Student Support Lead

The Student Support Lead is responsible for the leadership and coordination of front-line student services at the UHE UK campus. Reporting to the Campus Manager, the postholder ensures students receive high-quality welfare, pastoral, and student experience support. This is an operational leadership role focused on student-facing service delivery and early intervention; strategic responsibility for student services strategy and safeguarding policy remains with the Campus Director and central services.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the day-to-day delivery of front-line student support and welfare services.
• Ensure students receive high-quality advice, guidance, and signposting to internal and external support services.
• Manage accurate and confidential records of student wellbeing interventions and follow-up actions.
• Provide day-to-day supervision and support to Student Support Officers.
• Coordinate student engagement and attendance interventions, working with academic leads to support students at risk of disengagement.
• Lead the operational planning of student transition, enrichment activities, and engagement events.
• Coordinate student representation and feedback processes at the campus level.
• Support activities that foster a sense of belonging and an inclusive campus community.
• Liaise with academic colleagues and the Academic Support Officer to ensure a joined-up approach to student success.
• Act as the primary point of contact for operational student support matters on campus.
• Escalate complex welfare, safeguarding, or conduct matters to the Campus Manager and Campus Director in line with policy.

General Responsibilities

• Promote equality, diversity, inclusion, safeguarding and student wellbeing in all aspects of the role.
• Maintain confidentiality, act with professionalism and comply with GDPR and institutional policies.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post.

Person Specifications

• Eligibility to live and work in the UK.
• Relevant qualification or equivalent professional experience in student support or welfare.
• Mental Health First Aid or Safeguarding training (Desirable).
• Experience delivering student-facing support or pastoral care.
• Experience handling sensitive/confidential matters.
• Experience coordinating a team or small service (Desirable).
• Experience in a HE environment (Desirable).
• Excellent interpersonal and empathetic communication skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and complex cases.
• Ability to analyse engagement data to improve services (Desirable).
• A sympathetic approach to all students.
• A positive, ‘can-do’ approach to work.
• Adopts a collaborative approach to working.
• Flexible and adaptable.
• Responds positively to new challenges, seeking solutions.
• Warm and welcoming personality and a good sense of humour.

Working pattern

The role requires evening and weekend work to support student engagement, assessment boards, or academic events.