Student Engagement Officer (Mentoring) in Plymouth

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a progressive, student-centred University in a beautiful coastal location — a place where you can genuinely make a difference. At the University of Plymouth, we offer excellent career development and progression, underpinned by a strong commitment to putting students at the heart of everything we do.

As a member of the Student Engagement and Careers Operations team, you will contribute to the delivery of a student-focused, professional, friendly and efficient student careers service and associated programmes and initiatives. One key aspect of the role is to lead our very successful career mentoring programme.

We are looking to employ a proactive and well-organised individual to work as part of a team to deliver a customer focussed, supportive and efficient programme to ensure both mentees and mentors receive an excellent experience. The role will oversee a number of student-led programmes and initiatives which may flex throughout the year and change as the service evolves. This will require liaising, organising, delivering, communicating, and working with a wide range of students and other stakeholders across the University.

You may not have worked in higher education before, but will bring a high level of administration, accuracy, innovation and creativity to the role, with a passion for customer service, feedback and continual improvement. You will have experience of managing high-volume, busy workloads, who are extremely organised and able to think dynamically to solve problems.

For this role, you will need to be on site 3 days a week. Although we can accommodate working from home for this role, flexibility to be on-site will be expected due to business needs. Due to the nature of this role, a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check will be required.

You will require previous experience of planning, organising and delivering projects and events, which support business priorities. Experience of workshop delivery and public speaking would be highly desirable. You will also be expected to demonstrate an ability to think creatively and critically, working as part of a team and challenging others to improve. You must be an excellent communicator, highly organised with an eye for detail.

• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, combined with strong ICT skills and a commitment to delivering a high-quality customer service
• Previous experience of managing several projects with varied deadlines and stakeholder involvement
• Delivery of presentations, training and workshops
• Building relationships with a variety of stakeholders
• Working both independently and as part of a team
• Monitoring and measuring effectiveness, using findings to inform improvements
• Working in a dynamic customer service environment
• Experience of evaluation and report writing
• A flexible approach, as working across the range of Careers service provision and undertaking occasional evening and weekend work

This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week on a fixed-term basis to cover a period of maternity leave which is anticipated to be for approximately 6 months in the first instance.

Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement. Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course. Anticipated Interview Date: Thursday 29 January 2026.

A successful external candidate for this position would be employed by the University of Plymouth Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Plymouth. Employees of the University of Plymouth Services Limited work alongside the University of Plymouth colleagues in delivery of Plymouth’s strategic vision, and will adopt the University of Plymouth’s HR policies and procedures in full unless otherwise stated.

When joining us, you will receive:

• Generous annual leave: 25 Days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays & Closure Days
• Generous pension scheme
• Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave
• Flexible working
• Retailer discounts
• On-site nursery

The University of Plymouth is an inclusive community where everyone is welcomed regardless of their background. To find out more about our inclusive community initiatives, such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter.