Details
We are recruiting for multiple part-time organizer jobs to assist in promoting and administering the St Andrews Students’ Association’s General Elections. These positions offer an exciting opportunity to get in at the ground level with one of the most engaged student unions in the country and to make a significant difference in the lives of thousands of students by engaging directly with voters.
- Gain valuable training and experience in professional community organizing
- Gain valuable experience in elections advocacy
- Promote the student voice at the University of St Andrews
- Supported by an operations budget to help drive initiatives
- Gain transferable skills such as: marketing; public speaking; data analysis; campaign/project management; report writing; strategy; public engagement; written and oral communication; social media; and working as part of a team.
The Election Organisers, led and supported by the Union’s Staff Elections lead, will be responsible for encouraging candidates to stand in the Students’ Association Elections, and will be on the ground to help get out the vote on election days in March 2024.
The variable working hours reflect the timeline of Elections across the second semester – applicants must be flexible in this respect. In turn, the St Andrews Students’ Association is committed to giving flexible time off around deadlines and academic commitments wherever possible. Specific schedules will be discussed with the successful applicant.
Applicants can expect the week of 18 – 22 March 2024 and the week of 25 – 29 March to require the highest commitment in the role. (The job contract and responsibilities will conclude by the end of April 2024 at the latest).
The University of St Andrews Students’ Association is committed to promoting diversity and equality for all and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We particularly aim to include perspectives from people with disabilities, from BAME backgrounds, and those with diverse sexualities or marginalised gender identities.
Principal responsibilities of the job holder
- Educating students (and relevant staff) about Students’ Association Elections
- Mobilizing members of the university community around the Association Elections (e.g. through tabling, lecture announcements, and other channels)
- Encouraging impartial student participation in the Association Elections
- Distribution of election informational and promotional materials through a variety of channels (including face-to-face and through social media)
- Organising campaign events, such as candidate mixers, hustings, and debates
- Recruiting volunteers and soliciting participation from students (e.g. societies, sports clubs)
- Keeping records on campaign activities and assist in drafting an elections report
- Reporting regularly to the Staff Elections lead and taking on other election-related responsibilities as assigned.
Person specification
- Essential
- Experience in higher education (as student or staff)
- Ability to evaluate, analyse and synthesise information
- Experience in organising consistent engaging social media
- Strong interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to engage a diverse audience with comfort and confidence
- A passion for democratic processes and the student voice
- Ability to work cooperatively and individually on assigned projects
- A self-starter attitude with the ability to take initiative on individual projects
- Ability to attend in-person meetings/work in St Andrews
- Strong organisation skills, and attention to detail
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion principles
- Competency with the Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant software
- Adaptable and flexible
- Desirable
- Experience working within a student-leadership setting (e.g. as a representative or in a society leadership role)
- Experience leading on assigned projects
- Experience in recruiting volunteers and motivating people
- Knowledge of the Students’ Association, particularly the Student Representative Council and its primary functions
- Previous experience in voter engagement, canvassing, or non-partisan activism
- Event planning skills
- An outgoing approach and a willingness to learn
- Means of assessment
- Certificates, application letter, CV, interview
- Essential criteria
- Requirements without which a candidate would not be able to undertake the full remit of the role. Applicants who have not clearly demonstrated in their application that they possess the essential requirements will normally be rejected at the short listing stage.
- Desirable criteria
- Requirements which would be useful for the candidate to hold. When short listing, these criteria will be considered when more than one applicant meets the essential requirements.