Board Members

Queen Mary Students’ Union is seeking to recruit External Trustees to join its Board of Trustees, and a Non-Executive Director to join the Board of Directors of its trading subsidiary

What would I possibly have to offer to a Students’ Union, you may ask? What even is a Students’ Union and why do they need Trustees and Board Members?

Queen Mary Students’ Union represents the interests of over 36,000 students at Queen Mary University of London, largely based across sites at Mile End, Whitechapel, and Barbican. Many of our students come from our local community, 75% are BAME, and many are the first in their families to go to university.

Queen Mary was recognised as the most inclusive Russell Group university in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021. The authors noted: “Queen Mary continues to prove that social inclusion and academic success are not mutually exclusive.” In 2021, a Sutton Trust report named us as the best university for social mobility in the country. The Students’ Union plays a key role in this work, by providing social, cultural, recreational, and sporting opportunities for our students. We help them to develop the skills they need to succeed in life after university.

The Students’ Union is a registered charity. In its last accounting year, the students’ Union had a turnover of over £6m (including our wholly owned trading subsidiary, Queen Mary Students’ Union Services Ltd).

The Board of Trustees is the Students’ Union’s governing body. It has overall responsibility for the management and administration of the Students’ Union, including its governance, budget and strategy. It is made up of elected Officer and Student Trustees, and six External Trustees. Day-to-day management of the operation and administration of the Students’ Union is delegated by the Trustees to the Chief Executive who reports to Trustees at each Board of Trustees’ meeting.

We are currently seeking to appoint two additional External Trustees. We will provide full training and support on the role and responsibilities of a Trustee and the work of a Students’ Union. Whether you have never considered being a Trustee before, or whether you have already served in this role, we would like to hear from you

Queen Mary Students’ Union Services Ltd (QMSUSL) is the Union’s wholly owned trading company, through which we provide a range of commercial services for our members, the profits from which are returned to the Union to help fund our work. QMSUSL has its own Board of Directors who oversee our commercial activities. All profits generated from the Union’s trading are gift-aided and re-invested in its services and activities for the benefit of its members.

We are looking for a new Non-Executive Director to join our Board. We will provide full training and support on the role and responsibilities of a Board Member and the work of a Students’ Union. As a Board Member, you will contribute the benefit of your experience, enthusiasm, and a willingness to both challenge and support us in our work. This is a voluntary position, but reasonable expenses will be paid.

If you would like to join us in either of these roles, you can find out more about them and how to apply, by downloading the information packs from the links below.

How to Apply

To apply to join us in either role, please send your CV, together with a covering letter stating which role you are interested in, explaining why and what you would bring to the role, to the Secretary, Brad Coales at b.coales@qmul.ac.uk by Sunday 12 March 2023.

Apply here