Academic Representation Manager (HISA)

Vacancy at Highlands and Islands Students' Association

Academic Representation Manager

The work type is hybrid with ad-hoc contact time in-person with Students and participation at Welcome week/ Elections & Summer Residential Training. Some occasional travel to UHI locations required.

Vacancy listed28/10/2026

Details

Main purpose of the role The main purpose of this role is to lead operational delivery of the Student Voice Representative (SVR) system, which involves over 500 student volunteers within courses representing the views of their classmates on learning and the wider student experience to make impacts and enhancements on student life at UHI. The post involves responsibility for all aspects of the SVR system over the academic cycle, including the effective recruitment, training and support of SVRs and the engagement of them in meaningful conversations and reports about the enhancement of learning. The role aims to ensure that lecturers and academic staff continue to engage and promote the SVR system to their students and learners.

The postholder is required to work with a range of HISA colleagues where they don't have direct line management responsibility. They will need to foster and take responsibility for developing effective relationships that ensure the SVR system is delivering and that elected Student Officers and local Engagement Coordinators are working to support engagement, participation and reporting. The role can be delivered remotely although regular travel across the UHI partnership is required. In conjunction with the Director of Student Engagement & Representation they will be responsible for liaising with UHI's management and senior staff responsible for academic quality across the Partnership.

Headline responsibilities relating to Academic Representation & our Student Voice Representation system

1. Responsible for operational delivery and development of a successful and impactful Student Voice Representative (SVR) system within HISA and UHI.
2. Ensure the success and impact of the SVR system within quality assurance and enhancement requirements in UHI.
3. Support the Vice-President Education, within their remit ensuring induction and on-going support to allow them to confidently participate within the UHI quality framework.
4. With the Director of Student Engagement and Representation and Vice-President Education, develop effective and impactful relationships with key staff across UHI who work with the SVR system, including a range of management, governance, academic and support staff.
5. With senior management and other staff, ensure synergy and coherence between practice in the SVR system and other voluntary roles supported by HISA such as club and society committee roles.
6. Engage sectorally in learning and sharing on effective practice in academic representative systems to enhance HISA's practice and contribute to internal and external quality activity (Student Partnerships in Quality Scotland, Quality Assurance Agency and other Students' Associations).
7. Contribute to wider approaches to our academic representation beyond the Student Voice Rep system, such as engagement with subject areas, key quality processes, and curriculum areas.

Responsibilities for the SVR lifecycle

1. Ensuring a clear recruitment process, including communication and guidance to local teams and UHI as well as underpinning technical systems are in place.
2. Developing a clear process for recording SVRs in our records and SITS (UHI Student Records), including their basic information and key achievements/attendances, aligning with our own and UHI's operational requirements and capacities and relevant data protection obligations.
3. Coordinating all elements of SVR training, including design, delivery, evaluation and enhancement. Undertake training of Student Officers as part of Summer Residential and induction.
4. Delivering a programme of SVR meetings and engagements, including templates, resources and guidance for local or combined SVR meetings across the partnership.
5. Allied to the above, management of communication and online collaboration spaces for SVRs, including the ability to update SVRs on key issues and engage them in discussions by campus, subject area or other groupings.
6. Production and analysis of data outputs and other reportsincluding key information and statistics (for instance about our recruitment coverage) and reports for institutional committees, quality assurance and enhancement processes, and our own publicity and celebration of impact such as through our channels of external communication.
7. Developing approaches to recognition and reward, including training certification, SVR Impact Awards or other approaches.

General responsibilities

The exact responsibilities will change from time to time and the postholder is required to undertake any additional duties are deemed appropriate to the role.

All employees are expected to work within the ethos of the students' association and strive to achieve the following:

• a) Be enthusiastic advocates for student leadership and the organisation's values:
• a. Student-driven
• b. Supportive
• c. Sustainable
• d. Inclusive
• b) Promote a positive and professional image of the Association to its members, customers, stakeholders and other external organisations.
• c) Actively engage in student-facing projects and activities of all kinds as required.
• d) Work at all time within relevant legislation as well as structures, policies and procedures.
• e) Work co-operatively with other Association staff and Student Officers as appropriate, as well as relevant organisations.
• f) Adhere to the highest standards, especially of customer service and safety.
• g) Undertake necessary training and development and to attend all meetings as requested.
• h) Positively contribute to the organisation's ethical and environmental ethos.
• i) It may be necessary for the postholder to work out of hours on occasion e.g. to cover events and extended office opening hours. A system of time off in lieu will operate to cover this.
• j) Occasional travel between campuses might be expected. This post undertakes regulated work with children and vulnerable adults, therefore membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme is required as a condition of employment.

If you have additional questions about this role, please email Simon Varwell, Director of Student Engagement & Representation,

Generous annual leave: 28 days plus statutory public / bank holidays as well as a gifted winter holiday break of three to four days each December
Enhanced leave beyond statutory requirements to support your parental or caring responsibilities
Family friendly policies
Training and Development related to your role