Work with us

The Post

The Representation and Democracy Manager is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Union’s Representation function including physical and digital delivery. The post holder will oversee and support the management of two coordinators to deliver the Union’s core representation and democratic activity. This includes responsibility for the delivery of the Course Rep system (in partnership with the institution), democratic processes including the Have Your Say democracy platform, the Union’s AGM processes, supporting the Union’s Elections process, and supporting elected representatives. 

The postholder will drive the Union's Quality Assurance and Higher Education policy work supporting student reps and Elected Officers to highlight key issues at University of Portsmouth and across the sector. The postholder will also help shape the future of the Union's Representation work and be part of the organisation's strategic development.

The Person

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, inspirational individual who is passionate about delivering an excellent student centred service. The post-holder will have:

• Experience leading and managing projects
• Experience supporting, motivating and training people. Line management experience is preferred, however we welcome applications from those who have transferable experience from managing volunteers or ad-hoc staff. 
• Experience developing and increasing participation and will demonstrate the skills necessary to develop new initiatives.
• Excellent communication skills
• An understanding of best practice in supporting elected representatives
• The skills to undertake and present research, analyse data
• The ability to handle competing priorities

An understanding of the complex issues faced by students in a Higher Education setting is essential, and an understanding of representative and democratic systems is desirable.

What we offer

• Strong team mentality, supportive and sociable workplace
• Regular training opportunities and team development days
• 38 days holiday (30 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays) and additional Christmas leave (University shutdown)
• Flexible working (e.g. flexitime, career break, paid time off for volunteering)
• 35 hour week
• Enhanced sick pay, maternity, paternity or adoption leave
• Access to University staff benefits: discounted gym membership, free library membership, bike safe
• Employee Assistance Programme

The Organisation

The University of Portsmouth Students’ Union (The Union or UPSU for short) is a forward thinking, friendly organisation with a vision of “delivering a positive impact with every Portsmouth student”. As a charity led by its values and guided by its members, we offer a wide range of services and activities to support and enrich the lives of our students. UPSU employs approximately 30 career staff, a further 40 student staff and we work with over 1000 registered student volunteers and over 100 student groups.

Further Information

For an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact George Baldwin, Senior Student Voice Manager on george.baldwin@upsu.net or 02392 843669

Closing date for applications: midday, 2nd February 2026
Interviews will be held on date: 9th February 2026

We kindly ask that candidates do not send CVs or cover letters as these will not be considered. You can find an application form on our website.

Anonymous shortlisting will be carried out for this role to ensure a fair and consistent approach to recruitment. We will not disclose any personal details to the shortlisting panel. Any documents or links with identifying information will not be used during shortlisting, but can be submitted if you are selected for an interview.

We are strongly dedicated to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within our community and we are passionate about creating a welcoming and inclusive environment which supports everyone from recruitment through to appointment, regardless of your background. We welcome applications from all talented people and as part of this commitment, we are working to improve the diversity of our workforce to ensure that it is as relevant and representative of our student community as possible and are actively encouraging applications from underrepresented groups.

The Union is a MINDFUL EMPLOYER® and we are committed to creating a supportive and open culture and actively support the mental wellbeing of all staff.

Due to the high number of applicants, if you have not heard from UPSU by the interview date you should assume you have been unsuccessful in your application.