At a glance

Position

External Trustee: People & Culture

Responsible to

Board of Trustees; Charity Commission

Salary

Unremunerated voluntary position but qualifies for reasonable expenses in line with Students’ Union expenses policy.

Period of Office

3 Years, 2 terms

Key Relations

Sabbatical Trustees, Student Trustees, External (Lay) Trustees, Chief Executive Officer, Head of Business and Finance, Head of Membership Services, Governance and Administration Manager.

Reasons to become our Trustee

Vibrant, People-focused, Collaborative

Students’ Unions are unlike any other organisation — they’re dynamic, fast-paced, and constantly evolving to reflect their membership. No two days are ever the same: one moment we are supporting a major student campaign, the next we are celebrating student wins. We’re vibrant, people-focused - a place where creativity and collaboration thrive, and where every idea has the potential to make a real difference to student life.

Make A Difference

Being one of our Trustees means you’ll help set our direction to ensure we achieve our charitable mission. You’ll play a key role in making sure we’re well-run, financially secure, and focused on delivering positive change for its members. Every decision you make contributes to a legacy of improving the student experience.

Contribute Your Skills, Enhance Your Knowledge

Being one of our Trustees is a brilliant opportunity to gain real-world experience in leadership, governance, and strategy. You’ll work alongside both student and external trustees, gaining insights into how charities operate and learning how to make decisions at board level. It’s experience that looks great on a CV — but more importantly, it’s a chance to contribute your expertise.

Broaden Your Network

Trustees come from different backgrounds, but all share one goal: making the Students’ Union the best it can be. You’ll collaborate with staff and student leaders to ensure the Union stays true to its values and purpose, balancing ambition with accountability. It’s a rewarding, team-driven role where your perspective genuinely matters.

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Download our Trustee Pack

Becoming one of our trustees is an amazing opportunity to develop yourself, contribute your skills, and help out a great cause. Download our Become Our Trustee booklet where we deepdive into what we are all about, and check out the Trustee Personal Specification for all the role details.

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Main Responsibilities

1. Ensuring that the work of the Students’ Union reflects its aims, mission and values and is of benefit to all students at UWTSD.
2. Determining the overall strategic direction of the Students’ Union and develop the organisation in line with the principles of good governance.
3. Assisting the development of the Students’ Union by overseeing clear strategic planning based on a coherent understanding of the environment in which the organisation operates.
4. Ensuring that the Students’ Union operates in an effective, responsible and accountable manner within the legal and financial requirements of a charitable organisation.
5. Maintaining sound financial oversight and control of funds and resources to ensure that the organisation remains viable.

Specific Duties

1. Attending at least five meetings of the Trustee Board per academic year. Options for attendance include by electronic means with one meeting in person (year-end meeting in June each year).
2. In conjunction with other Board members, setting the direction for staff and make decisions on matters relating to the strategy, policy, financing, and functioning of the Students’ Union.
3. In conjunction with other Board members, setting strategic objectives for, and review the work of, the Students’ Union Chief Executive.
4. Participating in the recruitment of Board members and Students’ Union staff as required.
5. Undertaking induction and any other training identified to support you to carry out the above duties.
6. Reading thoroughly in advance of meetings all papers sent out for discussion and prepare ideas and contributions.
7. Monitoring the performance of the Students’ Union using key performance indicators, project reports and management accounts.
8. Participating in sub-committees and project groups relevant to your expertise (3 meetings per year of the People & Culture Committee).
9. Being involved in matters of appeals as required by the governing document.
10. Promoting the values and work of the Students’ Union, and act in its best interests, at all times.
11. Ensuring that the Students’ Union operates in an effective, responsible, and accountable manner within the legal and financial requirements of a charitable organisation.

Person specification

The ideal candidate for this role will bring the following qualities, skills, and experience:

1. HR Management Experience: Possess Human Resources Management experience within similar-sized organisations. A CIPD certified qualification is desirable. Commercial acumen will be hugely beneficial for this role.
2. Comfortable with Mentoring Students: Should be comfortable providing mentorship and guidance to students, fostering their personal and professional development within the organisation.
3. Enthusiasm for Organisational Values: Demonstrate a genuine enthusiasm for the democratic, participative, and student-led nature of UWTSD.
4. Independent Judgement: Exhibit the ability to make and express independent judgements when necessary, considering the best interests of the organisation and its members.
5. Strategic Thinking: Capable of thinking strategically and contributing to the longterm development and success of the Students’ Union.
6. Understanding of Trustee Role: Demonstrate an understanding of the role of an External Trustee, including legal and financial responsibilities (although full training is provided).
7. Awareness of Societal Inequality: Exhibit an understanding of issues related to societal inequality.
8. Team Collaboration: Demonstrate the ability to work effectively as a member of a team with diverse levels of experience, fostering collaboration and inclusivity.
9. Engagement and Activities Development: Bring innovative ideas and strategies for increasing student engagement and developing membership-led activities, contributing to a vibrant student community.

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Location and times

The Board meets four to six times per year. The sub-committee meets up to three times per year. All these meetings can be held virtually, with the exception of one in-person Board meeting on a UWTSD site.

Board Meetings

1. Thursday 16 October from 17:15
2. Tuesday 9 December from 13:00
3. Wednesday 18 February from 17:15
4. Thursday 21 April from 17:15
5. Friday 25 June from 14:00 – in-person, rotating between campus locations each year All meetings are held online via Microsoft Teams unless otherwise specified.

People & Culture Committee Meetings

1. Thursday 6 November from 5:15pm
2. Thursday 16 April from 5:15pm
3. Tuesday 11 June from 5:15pm

However, if the chair would prefer meetings to be held over a lunch time rather than after the ‘regular’ 9am to 5pm this can be facilitated. All meetings are held online via Microsoft Teams unless otherwise specified.

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Terms of appointment

This role is unremunerated, and reasonable, pre-agreed domestic travel expenses will be reimbursed. Board meetings last for approximately three hours with papers being shared the week prior for reading and preparation. Sub-committee meetings last about an hour. We are flexible with timings and all meetings are minuted and recorded if people want to catch up due to missed meetings.

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Appointment Process

Applications are made via email. Send your CV to our Governance and Administration Manager at laura.smart@uwtsd.ac.uk by 17:00 on Monday 05th January 2026. 

Shortlisting of potential candidates will be completed between the 6th -10th January 2026

Interviews are scheduled for the week commencing 19th January 2026  and held online via Microsoft Teams.

We will always get in touch to let you know the outcome of your application.

We will select a group of the most suitable candidates to present to the appointments committee, who will then be able to view the full application. The appointment committee will be made up of at least 1 Lay Trustee, 1 Student Trustee and 1 Sabbatical Trustee. 

The successful applicant will be formally appointed at the Board of Trustees scheduled for the 25th February 2026. The successful applicant will be expected to attend that meeting. 

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Eligibility

You need to meet certain criteria in order to apply for a Trustee position; You must meet the Charity Commission’s eligibility rules for Trustees.

It is recommended that all applicants read the Charity Commission’s guide to being a trustee: The Essential Trustee: What you need to know, what you need to do.