Vacancy at University of Lancashire Students' Union
Student Researcher
Salary
£ 12.71 ph - Term Time Only
Vacancy listed
05/10/2026
Application deadline
18/10/2026
Details
Department: Insight and Influence
Reports to: Insight and Influence Coordinator
Pay band and salary range: £12.71 per hour (plus holiday pay) Term-Time Only 12.5 Hours Per Week
Reports to: Insight and Influence Coordinator
Pay band and salary range: £12.71 per hour (plus holiday pay) Term-Time Only 12.5 Hours Per Week
Role summary:
As a Student Researcher, you’ll play a key role in supporting creative and inclusive research projects that explore the diverse experiences of your fellow students. You’ll help gather and analyse valuable insights using a variety of innovative methods, ensuring that every student’s voice, especially those often unheard, is captured.
As a Student Researcher, you’ll play a key role in supporting creative and inclusive research projects that explore the diverse experiences of your fellow students. You’ll help gather and analyse valuable insights using a variety of innovative methods, ensuring that every student’s voice, especially those often unheard, is captured.
Working closely with the Students’ Union team and student communities, you’ll contribute to meaningful reports and presentations that directly influence Union activities and university decisions. This role offers a fantastic chance to develop your research skills, gain real-world experience, and make a positive impact on student life.
Key responsibilities
Creative and Insightful Research
o Support the design and delivery of creative research projects that explore the experiences of different student communities.
o Use a range of methods - including surveys, interviews, focus groups, visual storytelling, mapping, journaling, and other innovative approaches - to help gather meaningful insights.
oPlay an active role in ensuring the research includes and amplifies voices that are often underrepresented or overlooked.
Data Analysis and Insight Sharing
o Help analyse the information collected to identify key themes, patterns and stories.
o Contribute to the creation of engaging reports, visuals and presentations that inform Students’ Union priorities and actions.
Collaboration and Inclusion
o Work alongside Students’ Union staff, elected student representatives, and student communities to support research projects and share findings
o Help ensure all research is inclusive, ethical and shaped by students’ experiences and needs
o Support the design and delivery of creative research projects that explore the experiences of different student communities.
o Use a range of methods - including surveys, interviews, focus groups, visual storytelling, mapping, journaling, and other innovative approaches - to help gather meaningful insights.
oPlay an active role in ensuring the research includes and amplifies voices that are often underrepresented or overlooked.
Data Analysis and Insight Sharing
o Help analyse the information collected to identify key themes, patterns and stories.
o Contribute to the creation of engaging reports, visuals and presentations that inform Students’ Union priorities and actions.
Collaboration and Inclusion
o Work alongside Students’ Union staff, elected student representatives, and student communities to support research projects and share findings
o Help ensure all research is inclusive, ethical and shaped by students’ experiences and needs
Specific duties and activities
In this role, you will be part of turning student voices into real change across the university, acting with courage to explore what matters most to them. You will help build a more connected, inclusive, and active student community, approaching each conversation with curiosity not judgment and keeping people at the heart of the work. This is a new role, so you will have the chance to shape how it works and bring joy to the process.
Designing and Preparing Research
• Contribute ideas for research questions and topics that explore different aspects of student life, even if they challenge existing assumptions, showing courage in what you ask and why.
• Help develop clear and accessible research tools such as surveys, interview questions, and creative activity prompts, ensuring you deliver on agreed plans.
• Pilot research methods with small student groups to check clarity and inclusivity before wider use, staying open to feedback with curiosity rather than judgment.
• Help develop clear and accessible research tools such as surveys, interview questions, and creative activity prompts, ensuring you deliver on agreed plans.
• Pilot research methods with small student groups to check clarity and inclusivity before wider use, staying open to feedback with curiosity rather than judgment.
Gathering Student Experiences
• Facilitate or support focus groups, interviews, and workshops, creating a welcoming and respectful environment that prioritises joy in the process as well as the outcome.
• Use a variety of approaches including surveys, mapping, journaling, and visual storytelling to collect insights in ways that make it easy for students to share their experiences.
• Reach out to a wide range of students, including those who may not usually take part in SU activities, acting with courage to engage communities who are often overlooked.
• Record and document findings accurately, following agreed processes for consent and confidentiality, and always doing what you say you will.
• Use a variety of approaches including surveys, mapping, journaling, and visual storytelling to collect insights in ways that make it easy for students to share their experiences.
• Reach out to a wide range of students, including those who may not usually take part in SU activities, acting with courage to engage communities who are often overlooked.
• Record and document findings accurately, following agreed processes for consent and confidentiality, and always doing what you say you will.
Making Sense of Findings
•Assist in analysing data, identifying recurring themes, key issues, and illustrative stories, approaching the work with curiosity to uncover what might not be immediately visible.
•Select and present impactful student quotes or examples that keep the human experience at the centre of the findings.
• Support the creation of reports, infographics, and presentations that clearly share the research outcomes, making them engaging and accessible to different audiences.
•Select and present impactful student quotes or examples that keep the human experience at the centre of the findings.
• Support the creation of reports, infographics, and presentations that clearly share the research outcomes, making them engaging and accessible to different audiences.
Working Collaboratively
• Attend team meetings and planning sessions to share progress and ideas, listening without judgment and responding with curiosity.
•Work alongside elected student representatives and SU communities to co-design and test research activities, ensuring collaboration remains enjoyable and purposeful.
•Help ensure findings are shared back with participants so they can see the impact of their contributions, keeping the process human and accountable.
•Work alongside elected student representatives and SU communities to co-design and test research activities, ensuring collaboration remains enjoyable and purposeful.
•Help ensure findings are shared back with participants so they can see the impact of their contributions, keeping the process human and accountable.
Additional Points:
• Sometimes, this role will be expected to work outside of core hours to fulfil its purpose, such as delivering evening training sessions or facilitating meetings of student groups/communities.
General to all staff
•The principal roles and responsibilities will change from time to time and the post holder is required to undertake any additional duties as deemed appropriate.
•Staff must always adopt and endorse the Unions Vision and Mission Statement and all supporting policies, across all aspects of the role.
• Staff are required to have a Personal Development plan and to participate in training, meetings or conferences considered relevant to their job.
• Staff must carry out their duties with full regard to the rules policies and procedures and conditions of service contained in the staff handbook.
• To abide by the Unions policies and procedures.
• To adhere to all health and safety legislation.
• To undertake any other task that is deemed reasonable within your skill set.
•Staff must always adopt and endorse the Unions Vision and Mission Statement and all supporting policies, across all aspects of the role.
• Staff are required to have a Personal Development plan and to participate in training, meetings or conferences considered relevant to their job.
• Staff must carry out their duties with full regard to the rules policies and procedures and conditions of service contained in the staff handbook.
• To abide by the Unions policies and procedures.
• To adhere to all health and safety legislation.
• To undertake any other task that is deemed reasonable within your skill set.
Personal Specification
Qualifications/Training
Current Student at the University of Lancashire
Current Student at the University of Lancashire
- Essential
- Assessed: Application
Knowledge & Experience
Awareness of key issues affecting students in higher education
Awareness of key issues affecting students in higher education
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Understanding of the value of lived experience of people from underrepresented communities
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Experience with creative or participatory research methods such as storytelling, collage, games, mapping, or photovoice
- Desirable
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Experience supporting group discussions, interviews, or similar activities
- Desirable
- Assessed: Application and Interview
Skills & Qualities
Strong emotional intelligence, including empathy, active listening and the ability to navigate sensitive conversations with care
Strong emotional intelligence, including empathy, active listening and the ability to navigate sensitive conversations with care
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Able to build trust with others and create safe, inclusive environments for participation
- Essential
- Assessed: Interview
- Good organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to prioritise workload and manage own time
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Ability and confidence to communicate effectively with a diverse group of people, using both written and verbal communication skills
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Competent in the use of digital platforms and software including Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office and social media
- Essential
- Assessed: Application
- Confidence using tools such as Power BI, Excel, Canva or Miro, or willingness to learn
- Desirable
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Able to maintain up-to-date knowledge on current and key affairs, both social and political, which impact Lancashire students
- Desirable
- Assessed: Application and Interview
Values & Behaviours
Commitment to inclusive, emotionally intelligent leadership, leading with curiosity, care and a willingness to reflect
Commitment to inclusive, emotionally intelligent leadership, leading with curiosity, care and a willingness to reflect
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Interest in understanding and improving the student experience
- Essential
- Assessed: Interview
- Commitment to creating an environment that promotes equality of opportunity whilst recognising and valuing diversity
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- A flexible, positive and solution-focused attitude
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Commitment to working as a proactive member of a team
- Essential
- Assessed: Application and Interview
- Displays and embodies the University of Lancashire Students’ Union values
- Essential
- Assessed: Interview
Union Values
- Acting with courage: Willingness to speak up on tough topics with care and respect, encouraging a culture of standing up for what’s right.
- Prioritising Joy: Embracing fun and light-hearted moments, creating a welcoming environment and celebrating successes together.
- Doing what we say we will: Clear and consistent follow-through on commitments, setting realistic goals and proactively addressing challenges.
- Curiosity not judgement: Approaching new ideas with curiosity, welcoming different perspectives and being open to learning.
- Staying Human: Communicating openly and honestly, respecting personal boundaries and showing compassion during tough times.