Policy & Insight Associate

Help shape change at Oxford SU   

Oxford SU is student-led and exists to make sure every student's voice counts. Our Policy & Insight Associates help make that happen by researching issues affecting students, exploring their experiences and turning evidence into something that can inform meaningful change. 

You'll work alongside SU Presidents, staff and student representatives on a range of projects. Depending on the work, you might conduct interviews, analyse survey responses, identify patterns in data, research University or college practices, or help develop reports and practical resources for students. 

We're particularly interested in people who enjoy asking questions, making sense of information and communicating findings clearly. 

You don't need to be an experienced researcher to apply. We're looking for people who are curious, thoughtful, organised and willing to learn.

We anticipate recruiting two Policy & Insight Associates, working on projects allocated on a rolling basis throughout the academic year.

What you'll do

Initial projects may include: 

• Fifth Week Blues: Academic Workload & Wellbeing: Investigating workload patterns, assessment pressures and student experiences across Oxford. 

• Student Spaces & Venue Booking: Mapping how students and societies can access college and University spaces. 

• Postgraduate Suspensions: Exploring the experiences of research students who suspend, extend or consider suspending their studies. 

• Conference & Fieldwork Funding: Investigating whether postgraduate students can find and access available financial support. 

• Shared Student Values: Exploring students' perspectives and identifying areas of agreement or difference. 

These are examples of our current priorities. Associates may also work on new or emerging projects arising from student representation, University committees, elected officer priorities and other Student Voice work. 

Projects will be allocated according to organisational priorities, your skills and interests, availability and the support required. You will not be expected to work on every project simultaneously. 

What you'll bring

• Experience collecting information and drawing conclusions from it 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills  
• Good relationship-building and collaborative working skills 
• Lived experience of studying or working at Oxford University 

You'll thrive in this role if you are

• Curious with the initiative to take ownership of defined tasks 
• Willing to learn new research methods and take part in training   
• Interested in improving the student experience at Oxford  
• Committed to inclusive and effective student representation

 

Why Join Us? 

You’ll be part of a small, high-performing and supportive team working at the heart of student life at Oxford. This role offers the opportunity to make a direct, meaningful impact on students’ academic experiences and wellbeing.   

This is a paid, casual position, with work offered on a rolling, project-by-project basis. 

💰 Pay: £14.06 per hour (Oxford Living Wage) 

🕙 Time commitment: Normally around 4–5 hours per week during term time, with a maximum expectation of 8 hours per week. We know that some students may not get permission to work during term time, and we will factor this in for the right candidates.     

🏢Working arrangements: A combination of Oxford SU-based, University/college-based and remote working, depending on the project.

💡Training and development: You'll receive an induction and relevant training, which may include CoSy online training, research ethics, data protection, research methods, data analysis and the systems used to support your work. 

🌟Support: You'll work with elected officers and be line managed by the Student Voice Coordinator. 

As projects are allocated on a rolling basis, the amount and timing of work may vary throughout the year. Hours are not guaranteed every week. 

 

 

Oxford SU is committed to ensuring our workforce reflects the diversity of the world and community we’re based in. We positively encourage applications from all individuals irrespective of their gender, age, home country, ethnic background, sexuality, religious beliefs or disability.   

Find out more  

Student Voice: https://www.oxfordsu.org/studentvoice/ 

For any questions or queries, please contact us at studentvoice@oxfordsu.ox.ac.uk.