to resolve any issues. 

• Organise, design, and deliver training to increase knowledge and skills that will allow societies to thrive. 

• Undertake research to understand what society leaders need from the Union. 

• Continually strive for improvements in the way we develop our societies and measure the impact of initiatives. 

• Oversee, monitor, and report on the Societies Fund, ensuring applications to the fund are made in a timely manner, and societies understand how to access the funding. 

• Ensure societies are actively engaged and showcased at critical points in the year, e.g. Freshers. 

• Maintain and develop policies and practices which will increase student participation in societies. 

• Organise and manage Societies Council meetings, taking minutes where required. 

Volunteering 

Throughout the year, students volunteer with Heriot-Watt Union in different capacities. We do not currently have a structured Union Volunteer Network. Some of the areas you will work on are: 

• Recruit, train and manage Freshers’ Week volunteers to deliver a brilliant week for new and returning students. 

• Create and implement a strategy to kickstart a network of engaged and motivated volunteers. 

• Research and advertise opportunities for students to volunteer throughout the year, both within the Union and with external charities, increasing participation in this area. 

• Identify and demonstrate skills gained through volunteering, e.g. by working with Heriot-Watt alumni, careers and other stakeholders. 

Peer Support 

Peer support is an increasing need among our students. In the past we had a peer support programme called MATES, helping students connect with other students. Your role would be to: 

• Work with the VP Communities to enhance peer support networks, expanding their reach and impact. 

• Evaluate the effectiveness of peer support projects, reporting internally and to relevant external stakeholders. 

Other Duties 

For most of your role, you’ll be working on the areas above, but the working environment in the Union requires team members to be flexible, adaptable, versatile, and to work as a team. As such, you’ll need to: 

• Take on other tasks or activities that are relevant for the role from time to time, e.g. acting as an Assistant Deputy Returning Officer to deliver successful elections. 

• Follow all HWUnion policies, procedures, and governing documents. 

• Undertake personal and professional development as required to maintain appropriate knowledge and skills. 

What next?

If this sounds like the role for you, make sure you read the full Job Description and Person Specification below. 

To apply, click "Apply Now" and fill in our online application form.

Click here to download the Job Description and Person Specification