The Role

Sheffield Students’ Union is entering an ambitious new chapter shaped by our refreshed strategy. At the heart of this transformation is our newly established Student Influence, Partnerships and Policy team, and we are seeking a confident, creative and forward-thinking Partnerships and Policy Manager to lead this work.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape how one of the UK’s largest and most diverse student communities, 30,000 students strong, engages with civic life and national decision-making. The Partnerships and Policy team exists to listen to students, identify opportunities for meaningful impact, and build a sustainable system of representation, democracy and campaigning that reflects and serves all our members, including undergraduate, postgraduate, BAME, disabled, LGBTQIA+, and mature students. In this role, you will lead the development and delivery of an ambitious strategy that puts student voice at the heart of policy conversations across Sheffield and beyond.

Working collaboratively with others across the organisation and city, the role will focus on developing effective channels of representation with local authorities and decision-makers. This includes influencing improvements in housing and accommodation, employability, safety, physical and mental wellbeing, civic participation and other relevant issues, as directed by our memberships and student leaders.

As manager of this newly formed team, you will provide strategic direction while also overseeing the day-to-day operations of a growing function. You’ll manage coordinators, supervise student staff and work across departments through matrix management. Balancing long-term vision with operational delivery, you’ll need to be confident managing complex workloads and competing priorities.

We are looking for someone who is ambitious, collaborative and politically astute. You’ll bring experience in partnerships or policy development, paired with excellent communication skills and a genuine commitment to amplifying student voice. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on building relationships, influencing change and delivering work that makes a meaningful difference.

If you’re passionate about civic engagement, influencing policy and making student voices count, we’d love to hear from you.

Please Click here for the full Job Description and Person Specification

As this is a new role, which will be key to delivering our strategic objectives, we have also identified, and provided further detail, of three key focus areas here.

Working at the Students’ Union

We exist to represent, support and enhance the lives of our members. We’ve done so since 1906. We are an independent charity and work closely with the University to achieve a world-class student experience. We’ve got a fantastic modern building featuring cafes,  shops, a bar, an advice centre, an activities and sports zone, where students can join over 400 sports clubs and societies. There’s something different happening in the SU every day: from club nights to film screenings, live music, theatrical performances and fascinating talks. We offer a relaxed space for students to take time out. 

Creating a more diverse team

Sheffield Students’ Union is committed to creating a fairer, more equal, more inclusive, more diverse and liberated workforce. 

What we are currently doing to create an inclusive workplace - 

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group and staff network 
• Flexible working arrangements 
• Inclusive policies and procedures 

We want to support you to do your best during the application process, so please do get in touch at su-people@sheffield.ac.uk  with any questions you may have. Additionally, if you have a disability, mental health condition or any other additional needs, please do let us know so we can tailor the process to suit you

Your Benefits

You will work in an exciting and progressive environment and enjoy great staff benefits: 

• 30 days annual leave per year + Bank holidays 
• Cycle to work scheme and cycle hub 
• The opportunity to buy annual leave
• Flexible working hours and WFH opportunities
• Generous workplace pension scheme
• Well being Programme
• Enhanced sick pay 
• Enhanced Maternity / Paternity and Shared Parental Leave pay  

Salary:  Grade D - £39,364 - £43,688

Hours: 35 Hours Per Week (Full-Time)

Closing date: Wednesday 2nd July 2025

Interviews: Thursday 10th July/Friday 11th July