Student Engagement Manager

The Student Experience Directorate within the University of Southampton is a diverse group of services. Providing the very best student experience is at the heart of everything we do.

We are seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Student Engagement Manager to help shape and strengthen how we engage with our diverse student community. This is a fantastic opportunity to influence the student journey at a Russell Group institution, working within a collaborative and innovative environment where your ideas and expertise will make a tangible difference.

The role

Reporting to the Head of Student Engagement, the Student Engagement Manager will lead the coordination, delivery, and development of student communication and engagement activity across the University. You will design and implement strategies that enhance students’ sense of belonging, support their studies, and strengthen their connection to the wider university community.

You will develop and deliver impactful engagement initiatives across multiple channels, creating high-quality, inclusive content that supports students throughout their university journey. Using insight and data, you will evaluate the effectiveness of activities and campaigns, ensuring feedback and analytics shape continual improvement.

The role includes developing frameworks that support strong engagement practice institution-wide. You will work closely with academic and professional colleagues, guiding them on embedding engagement and communication principles into key projects, campaigns, and student-facing processes.

As part of the Student Experience Directorate, you will also support reputation management, occasionally through urgent, crisis communications and play a key role in major University events such as Welcome, Open Days, and Graduation.

About you

You'll have a genuine passion for working collaboratively with students and have a strong experience in a communications, engagement or marketing role, ideally within an education setting or large organisation. Skilled at building relationships quickly, you will work effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across the University and the Students’ Union to deliver shared goals. Your creativity and experience in producing innovative, audience-focused communications campaigns will help you engage students in meaningful and exciting ways.

Highly organised and proactive, you are comfortable managing multiple priorities, working independently, and using insight and initiative to solve problems and generate new ideas. You will also be an excellent communicator with strong digital and IT skills. Experience with CRM or digital engagement tools is desirable, and you’ll be flexible in supporting occasional out-of-hours activity when needed.

What we can offer you

As a university, we aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive and are proactive in fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a working environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work.

With a generous holiday allowance as well as additional university closure days we are committed to supporting our staff and students and open to a flexible working approach.

Application procedure

You should submit your completed application form online at www.jobs.soton.ac.uk. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you wish to have an informal chat about the role, please email Head of Student Engagement, Emily Fitzgerald: e.fitzgerald@soton.ac.uk.