sparqs is a charity funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), working with Scotland's university and college sectors. Its purpose is to ensure students are partners in shaping the quality of learning, making positive change to their own and others’ experience, however and wherever they learn. It aims to foster a culture of partnership between students and staff which enables the Scottish education sector to respond to challenges and realize its ambitions to provide the best possible experience for each and every student.

sparqs focuses on supporting all student voices to be heard, and for those voices to have a positive impact on learning, helping ensure all students, whatever their background, can access education, progress and achieve their potential. We identify settings where capturing the student voice will enhance decision-making, particularly where this voice is not currently heard well and where it will help address challenges such as transitions across the learner journey, widening access, inequalities and retention and success.

Trustee

We are looking for people who are committed to what we do and the values we hold to join our volunteer Board of Trustees to support the governance and strategic development of sparqs.

We would love to hear from candidates who have not taken on a Trustee role before as well as those with previous experience. A board benefits from valuable technical skills such as HR, Legal, and marketing but board members do not have to be senior professionals in such fields. Having a good knowledge of some of the issues a small charity might need to deal with in these areas and appropriate understanding of risk and where to seek help are equally valuable. Applicants could be early in their career as a HR or finance professional, for example, alongside having experience of being a student representative.

Working in a diverse sector and with diverse students, we are keen to receive applications from people of all backgrounds and with all different kinds of life experiences.

The board would benefit from applicants who have experience of one or more of the areas below (but not limited to):

• Small charity management and the needs of student led organisations,
• Student engagement within the University sector.
• Sources of funding, in an international setting post Brexit and/or expanding funding bases
• Post 16 education or similar fields in an international environment

Applicants may have other valuable skills not listed above.

sparqs is a charity working closely with Scotland's university and college sectors.

Our mission is to foster a culture of partnership between students and staff which enables the Scottish education sector to respond to challenges and realise its ambitions to provide the best possible experience for each and every student.

sparqs is an equal opportunity employer, where value and emphasis is focused on creating an inclusive and diverse workforce and culture.

The Role

We are seeking an enthusiastic, dedicated and committed individual to help contribute to our vision and strategy, and to deliver a range of activities, including (but not limited to) training, consultancy support and research and development projects.

During the pandemic we have embraced online working and have successfully delivered many events and training activities via online platforms. As we reassess our delivery methods moving forward, we expect to embed some of our learning from these approaches, while reintroducing the more traditional, face-to-face contact that we value.

During the coming year we will be concentrating on helping rebuild Scotland’s educational sector, ensuring our work protects and enhances the student learning experience across the sector. Widening access, supporting effective learner journeys, and shaping quality enhancement processes across the sector will be a key focus as we move forward.

The role normally involves frequent travel throughout Scotland and occasional international travel. Whilst some domestic and international travel is currently under significant restrictions, we do expect the frequency of travel for this role to resume to levels experienced before the COVID-19 pandemic.

About You

You will have a commitment to, and passion for, supporting the role of students in delivering key improvement initiatives within colleges and universities, and the student life they embrace. You should have an acceptable range of key skills, including excellent interpersonal skills, both written and verbal communication skills, and experience of delivering training or facilitating workshops.

Please refer to the Role Profile for further details about the post.