Democracy Coordinator
Salary £ 12.71 per hour (plus holiday pay)
Preston
Vacancy listed 08/10/2026
Application deadline 26/10/2026
Details
Role Summary: 
 
The Democracy Coordinator will help ensure students are at the heart of decision-making across the Union. You'll coordinate our democratic processes, ensuring they are accessible, transparent, and impactful. 
 
Working closely with student leaders and our Union staff teams, you'll champion meaningful student participation, helping students shape the issues that matter most to them. You'll support the delivery of elections and formal democratic structures, oversee the development and implementation of Union policy, and use engagement data and insight to identify opportunities to strengthen student influence. 
 
As the Union's expert on democratic procedures and byelaws, you'll ensure our processes are well-managed and understood, while working collaboratively across the organisation to bring democracy to life through effective communication, connecting with community organising, and developing student engagement initiatives.  
 
Ultimately, you'll help bridge formal democracy and everyday student voice, ensuring students can see the impact of their participation and the change it creates.

Role Responsibilities & Duties: 
 
Democratic Processes 
  • Help to coordinate the planning, delivery and administration of democratic processes, including elections, referenda, and petitions. 
  • Ensure democratic activities are delivered in accordance with governing documents, policies, and relevant legislation.  
  • Maintain accurate records and documentation relating to democratic activity.  
  • Help administrate the Union's student elections, supporting the Deputy Returning Officer to deliver free, fair and accessible election processes. 
  • Organise and support meetings of democratic decision-making bodies, including Students’ Council, Student Assemblies and Annual Members’ Meetings.  Prepare agendas, papers, briefing materials, and procedural guidance. 
  • Work with the Director of Membership Voice to ensure outcomes from democratic processes are appropriately communicated to the Board of Trustees, particularly where trustee consideration, approval or ratification is required. 
  • Collaborate with elected representatives to identify barriers to participation and develop initiatives that encourage a diverse range of students to engage with the Union's democratic processes. 
  • Identify opportunities to connect student concerns, campaigns and emerging issues with appropriate democratic processes, ensuring community-led activity can effectively drive change within the Union and University.

Student Policy and Voice 
  • Coordinate the Union's policy process, ensuring policies are accurately maintained, transparent, and progressed through agreed procedures.  
  • Champion policy development by supporting students and elected representatives to propose, debate and implement policy.  
  • Support the development of clear pathways for students involved in campaigns, community organising and student-led initiatives to influence Union policy and decision-making. 
  • Work with Student Achievement Services to moderate and develop discussions on the Student Voice Platform, identifying emerging issues and opportunities for action.  
  • Ensure key student issues and feedback are shared effectively with representatives, staff teams and decision-makers. 

Engagement & Communication 
  • Coordinate initiatives that encourage participation in democratic activities and representative structures.  
  • Work collaboratively with the Community Engagement Team to strengthen links between community organising activity, student groups and formal democratic structures. 
  • Work with elected representatives to promote and increase student participation in democratic opportunities, supporting students to engage. 
  • Work with the Communications Team to bring democratic processes to life, ensuring students understand how decisions are made and the impact of their involvement.  
  • Develop creative approaches to connect formal democracy with wider community organising and student engagement activity.  
  • Support campaigns and activities that increase awareness of democratic opportunities across the student body. 
 
Insight & Reporting 
  • Collaborate with the Insight & Influence Coordinator to ensure student voice and feedback captured through democratic spaces is captured in our insight. 
  • Analyse participation and engagement data relating to elections, democratic activities and student voice mechanisms.  
  • Monitor trends in student engagement and identify opportunities to improve participation and inclusivity across democratic processes.
 
General to all staff  
  • On occasion, there way be some evening and weekend working which notice will be given. 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. 
 
Person Specification: 
Qualifications
  • Educated or working towards a higher education level.   Or able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience in administration, governance, engagement, project coordination, community development, or membership-based organisations.

Experience 
  • Experience working collaboratively as part of a team. 
  • Experience of coordinating projects, events, meetings, campaigns or activities involving multiple stakeholders. 
  • Experience working within democratic processes, representation, student voice, community organising or membership-based organisations. 
  • Experience of engaging, supporting or working with volunteers, representatives, students, members or similar groups 
  • Experience of working or volunteering within Students’ Union democracy, student representation or student voice structures. 
  • Experience supporting elections, governance meetings or formal decision-making processes. 

Knowledge & Skills 
  • Understanding of governance, constitutions, byelaws or policy development processes within charities. 
  • Excellent organisational  and administrative skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, while maintaining a strong attention to detail. 
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain processes clearly to a range of audiences. 
  • Ability to build positive working relationships with students, elected representatives, and colleagues. 
  • Ability to facilitate participation and encourage engagement from a diverse range of people. 
  • Understanding of the importance of inclusive engagement and removing barriers to participation. 
  • Ability to interpret procedures and apply them consistently and fairly. 
  • Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively as part of a team. 
  • Experience of using data and insight to inform decision-making and improve engagement. 
  • Awareness of the role of student governance, representation and policy within higher education. 
  • Ability to apply equality, diversity and inclusion principles to decision making.
 
Personal Qualities 
  • Fair, impartial and able to make objective judgements and hold confidentiality when necessary. 
  • Commitment to student-led decision-making and empowering others.  
  • Commitment to principles of equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility.  
  • A collaborative and approachable working style.  
  • Proactive and solutions-focused, with a willingness to challenge and improve existing processes.  
  • Commitment to transparency, fairness and accountability. 
  • Enthusiastic about helping students create positive change within the Union and University.  
Benefits

This role is for 21 hours per week in term-time only.

apply