Policy & Representation Advisor in Coventry

About the Role

Warwick SU exists to make sure every student voice carries weight - in lecture halls, faculty meetings, and national policy conversations. The Policy & Representation Advisor is the strategist behind that vision, connecting student experience to real institutional and systemic change. In this role, you will be the go-to expert for everything policy, representation, and governance. You will guide our Full-Time Officers, support our Forums and Student Council, and help shape how the SU and University respond to the ever-changing higher education landscape. This isn’t a back-office policy post - it’s active, collaborative, and full of influence. You will turn research into strategy, conversation into motion, and motion into impact.

What’s on Offer

• Contract: Full-time, fixed term for 18 months (with hybrid working flexibility)
• Hours: 35 hours per week
• Salary: £31,973 - £36,673 per annum, depending on experience
• Location: Warwick Students' Union, University of Warwick campus, with remote working 1-2 days a week
• Benefits include: 22 days holiday, plus an additional 18 days paid leave for public holidays and SU closure periods during winter and spring vacation times (40 days per annum in total) along with a dedicated wellbeing programme, cycle to work scheme, employee assistance programme, substantial pension scheme and benefits platform with discounted offers on everyday essentials.

You will join a dynamic, values-driven team that believes in the transformative power of student voice. We invest in your growth - offering learning opportunities, generous leave, and a culture rooted in care, liberation, and collaboration.

Important dates:

• Closing date: 9am Wednesday 19th November 2025. Apply early - we may close before this date if we receive a high number of applications
• Interview date: Thursday 4th December 2025. You must be available to attend in person on campus.

Who We Are

Warwick Students' Union is a student-led, democratically run charity representing over 25,000 students. We’re here to make student life empowering, equitable, and unforgettable. Through elections, forums, campaigns, and policy change, we help students lead, influence, and reimagine their world. The Policy & Representation Advisor is part of our Student Voice Team - the engine behind our democracy, campaigns, and representation.

What You’ll Do

You will make sure that student representation is meaningful, informed, and impactful by:

• Advising & Guiding: Providing expert policy advice to Officers, student representatives, and the SU's leadership. Preparing briefings, consultation responses, and reports that help influence decisions across the University and beyond.
• Strengthening Representation: Supporting academic representation through SSLCs, Forums, and Student Council. Ensuring students have the knowledge, confidence, and structures to make change happen.
• Building Governance & Policy: Supporting the development of democratic and governance structures that empower members and enhance transparency. Helping officers translate manifestos into tangible, evidence-based outcomes.
• Research & Analysis: Conducting research and consultations to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities in higher education policy. Translating findings into recommendations that guide SU strategy and inform the student experience.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Building relationships across University departments, national bodies, and other SUs. Representing Warwick SU at local and national policy networks to amplify our voice.
• Communication & Advocacy: Producing clear, accessible briefings and guidance for students, officers, and staff. Ensuring our policy work is visible, transparent, and student-centred.
• Training & Empowerment: Delivering training and workshops for officers, reps, and SU staff on policy, governance, and representation. Creating resources that demystify policy-making and help students lead confidently.

Who You Are

You are someone who:

• Has a strong grasp of higher education policy and student representation.
• Thrives on collaboration, diplomacy, and strategic thinking.
• Can take complex ideas and make them meaningful for diverse audiences.
• Cares deeply about equity, liberation, and the power of collective voice.
• Brings curiosity, creativity, and care to every challenge.

Experience in a Students' Union, charity, or policy environment is ideal - but above all, we’re looking for someone passionate about driving positive change through evidence, empathy, and action.

Equality and Inclusion

We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented backgrounds in higher education, including Black candidates, disabled candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, and those from working-class backgrounds. At Warwick SU, your voice matters just as much as the ones you’ll help to amplify.

Got a question? Email - we’ll be happy to help.

Main purpose

To provide organisational advice and support to deliver strategies that build upon our policy development and policy projects and support the publication and dissemination of relevant motions and policy work with students. To advise Officers and representatives on how best to influence decision-makers within the University and prepare briefings and consultation responses on policy that affects WSU within the local community, regionally and nationally. To be knowledgeable of current legislation and regulations affecting HE and oversee the development and delivery of policy projects that align with the student voice and deliver effective academic representation within higher education.

Main Responsibilities

• Policy Advice and Support: To provide advice and guidance to Officers and representatives on shaping and influencing the Union's policy and direction with regards to improving the student experience. Draft papers, brief Board of Trustees and elected representatives on local and national policy, report on key issues that affect the student body and manage and respond to information requests relating to policy.
• Academic Representation: To support the strategic work relating to academic representation and promote equity and inclusion into the students' educational experience; take a leading role in convening the SSLCs to ensure that student representation is in place, liaise with student representatives to develop policy and/or practice relating to the student experience and be principal advisor to the Academic Forum.
• Governance: To support the development work on governance regeneration in relation to policy making, democratic structures and member engagement that connects university departments to the SU. Work to ensure adequate control measures and scrutiny is in place that aligns with the organisation's strategy, vision, and values.
• National Policy: Offer guidance to the Union's Leadership Team ensuring organisational policy development is integrated with existing policies taking account wider sector and University policies and procedures and relevant legislation. To carry out information gathering and research that develops organisational policy on behalf of the Full-time Officers and Board of Trustees in relation to current trends, legislative changes affecting higher education and students and provide evidence-based recommendations to inform policy decisions.
• Student Council and Forum Support: To advise and equip Officers and students with the knowledge, expertise, and support to enable them to transform their experience at university, in the local community and in wider society. To develop policy briefings for Student Council, Forums, and motion proposers on the organisational impact of implementing new ideas and policies. Ensure relevant policy work you are responsible for is presented and discussed at Council and Forums.
• Impact Assessment: To provide advice and guidance in relation to organisational legal, financial, and reputational risk on proposed policies. Identify potential impacts on proposed actions anticipating intended or unintended consequences and make recommendations to senior leadership with consideration for the long-term effects on the organisation.
• Research and Analysis: To carry out research, undertake consultations and gather and analyse data from various sources, including academic research, government reports, surveys, interviews, and statistical databases, that will inform policy proposals. Work in collaboration with SU staff and students to ensure the impact of new policy is communicated with members and wider stakeholders and ensure that decisions around policies and practices provide evidence-based solutions and recommendations.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain relationships with university departments, faculty and department staff to gather input, collaborate on policy initiatives and support and promote the interests of students. Work with external bodies to leverage expertise, address collective challenges, and stay informed with relevant legislation commensurate to the role.
• Communication and Promotion: To produce written guidance for members on procedures and guidance that needs to be adhered to when and ensure the SU website is regularly reviewed and relevant. Lead on raising awareness of policy and academic initiatives and ensure all webpage content is up to date and informed and accurate.
• Project Development: To support Officers and members with policy development and academic projects that deliver effective educational and academic representation. To assist in developing funding bids ensuring project plans, outputs and budgets are deliverable, and ensure objectives are drawn up and delivered in support of Officer manifestos and the SU's strategic priorities.
• Training and Development: To provide training and support to elected student representatives on policy related work, empowering them to effectively advocate for student initiatives and implement policy initiatives. Develop guidance notes and facilitate workshops for SU staff to communicate new policy developments.
• Administration: Support and coordinate meetings and debates in relation to policy work and academic representation; oversee room bookings and venue hire; manage accurate policy and representation databases and provide administrative support where required within the Student Voice team in relation to All Student Votes, Elections, All Student Meetings and Student Council.

Ensure that all tasks are carried out in accordance with relevant legislation and guidelines, including charity law, data protection, freedom of speech and other relevant regulations. This list of responsibilities is not exhaustive, and the post holder may from time to time be required to undertake other tasks that are commensurate with the role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• A relevant degree or equivalent experience which demonstrates experience in HE policy and representation and evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Excellent understanding of the issues affecting students and higher education institutions and understanding of student engagement practices and democratic structures.
• Strong organisational and policy project skills in a students' union or comparable influencing environment, with the ability to prioritise effectively, work to deadlines and manage projects.
• A commitment and passion for developing and delivering policy to improve the student experience and policy development and briefing knowledge.
• Strong problem-solving skills and sound judgement, with the ability to understand diverse perspectives and to be able to successfully influence and negotiate both internally and externally.
• Effective research and analysis skills needed to build an evidence base from which you will work.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, teamwork and collaborative skills, a high level of diplomacy and tact and the ability to work with a range of student groups, colleagues, and stakeholders to absorb complex information and present it to different audiences.
• A high degree of personal accountability with the ability to live and model the values of Warwick Students' Union, including a commitment to equity, liberation, and diversity in every aspect of your work.
• A passion for working with students with the ability to support and empower them to succeed in their roles.
• The ability to work well under pressure, use initiative and creativity in solving problems with the ability to make decisions autonomously or advise others.
• Ability to manage difficult conversations with empathy whilst maintaining an impartial position, appreciating confidentiality when managing sensitive information.
• An understanding of charity law applies.
• Knowledge and competence with Microsoft Office applications and good IT skills.

Desirable

• Experience of coordinating and managing events.
• Knowledge and experience of working in a charitable organisation.
• Training skills / delivery.