Make a difference to the lives of students – become a Trustee for ENSA

ENSA is a registered charity that exists to enable students to make the most of their university experience. Our three Elected Officers serve as champions for students and ensure they have access to our core activities: representation, sports, societies, education and welfare advice, training and events.

We have a strong Board with a recently appointed Chair, Dr Jenny Rees, and existing expertise in the areas of finance and human resources. We’re now looking for a new Trustee, someone who is enthusiastic and committed, who believes that a great university experience can be truly transformational for students. Could this be you?

Though we welcome applications from people from a broad range of professional backgrounds, we are particularly interested in hearing from you if you have expertise in marketing and/or income generation or previous experience working with students’ associations or students’ unions.

This is a voluntary, unremunerated position. Reasonable travel expenses will be paid for the occasional in-person meeting (most meetings will be held virtually in the evening). The Board meets six times a year and has two committees, a Human Resources Committee and a Finance and Risk Committee. The successful applicant will be expected to serve on one of the committees as well as attend Board meetings regularly.

The Trustee Board has overall responsibility for ENSA’s governance, for upholding its values and aligning it to the Association’s charitable aims. It aspires constantly to improve standards of governance and standards of good practice. It also sets the overall strategic direction for ENSA and evaluates progress towards objectives.

Responsibilities shared amongst all Trustees include:

• Leadership: Provide leadership to oversee the strategic direction and successful delivery of the organisation. Trustees are expected to attend board meetings and the AGM and occasional strategy and development days.
• Governance: Review reports, information, data and presentations presented to the Trustee Board and oversee the implementation of ENSA’s strategic direction and governance. Uphold OSCR standards on governance.
• Funding: As a charity, ENSA is dependent on securing and building relationships with funders, donors, sponsors and partners. Alongside the rest of the Board, Trustees develop and maintain effective relationships with Edinburgh Napier University, ensuring openness and transparency.
• Finance: Trustees will, as part of the Board, review and approve budget plans, annual accounts and funding applications. They may also be asked to be a member of ENSA’s Finance and Risk Committee.
• People: All Trustees work with ENSA’s CEO and Edinburgh Napier University to maintain positive working relationships and promote a positive culture across the organisation. They ensure ENSA is legally compliant with employment law and that appropriate HR procedures are followed, including the appropriate handling of complaints and appeals. The Trustee may be invited to join the Board’s HR Committee.
• Reputation: All Trustees are responsible for upholding and enhancing the external reputation of ENSA. This involves ensuring that good relations are developed and maintained with ENSA and Edinburgh Napier University and other relevant parties, while representing the views of the Trustee Board in meetings and correspondence.
• Compliance: Trustees are responsible for ensuring ENSA remains compliant with the law, regulations, and the requirements of the charity regulator, as well as complying with the code of practice jointly agreed between ENSA and the University. Trustees engage with the Board evaluation and review processes and consider proposed terms of independent audits to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, best practice, ENSA’s governing documents and Trustee Board’s policies and procedures.

Applicants should note that ENSA is currently an unincorporated charity working towards incorporation. It is expected that incorporation will be achieved during the year 2021 at which point the Board of Trustees will become the Board of Directors.

For more info please see our website and our 2020-21 Impact Report.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) is recruiting an experienced individual to line-manage its Advice Team, comprised of four part-time advisers (including the Team Lead). The Advice team provides confidential and independent advice for Edinburgh Napier University students on range of welfare rights and education issues.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the Advice Service, providing line management for staff, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, confidential service for students (those studying on campus and online)
• Work with, and support, Elected Officers to represent students’ concerns to the University
• Manage caseloads from initial contact to exit and ensure records are accurate and up-to-date
• Ensure team members manage caseloads effectively and keep accurate, timely records
• Provide 1:1 advocacy for students - assessing individual situations, issues and needs
• Provide guidance and support with drafting Extenuating Circumstances, Appeals and Complaints etc.
• Attend with and/or advocate for students in meetings with the University as appropriate
• Work with the Receptionist to oversee that work is allocated equitably across the Service
• Be the key contact for Blue Door, the caseload management system, and exploit what it has to offer to enhance the Advice Service
• Develop and maintain partnerships with staff at Edinburgh Napier University for the benefit of students
• Keep up-to-date with relevant legal and compliance issues
• Serve as the ENSA Safeguarding Officer
• Identify opportunities for staff training and development
• Monitor, report and evaluate KPIs for the purposes of continuous improvement
• Use a range of technologies to deliver services
• Advise the CEO on safeguarding and other issues related to student welfare
• Work collaboratively and flexibly across the organisation and within the Advice Service, contributing as necessary to enhance ENSA’s resilience
• Seek out and learn from good practice elsewhere in the sector to improve ENSA’s offer

The principal role and responsibilities will change from time to time and the post holder is required to undertake any additional duties as deemed appropriate.

ENSA’s main office is located at the Merchiston Campus of Edinburgh Napier University in Edinburgh; however, the post‐holder may be stationed at one of the other University campuses at Craiglockhart or Sighthill.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) is looking for a real people-person – someone who is a great communicator and super-organised – to help us improve the student experience for our 19,000 members based in Edinburgh and around the world.

More specifically, we need an exceptional communicator able to write engaging copy to help our Comms Team reach more students, someone who will work with our Elected Officers to deliver exciting events and activities for students throughout the year and who can help us grow our commercial income.

If you’re a marketing and events specialist with a passion for improving the student experience and relish the idea of working in a friendly, fast-paced, ever-changing environment, we’d like to hear from you. Please check the Job Description PDF for full details and a person specification.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) is looking for someone who has a passion for working with students, who will facilitate the support and growth of a wide range of extracurricular activities – both sports and societies – to enhance the student experience. More specifically, we need someone who is well-organised with good admin and communication skills, someone with experience of sports development who enjoys working with people. If you relish the idea of working in a friendly, fast-paced, ever-changing environment, we’d like to hear from you.

Please see the job description and person specification below for information.

Make a difference to the lives of students – become an External Lay Director for ENSA

ENSA is an independent, registered charity that exists to enable students to make the most of their university experience. Our three Elected Officers serve as champions for students, ensuring they are properly represented and have access to sports and societies, advice and support, training and events.

We have a strong Board with existing expertise in the areas of human resources, governance and policy development. We’re now looking for two new Directors who are enthusiastic and committed, who believe that a great university experience can be truly transformational for students. Could this be you?

We welcome applications from people from a broad range of professional backgrounds.

We require one of our new Directors to have a strong finance background to serve as our named Treasurer and Convenor of our Finance and Risk Committee.

This is a voluntary, unremunerated position, though reasonable travel expenses will be paid. The Board meets six times a year, usually in the evening with a mixture of in-person and virtual meetings. It also has two committees and Directors are expected to serve on one of them: an HR Committee and a Finance and Risk Committee, both of which meet online.

Time commitment is approximately 6 hours a month, including preparing for meetings.

The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for ENSA’s governance, for upholding its values and aligning it to the Association’s charitable aims. It aspires constantly to improve standards of governance and good practice. It also sets the overall strategic direction for ENSA and evaluates progress towards objectives.

For more information about ENSA, see our 2021-22 Impact Report.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association exists to enable students to make the most of their university experience. We do this by representing, supporting and developing Edinburgh Napier students to be successful in their studies; to try out new things; to engage in, and contribute to, university life; to be healthy and happy; to bring about positive change; and to have fun.

We are looking for an organised, enthusiastic and customer-focused admin assistant to work within our Student Communities and Engagement Team to support the smooth running of our sports clubs and societies and to assist with events. If you have an eye for detail, enjoy a challenge and would like to work in a friendly and fast-paced organisation, we’d love to hear from you.

Please see the Job Description PDF for more information.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) is looking for a real people-person – someone who is engaging and energetic – a great communicator and super-organised – to help us improve the student experience for our 19,000 members based in Edinburgh and around the world. More specifically, we need someone who will work with our Elected Officers to deliver exciting events and campaigns for students throughout the year and who can help us grow our commercial income.

If you have a passion for improving the student experience and relish the idea of working in a friendly, fast-paced, ever-changing environment, we’d like to hear from you.

Note that this post may be worked full time (five days a week) or part time (four days a week).

Please see the job description (PDF) for more information.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) is looking for someone to help us improve the student experience for our 20,000 members.

More specifically, we need someone who will work with our Elected Officers to deliver exciting events and campaigns for students throughout the year and who can help us grow our commercial income.

To be successful in this role, you will need to have experience delivering large and small-scale events and be flexible, resilient and organised.

If you have a passion for improving the student experience and relish the idea of working in a friendly, fast-paced, ever-changing environment – no two days are ever alike! – we'd like to hear from you.

Note that this post may be worked full time (five days a week) or part time (four days a week), with some home working permitted in consultation with the line manager.

Please see the job description (PDF) for more information and the person specification.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) exists to improve the student experience for our 20,000 members in Edinburgh and around the globe.

As we expand our Advice Service, we are looking for a real people-person – someone who is organised, articulate and empathetic to provide high-quality, professional, student-focused advice and guidance on academic and welfare issues; and to support and empower students through University processes and procedures.

Note that this post may be worked full time (five days a week) or part time (four days a week with pay and holidays adjusted).

Please see the job description and person specification (PDF) for more information.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) exists to enable students to make the most of their university experience.

We are looking for an experienced and customer-focused Administrator to work within our Student Engagement Team to support the smooth running of sports clubs and societies and to assist our Finance Officer in carrying out payroll and HR functions.

Why join ENSA as the Student Activities Administrator?

You get to support our sports clubs – there are 26 of them, including American Football, Archery, Hockey, Surf and Volleyball – and our 32 societies, including Chamber Choir, Doctor Who, Formula Student (they build a Formula 1 race car!) and the International Society. You’ll also get to work with a team of professionals who are all committed to helping Edinburgh Napier students make the most of their university experience.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Spec (PDF) for more information.

*Location: You will normally be based at ENSA’s main office on the Merchiston Campus with some travel to the Sighthill and Craiglockhart campuses. If business needs change, you may be asked to work regularly at one of the satellite offices. Some home working is allowed (up to two days a week) with the permission of the line manager.

**ENSA employees are currently on a 36.25 hour work week; however, this will be reduced to 35 hours from 1 July.

Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) exists to enable students to make the most of their university experience. We do this by representing, supporting and developing Edinburgh Napier students to be successful in their studies; to try out new things; to engage in, and contribute to, university life; to be healthy and happy; to bring about positive change; and to have fun.

As Head of Representation and Leadership Development you will empower students to shape their university experience through facilitating representation and democratic processes; support Elected Officers to ensure the student voice is heard; develop students to be effective leaders and contributors; and promote student opportunities.

• Location: You will normally be based at ENSA’s main office on the Merchiston Campus with travel between the Sighthill and Craiglockhart campuses. If business needs change, you may be asked to work regularly at one of the satellite offices. Some home working is permitted (up to two days a week or as business needs allow) with the permission of the line manager.

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification PDF below for more information.