Global Student Advisor
Who are we?
We are Manchester Students’ Union, the biggest SU in the country, supporting over 48,000 students throughout their time at university. We help to make student life the best it can be by supporting students to campaign for change, creating opportunities to meet new people, providing employment opportunities, providing advice and support and being a safe place on campus.
We are a values-centred organisation that employs around 90 permanent, full-time members of staff. We recruit a wide range of roles throughout the year within all our departments from our Commercial team operating Manchester Academy Venues, 13 Media, Bar 532 & Kitchen and Corridor Coffee to our Student Activities, Student Engagement, Marketing and Communications, Finance, HR and Facilities teams. Our team of around 400 part-time, studying staff are instrumental in providing to support to all departments as well as leading major projects like Student Angels. When you join UMSU, you’ll be immersed in an environment that empowers staff to make great things happen and we're always on the lookout for innovative, passionate, and proactive people to join us.
Our values are really important to us and shape the work that we do every day. As part of our recruitment process, we want you to demonstrate how your experiences, behaviours and skills align with our values. You can find more detailed explanations of our values on our website.
About the role
Are you passionate about improving the experience of international students at our university? Do you want to help shape policies, services, and activities that directly affect the student community? We’re looking for 30 enthusiastic international students from a wide range of nationalities, backgrounds, and study levels to join the brand-new Global Student Advisory Board.
What is the Global Student Advisory Board?
The Board is a group of student staff members who work in partnership with the Students’ Union and University to improve the international student experience. Members share insights, raise concerns, co-design initiatives, and ensure that diverse student voices are heard in decision-making.
Please note that while this is a paid opportunity, it will only be around 5 hours of work per semester.
What will you do?
As a Board Member, you will:
- Attend regular meetings (around 6 per year) to discuss key issues affecting international students
- Provide feedback and suggestions based on your own experiences and those of your peers
- Help shape welcome activities, support services, community-building initiatives, and communication with international students
- Work collaboratively with fellow Board members and staff to identify priorities and propose solutions
- Contribute to a positive, inclusive, and representative international student community
No previous committee or ambassador experience is needed – we value enthusiasm, insight, and willingness to engage.
Who are we looking for?
We aim to bring together 30 students representing a wide mix of nationalities and study backgrounds. You might be new to the university or have been here for years – what matters is your commitment to making a difference.
You will be a good fit if you:
- Care about enhancing the international student experience
- Enjoy thinking creatively and critically about challenges
- Are comfortable sharing ideas and listening to others
- Can manage your time, prepare for meetings, and follow through on actions
- Want to collaborate with a supportive, diverse team of students and staff
For full details, please refer to the Global Student Advisor Role Profile.
Time commitment
This role is flexible and designed to fit alongside your studies. Most meetings will take place during term-time and are scheduled with student availability in mind.
How to Apply
To apply, you will need to submit a 500-word statement explaining:
- What motivates you to join the Global Student Advisory Board
- How your skills, experiences, and personal qualities make you a good fit for the Board
Please refer to the Role Profile and in particular the Essential Criteria to inform your answer.
Representing a Nationality
We aim to appoint around 30 students, with each member representing a different nationality. To represent a particular nationality, you must be a recognised citizen of that country. As part of your application, you will be asked to confirm which nationality you wish to represent.
We expect that when you select a nationality to represent you are doing so in good faith and are genuinely able to offer an authentic perspective from that country. This typically means having lived experience that enables you to speak confidently and accurately about the student experience associated with that nationality.
To ensure the Board reflects the diversity of our international community, applications will be assessed on merit, while also taking nationality into account. Only one student per nationality will be appointed in order to support a balanced and representative Board.
If you have any questions about the recruitment process, or which nationality you can represent, please contact us at international.su@manchester.ac.uk.
Please read the full role profile before applying, as well as our guide to recruitment.
Details
Wage: £12.60 per hour + holiday pay
Contract: Zero Hours, Fixed-Term until July 2026
Hours: Approximately 5 hours per term during term time, with each board meeting being 2 hours, plus half an hour of preparation. Potential to increase the number of meetings depending on engagement and productivity.
Eligibility: Applications are open to all current students at the University of Manchester, at all degree levels, who are eligible to work in the UK.
Our Reward Package
You'll get access to our reward package which you can see here.
Recruitment Guide
We have a guide that explains our full recruitment process. We recommend reading through this before beginning an application.
If you are invited to interview with us, we will share our interview questions in advance so you can prepare your responses. We’re more interested in hearing about your experiences and ideas than in testing your memory, and so we want you to feel as prepared as possible.
AI Use
GenAI tools, like ChatGPT, are revolutionising how we approach a whole host of tasks at work. As a future-focused employer, we believe in embracing, not banning, these tools. However, as with all tech, some ways of using it are better than others. You can use GenAI to refine and articulate your ideas. It’s a tool to help structure your thoughts and improve clarity, not to replace your unique voice and experiences. Please don’t just copy and paste what AI tells you to write.
We recommend you read our guide on how to approach the use of AI within our recruitment process:
Inclusivity and Accessibility
We are committed to equality of opportunity, and we work hard to ensure we appoint based on skill and values.
We particularly encourage applications from Disabled or Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African candidates as these groups are currently underrepresented in our staff team.
If you have any accessibility requirements or require adjustments to support you to apply to work with us, please get in touch. We can offer reasonable adjustments at all stages of our recruitment process.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. Under this scheme, we aim to offer an interview to candidates who declare a disability and meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. Minimum criteria are marked with an asterisk on the person specification. However, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or peak recruitment times (i.e. July, August and September), it may not always be possible to guarantee an interview for every eligible candidate. In such cases, we will take steps to ensure that the process remains fair, consistent, and inclusive.
Recruitment Timeline
Applications opened: 28/11/2025
Applications close: 12/12/2025 23:59PM
We may close applications early if we receive a high volume of applications. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Once the vacancy has closed, we’re unable to accept late applications to ensure a fair process for all candidates.
Contact
People Team:
You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.
Email: jobs.su@manchester.ac.uk
Phone: 0161 306 3279
Hiring Manager: suzi.pettitt@manchester.ac.uk
You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.