Chief Executive

University of Creative Arts Students’ Union

Chief Executive Officer 

Salary: £55,000-£60,500 

Location: Farnham, Epson or Canterbury (with travel between all three) 

Contract: Full time

Are you looking for a role as an ambitious and values driven leader, passionate about student experience? If so, we’re looking for a values driven leader who work closely with our elected officers, trustees and other stakeholders to progress our strategy and direction, making the University of Creative Arts Students’ Union (UCA SU) an inspirational students’ union.

About the Students’ Union 

UCA SU represents 5,200 students, primarily across three main sights at Farnham, Epson and Canterbury. We are an independent democratic charity and membership organisation; we have student leadership at every level. 

We're a democratic, membership organisation and all students at the University of Creative Arts are automatically members of the Union. Overall legal responsibility for the Students' Union rests with our Board of Trustees which is made up of three full-time Sabbatical Officers, four student trustees and three external trustees. The Sabbatical officers are elected each year by, and from, the student membership of the university. They take a year out of their studies (or immediately after graduating) to take on a fulltime paid staff role and to serve as a trustee.

We have done a huge amount of work over the last 6 months to turn the organisation around to ensure it is wholly focussed on supporting our diverse membership who study at the three campuses. We have updated our staffing structure to have our expertise equally focussed on each campus and have also changed our sabbatical officer structure to do the same.

At UCA SU, we genuinely have creativity at our heart and are very excited to welcome a new CEO on Board who shares our values and passion for creativity.

We are currently carrying out detailed research into the needs of our membership, and we can’t wait for our new CEO to review this research with us to shape our new strategic direction.

If you’re passionate about students and student leadership, are creative, energetic, can understand the complexities of a multi campus site, and are a positive and motivational leader, we’d love to hear from you!

About the role 

Under the direction of the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive is accountable for the performance, management, development and sustainability of UCA SU and responsible for developing and leading the Union's services, strategy and objectives to meet students’ needs.  

The Chief Executive Officer of the University of UCA SU you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of student engagement at a renowned creative institution. With increased institutional support and renewed commitment to delivering a brilliant student experience, you'll spearhead a transformative new strategy for the Students' Union. Your vision and leadership will empower students, cultivate a vibrant and inclusive campus community, and ensure UCA SU is a beacon of excellence within the sector.

This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with passionate student leaders, a skilled staff team, and a supportive Board of Trustees. You'll foster a strong partnership with the University, ensuring the Students' Union is a vital and valued partner in enhancing the student journey across all campuses. With your strategic direction, operational acumen, and championing of student voices, you'll lead UCA SU into an exciting new era.

If you are an energetic and inspiring leader with a passion for empowering students and driving positive change, this is your chance to make a lasting impact on the lives of talented and creative individuals at the University for the Creative Arts.

The successful candidate won’t necessarily need to come from the Higher Education sector, but you must be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the trends and issues that affect our students. You’ll have a good understanding of charity governance, financial management and organisational development.  

Closing Date: Wednesday 10th July 9am 

First Stage Interviews (Remote): Monday 22nd July 

Final Interviews (In-person at the Epsom campus): Wednesday 31st July  

How to Apply  

Please click 'Apply’ to be redirected to our website, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and Job Description and find details of how to apply.  

For an informal conversation about the role and application process, please contact our recruitment partners, Atkinson HR Consulting. Their contact details can be found in the Candidate Information Pack.