£13.01 per hour plus £1.57 holiday pay
Advertising End Date
11 Oct 2026

Role & Department Overview

The Students' Union is the recognised representative body for the 16,000 students of Lancaster University.
 
It is also a democratic, member-led, charitable organisation. Though the charity is overseen by the Trustee Board, democratic decisions are made by Union Assembly - a collection of senior leaders within the student community. Union Assembly votes on important matters and holds the Union, and its Full-Time Officers to account. 
 
The Union Assembly Chair & Deputy organise and lead the meetings of Union Assembly and the Union's Annual General Meeting.
 

Pay Rate: £13.01 per hour plus £1.57 holiday pay

Start Date: 19th October 2026

End Date: 30th April 2027

Job Description

Major Duties:

Before Union Assembly Meetings

  • Collate agenda items and ensure authors comply with the paper deadline.
  • Liaise with paper authors to submit concise, clear, and informative matters to Union Assembly.
  • Oversee the creation of a functional agenda ready for circulation and publication one week before meetings.
  • Receive apologies and other queries from Union Assembly members and other members of the Students’ Union.


    During Union Assembly Meetings

  • Manage the agenda to ensure all substantial items are discussed.
  • Establish ground rules and facilitate respectful debate and discussion.
  • Ensure all members have an equitable opportunity to speak, listen and contribute in an appropriate manner.


    After and Outside Union Assembly Meetings

  • Monitor agreed actions and ensure policy decisions are communicated to relevant and impacted parties.
  • Circulate and publish minutes, action logs, and other outputs of the meeting.
  • Call and chair emergency meetings of Union Assembly and seek digital, asynchronous approval for matters when necessary.


    General responsibilities of Union staff 

  • As a member of Students’ Union staff, behave in such a way as to reflect the values and objectives of the Union, modelling these for all students as appropriate, and effectively representing the organisation at all times.  
  • To undertake any other duties commensurate with the level and nature of the post and the goals of the Students’ Union, and follow Union policy to support the achievement of its wider mission and goals.
  • A flexible approach to work will be required as although the role is primarily day-time based it may include occasional unsociable hours.

Person Specification

Experience
Experience of chairing meetings.
Experience of proactively including marginalised voices in democratic debate.
Experience of supporting, and collaborating with, a large and diverse body of student leaders.
 
Knowledge and skills
An applied understanding of transparent, inclusive, democratic governance.
Good organisational and time management skills.
Good communication skills and a good eye for detail.
 
Personal attributes
A strong commitment to working in a democratic and membership organisation, with the ability to empower and build constructive relationships with elected officers and volunteers.
An understanding of, and commitment to, the Students’ Union’s values
 

Working in this role will help develop the following skills and experience:

  • Collaboration
  • Creativity
  • Curiosity
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Exercising Professional Judgement
  • Flexibility

You are required to submit a cover letter to support your application. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Please note: Unless specified otherwise in the advert wording, this role is only open to individuals living in the UK.

Under the terms of this work, we endeavour to provide the advertised number of hours however, hours are not guaranteed and that work may cease if there is a fall in demand. 

Adverts that display a closing date should be treated as a guide. We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.

Help and advice on making applications can be found on the Lancaster University Careers pages. Visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/careers.