Opportunities Coordinator, full-time, fixed term to 30th June 2027

Would you like to come and work at the number one Union in Scotland (as voted in the recent Whatuni Student Choice awards)? Strath Union is looking for a talented individual to join our team as Opportunities Coordinator.

This role will play a central role in enabling students to access and benefit from a broad range of volunteering, entrepreneurial, and employment opportunities. The postholder will engage students through Union-led initiatives and work proactively with external partners to develop high-quality opportunities that support students’ personal development, enhance employability, and strengthen community connections.

Strathclyde Students’ Union is committed to promoting diversity and equality for all and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from applicants with disabilities, from ethnic minority backgrounds, and those with diverse sexualities or marginalised gender identities as these groups are underrepresented.

Application process

Please submit your application through Deputy before 11pm on Thursday the 30th of October 2025.

When prompted, please upload your CV and a separate cover letter (maximum of two A4 pages) detailing how you meet the role requirements including the essential and, if applicable, desirable criteria in the person specification.

Please ignore any request from the system for a video upload as this is not part of the application process.

If you have any questions regarding the role, have trouble with your application, or need to apply in a different way please email leo.howes@strath.ac.uk

We intend to hold interviews on Wednesday the 5th of November - subject to change. We will endeavour to offer an alternative if the interview date offered isn't suitable.

Opportunities Coordinator Job Description

Reports To: Student Opportunities Manager

Salary: £28,031 per annum

Contract Type: Fixed term to 30th June 2027

FTE and Hours of Work: 1.0 FTE, 35 hours/week

The Opportunities Coordinator will play a central role in enabling students to access and benefit from a broad range of volunteering, entrepreneurial, and employment opportunities. The postholder will engage students through Union-led initiatives and work proactively with external partners to develop high-quality opportunities that support students’ personal development, enhance employability, and strengthen community connections.

Part-funded by Strathclyde Inspire, the role will work in close collaboration with the Inspire team to deliver shared objectives that foster student entrepreneurship. A key aspect will be the coordination of events, workshops, and development opportunities that equip students with the skills to thrive beyond university. The postholder will also lead on student recognition and reward activities, ensuring that volunteering and entrepreneurship are celebrated and embedded within the student community.

Main Responsibilities:

Volunteering

• Coordinate, develop, and promote volunteering opportunities and initiatives for students within the Union, University, and wider community.

• Support the delivery of volunteering programmes, including recruitment, training, recognition, and celebration of student volunteers.

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with community partners and University departments to expand volunteering pathways.

• Work with colleagues in relevant teams to train and support volunteers across the organisation, including societies, sports clubs, academic reps, inclusion groups, and widening access groups.

Entrepreneurship - working in partnership with Strath Inspire:

• Coordinate Strath Union’s student entrepreneurship opportunities and initiatives.

• Support the planning and delivery of entrepreneurship activities, workshops, and events in partnership with the University of Strathclyde Inspire.

• Work with student societies to help them adopt entrepreneurial approaches, develop income-generating ideas, and build sustainability into their activities.

• Encourage and assist students to develop entrepreneurial skills and signpost to resources to support self-start initiatives.

Employability

• Collaborate with colleagues to develop and implement initiatives and programmes to improve student employability and leadership skills.

• Develop and manage the Union’s JobShop to connect students with ‘earn while you learn’ employment opportunities, including promotion, administration, and monitoring of the platform.

• Build partnerships with local employers and University services to increase access to student-friendly jobs.

Other

• Support student staff members including supervision and allocation of tasks.

• Support the planning, coordination, and delivery of student recognition initiatives, including reward schemes, awards, and celebration events.

• Develop resources and create a strong online presence for employability, entrepreneurship, and volunteering. Maintain relevant sections of our website, including JobShop and Volunteering pages, ensuring providers, student profiles, and opportunities are up to date.

• Collect and report data on student participation, impact, and outcomes across volunteering, entrepreneurship, and employment activities.

Support:

• Support the elected Student Officers to plan and deliver relevant objectives.

• Support the work of the Student Opportunities Manager and contribute to Union-wide events, campaigns, and initiatives where appropriate.

General:

• Comply with all Strath Union policies, procedures, and governing documents.

• Always work within Strath Union’s Mission, Vision, and Values.

• Be responsible for all health and safety requirements related to the role.

• Ensure that students’ expectations are exceeded wherever possible.

• Deal with feedback in a courteous, efficient, and timely manner

• Undertake any other tasks commensurate with the level of appointment that may from time to time be reasonably requested.

• Portray a positive image of Strath Union, both internally and externally, and set high standards of personal integrity and professionalism at all times.

• Build and maintain professional networks to ensure knowledge is kept up to date.

• Undertake such personal and professional development as required to maintain appropriate knowledge and skills to fulfil the requirements of the role. This may include attending events away from the offices of Strath Union and outside of Glasgow.

• Sustainability is a strategic priority for Strath Union, and the post-holder will be expected to engage with sustainable workplace practices and relevant training such as carbon literacy.

Key relationships:

• Internal: Student Engagement team, elected student officers and representatives, and other Strath Union teams including Advice Hub, Finance, and Marketing and Communications.

• External: Strathclyde Inspire Team, University of Strathclyde, National Union of Students (NUS), colleagues in other students’ unions, external organisations relevant to the role. 

Person Specification:

Qualifications

Essential:

• Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience

Knowledge & Experience

Essential:

• Experience of coordinating projects, programmes, or initiatives, ideally within a student, community, or educational setting

• Experience of planning and coordinating events

• Experience of supporting or managing volunteers, student staff, or project teams

• Understanding of the value of volunteering, entrepreneurship, and employment opportunities in supporting student development

Desirable:

• Knowledge of employability initiatives, entrepreneurship support, or job recruitment services.

• Experience of building partnerships with community organisations, businesses, or employers

• Experience of working in a Students’ Union, higher education, or membership-led organisation

• Knowledge of issues affecting students in Scotland and developments in Student Unions and/or Higher Education

Job Related Skills and Abilities

Essential:

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, using initiative and problem-solving skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with students, staff, and external partners

• Ability to design and organise initiatives that support and engage the student community

• Competent IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office and online platforms for communication and data management

Desirable:

• Ability to collect, analyse, and report on participation and impact data

Personal Qualities

Essential:

• Enthusiastic and approachable, with a student-centred mindset

• Passionate about creating opportunities that enhance student learning, development, and experience

• Proactive and adaptable, able to respond to changing priorities

• Collaborative and supportive, committed to working in partnership and engaging with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures

• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusive practice

   

Other:

• The role is subject to a 4-month probationary period.

• The post-holder will be eligible to join the Strath Union workplace pension scheme.

• The post may include weekend and occasional evening work.

• It is expected that the starting grade for this role would be 5.1.

• 31 days’ annual leave per year plus 11 public/bank/local holidays (pro rata as necessary).

• Hybrid working may be available for this role.

Strathclyde Students’ Union is committed to promoting diversity and equality for all and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from applicants with disabilities, from ethnic minority backgrounds, and those with diverse sexualities or marginalised gender identities as these groups are underrepresented.

Apply now by submitting a separate CV & Cover Letter via Deputy