We have a range of leadership roles for every type of person and interest. Take a look through our full list of activites and find out more about the different roles that you can get involved with:
As a Peer Mentor, you will be one of the first points of contact for first-year students within your discipline. You will play a key role in helping first-year students adjust to University life by sharing your experiences, offering support and directing them to relevant services. We also recognise the scheme which supports commuter students with a peer mentor who lives locally to them.
What do I need to do?
What training do I need to complete?
You need to be trained by the Peer Support programme as a Peer Mentor (completion of three training sessions).
Find out more about the role of a Peer Mentor
Contact: peersupport@manchester.ac.uk
If you complete a Peer Support role for 2 years, it counts as two 'Step Up and Lead' roles. The activity will be verified towards 'Step Up and Lead' by Student/Staff coordinators and by your Peer Support Graduate Intern. It will also added to your Higher Education Achievement Report.
As a Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) Leader, you will be one of the first points of contact for first-year students within your discipline. You will play a key role in helping first-year students adjust to University life by sharing your experiences, offering advice and directing them to relevant services.
What do I need to do?
What training do I need to complete?
You need to be trained by the Peer Support programme as a PASS Leader (completion of all three training sessions).
Find out more about the role of a PASS Leader
Contact: peersupport@manchester.ac.uk
If you complete a Peer Support role for 2 years, it counts as two 'Step Up and Lead' roles. The activity will be verified towards 'Step Up and Lead' by Student/Staff coordinators and by your Peer Support Graduate Intern. It will also added to your Higher Education Achievement Report.
As a Student Coordinator you are responsible for promoting the scheme within your discipline and you will become a regular point of contact for the Staff Coordinator(s), Mentors and Peer Support Interns.
What do I need to do?
What training do I need to complete?
You need to be trained by the Peer Support programme as a Student Coordinator.
Find out more about the role of Student Coordinator.
Contact: peersupport@manchester.ac.uk
If you complete a Peer Support role for 2 years, it counts as two 'Step Up and Lead' roles. The activity will be verified towards 'Step Up and Lead' by Student/Staff coordinators and by your Peer Support Graduate Intern. It will also added to your Higher Education Achievement Report.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE APPLICATIONS FOR THIS ROLE WILL CLOSE ON 30th SEPTEMBER 2024
As a Student Rep, you are the link between students and the University on all things course related. You'll listen to students' thoughts and ideas about their course, and feed this back to your School.
What do I need to do?
What training do I need to complete?
You will need to attend a face-to-face training session within your school or programme. Online training is currently being developed so get in touch if you're interested.
Find out more about the role of a Student Rep.
APPLICATIONS FOR THESE ROLES OPEN IN JUNE AND CLOSE IN NOVEMBER
Whether it is by being an UoM sport club committee member, a Sporticipate session leader or a Campus Sport league coordinator, our sporting workforce is the beating heart of our activities.
What do I need to do?
Your hours will be verified towards 'Step Up and Lead' by the Sport club captain/chair or the appropriate Sport staff member depending on the nature of the task being logged, and also added to your HEAR.
What training do I need to complete?
You need to attend an essential annual role specific training event or workshop to suit the requirements of the position, as well as an induction in the use of the SVS system.
APPLICATIONS OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND
Running a society comes with its fair share of responsibilities and you're bound to learn so many things during your experience of managing a student group.
What do I need to do?
Find out more about the role of a Students’ Union Club or Society Committee Member.
At Manchester every halls of residence has a Hall Exec Team. These are made of up students who live in the Hall and are either Student Voice Reps or Events Reps who represent other students or organise social events for their halls such as summer balls, quizzes, BBQs and more.
What do I need to do?
What training do I need to complete?
Attendance at an essential annual role specific training event or workshop organised through the Students' Union to suit the requirements of the position.
THIS ROLE IS CURRENTLY BEING RESTED AND ISN'T AVAILABLE IN 2024/25. IT WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR.
As a Student Wellbeing Champion, you'll boost engagement and awareness of the 'Six Ways to Wellbeing' in your School/Hall of Residence and across the university
What do I need to do?
As a Student Wellbeing Champion, you will be required to:
What training do I need to complete?
You’ll be trained in the University’s approach to positive wellbeing (Six Ways to Wellbeing), and the campaigns the University has planned across the year. You’ll also be trained in planning and running events, and in marketing and promoting them as part of the monthly meetings, with input from specialist teams. You’ll be supported throughout the year by the Student Support and Wellbeing graduate interns.
THIS ROLE IS CURRENTLY BEING RESTED AND IS NOT AVAILABLE IN 2024/25. IT WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR.
Volunteering Champions are students who take on an additional role promoting community volunteering to other students in their subject area. As a Volunteering Champion, you’ll be a point of contact for students in your subject who want to find out about volunteering opportunities. You’ll work with staff to raise awareness of upcoming volunteering events and activities across campus, sharing your enthusiasm for community volunteering with others!
What do I need to do?
As a Volunteering Champion you will:
What training do I need to complete?
There will be an initial briefing session and then on-going networking sessions (two sessions per semester), where you can share ideas and best practice with other Volunteering Champions.
Heart Heroes are trained to deliver basic life support training to other students. This includes CPR, choking remediation, use of an AED and the recovery position.
No prior knowledge of basic life support is required as full training will be given to instructors on how to perform each of the skills required, and how to train others in the same skills.
The activity is student-facing and therefore counts towards Step up and Lead rather than Make a Difference which is community based volunteering.
Heart Heroes Instructor
What do I need to do?
As a minimum requirement you need to complete the Instructor training package (2 sessions) and co-lead at least 3 Heart Heroes training sessions during the academic year.
What training do I need to complete?
You will need to complete the Instructor training package.
Find out more about the Heart Heroes role by emailing
Whilst this role will count towards Stellify for anyone who has already completed it, it it no longer offered as an option to sign up to.
Contact: volunteering.su@manchester.ac.uk
University of Manchester Physics Outreach (UMPO) is a student-led outreach group whose volunteers promote physics and astronomy to a wide range of public audiences. Every Wednesday in term-time they visit local primary and secondary schools to deliver physics workshops developed by the students themselves. The volunteers also deliver ‘science busking’ and tabletop demos for families and the public at science festivals, musical festivals, and in venues that include museums, shopping centres, markets and city spaces.
Committee members contribute to running the group and planning and arranging activities which counts towards 'Step up and Lead.' Student volunteers delivering outreach activity as part of UMPO can count their hours towards 'Make a Difference' Volunteering hours.
What do I need to do?
Student leaders are members of the UMPO committee and work as a team over 1-2 years to deliver a programme of activities including:
What training do I need to complete?
The committee have instituted peer training and a six-month overlap period so that new committee members can work with the person they will be replacing.
This role is not available as a Step up and Lead Role in 2024/25
Associations Chairs are elected by the student body to represent a specific group of students in an area beyond their specific degree programme, e.g. to represent students from an entire Faculty or for a particular liberation group e.g. BME Students Officer, Disabled Students officer.
What do I need to do?
Role descriptions are advertised during the elections and have defined tasks and responsibilities.
You would need to:
What training do I need to complete?
You will complete training which is relevant to the specific role. Details are given in the role description.
Training is given to those in post which informs them of their duties in accordance with UMSU by-laws.
Find out more about the role.
Whilst this role will count towards Stellify for anyone who has already completed it, it it no longer offered as an option to sign up to.
APPLICATIONS OPEN ACROSS THE ACADEMIC YEAR
As a Moving on Group (MOG) Facilitator you will be providing a consistent, supportive environment to other students to share difficulties and explore them in the presence of peers with the aim to support attendees to find new ways forward. You can remain in the Moving on Group Leader role for 2 or even 3 consecutive years if you choose to.
Recruitment to this role is only via engagement with the Counselling and Mental Health Service. Facilitators will be service users of the Counselling and Mental Health Service and have attended therapeutic groups, been an active member of the Moving on Group, before pursuing the role of facilitator.
What do I need to do?
As a Moving on Group Facilitator you will:
What training do I need to complete?
All MOG facilitators will have attended one of the service’s Therapy Groups before registering their interest in becoming a facilitator. All facilitators will have been supported in some way by the Counselling and Mental Health Service and where appropriate would be referred to a therapy group.
Following this, you would attend the relevant Moving on Group as an attendee. If wishing to explore being a facilitator, you would register your interest with the MOG facilitator and the relevant practitioner. You then would attend a training by the Moving on Group Coordinator as a Peer Support group Facilitator.
Training will be provided to you.
Find out more about the MOGs (The University of Manchester) and contact Shanelle McIntyre (shanelle.mcintyre@manchester.ac.uk) for more information.
Sustainability Champions are students who take on an extra role to raise awareness about sustainability issues and inspire their peers to take action. You'll collaborate with staff to promote opportunities for students to get involved in sustainability initiatives both at the University and in Manchester. If you’re a proactive student who is passionate about promoting sustainability this role could be for you!
What will you do as a Sustainability Champion?
As a Sustainability Champion, you will:
What training is required?
At the start of each semester, you’ll attend an in-person briefing that covers the University's environmental sustainability strategy and outlines how you can raise awareness of sustainability within your role. Additional planning sessions and training will be provided as needed throughout the year, and you’ll receive ongoing support from the Environmental Sustainability Team intern.
Find out more about becoming a Sustainability Champion
Contact: es@manchester.ac.uk
As an Entrepreneurship Champion, you will be a link between students on campus to the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre's (MEC) entrepreneurial activities. The aim of this role is for students who have a passion for learning and understanding entrepreneurship, will use their knowledge and connections to encourage students to develop their own entrepreneurial skills.
Entrepreneurship Champions are also a first point of contact for students looking to start their own businesses and wanting University support throughout their journey. Entrepreneurship Champion's activities and planned programmes are left up to their imagination to allow for innovative and creative events to be broadcasted. These could look like a workshop series or a networking social to encourage people to work on a project plan together.
What do I need to do?
As an Entrepreneurship Champion you will:
What training do I need to complete?
You will need to be trained by the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre as an Entrepreneurship Champion through an interactive online module hosted on Blackboard and then a hands-on in-person training session.
Find out more about becoming an Entrepreneurship Champion
Contact: entrepreneurship@manchester.ac.uk
As a BSc Accounting Coach Coordinator, you will coordinate and monitor a team of coaches on the BSc Accounting programme to support them in their role and develop their coaching skills. You will also contribute to a longer term strategic direction for the coaching scheme, evaluating its benefits and enhancing the scheme so that students can engage with coaching more effectively.
What do I need to do?
As a BSc Accounting Coach Coordinator you will:
What training do I need to complete?
Training will be co-ordinated by the BSc Accounting Programme Director.
Contact: reimala.sivalingam@manchester.ac.uk
APPLICATIONS FOR THIS ROLE OPEN ON 25th NOVEMBER 2024 and CLOSE ON 3rd FEBRUARY 2025.
As a LeadMCR Election Candidate you will be standing for a role during the Students' Union's election period. If successful this will lead you to be one of the Sabbatical officers for an academic year, ensuring the voice of students is heard.
What do I need to do?
As a LeadMCR Election Candidate you will:
What training do I need to complete?
You will participate in training sessions to develop the skills required for candidacy and campaigning.
Find out more about becoming a LeadMCR election Candidate
Contact: suelections@manchester.ac.uk
As a SALC Employability Champion you will be a student influencer on employability issues. You will ensure the student voice is represented in SALC to help your fellow students gain a competitive edge for the future.
Each Employability Champion takes primary responsibility for an Employability Theme.
What do I need to do?
As a SALC Employability Champion you will:
What training do I need to complete?
You will participate in training sessions to develop the skills required.
Contact: Gordon Fraser (Senior Lecturer) - gordon.fraser@manchester.ac.uk
As an Employability Champion within Mathematics you will be a student influencer on employability issues. You will ensure the student voice is represented in the Department to help your fellow students gain a competitive edge for the future.
What do I need to do?
Take a lead role in the planning and delivery of careers activities for University of Manchester students by sharing experience and promoting activities and events to other students in your department. You must also do at least one of the following:
What training do I need to complete?
You will participate in training sessions to develop the skills required.
Contact: Nikesh.solanki@manchester.ac.uk (Lecturer in Mathematics)
As a Students' Union Project Leader you lead a group of fellow students within one of the students' Union community projects. This includes Student Action and Access All Areas.
What do I need to do?
As a Project leader you will be responsible for:
What training do I need to complete?
You will complete training which is relevant to the specific role.
Contact: volunteering.su@manchester.ac.uk
THIS ROLE IS CURRENTLY BEING RESTED AND ISN'T AVAILABLE IN 2023/24. IT WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR.
International 12 is a unique project that brings together a diverse group of 12 students from 12 countries. The students are selected through informal interviews at the beginning of each academic year. If selected, you will be part of a unique cultural and educational experience.
This project aims to bring people together to learn about each other’s culture as well as learning life lessons along the way.
What do I need to do?
As a member of international 12 you will be responsible for:
What training do I need to complete?
You will complete training which is relevant to the specific role.
Contact: info@internationalsociety.org.uk
International SocietyTrip leaders are integral to the success of the International Society's weekly trips. They take on diverse responsibilities to ensure the well-being and enjoyment of participants. They take the responsibility of the volunteer phone, which they use to act as an emergency contact for participants and external providers relevant to the trip, during the trip’s duration. Also, they have the Members list for checking people in for departure and return trips. They distribute the itinerary and introduce destinations and points of interest, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the participants. They handle cash payments, such as coach parking fees, ensuring smooth financial transactions on the day of the trip.
They are responsible for greeting people and they play an important role in the trip evaluation by collecting feedback from attendees and providing their own feedback as trip leaders for us, helping us to make a difference and providing better experiences for our students and wider communities. They also deliver city tours to international students, helping the International Society and the SU to build strong relationships with our internal and external stakeholders.
What do I need to do?
As a member of international 12 you will be responsible for:
What training do I need to complete?
All trip leaders undergo formal training including understanding their responsibilities before during and after the trip. Skills developed include project management, teamwork, leadership, customer service and written and oral communication skills.
Contact: info@internationalsociety.org.uk
The Manchester Interdisciplinary Mathematics Undergraduate Conference (MIMUC) is an annual event organised mainly by students and open to the wider academic community. Its aim is to enhance the academic journey of undergraduate and PGT students at the University of Manchester by promoting interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Students will present and attend plenary talks given by invited speakers and panellists. You will take a lead role in the planning and delivery of the MIMUC conference. You will work with academic colleagues in leading, managing, planning, and organising the MIMUC conference, which is aimed at benefitting all students in Manchester with an interest in mathematics.
What do I need to do?
As a member of the event planning team you will be responsible for:
Contact: mimuc.organisers@manchester.ac.uk
The University Living Lab (ULL) recognises the change making potential of our students through an integral part of University life; assessment. ULL offers the chance for students to complete research projects set by external organisations with real-life applications. Framed within the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) any student can take a project and tailor it to their assessments, at any degree level. Quality research completed is then returned to the organisation who use it in their sustainable development work and impacts of the work are shared with the student.
As a University Living Champion, you will shape the direction of the Lab to reflect the sustainability priorities of your peers and the University, through the research projects available to students and the other initiatives that the Lab are involved in. You will also boost engagement and awareness of the opportunity for students and partners to affect change for sustainable development through assessment.
What do I need to do?
You will be required too:
Other activities are possible but would need to be pre-verified with Professor Jen O’Brien
What training do I need to complete?
There will be an initial briefing session to outline the University’s approach to sustainable development, Social Responsibility and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. You will be invited to further training as required, for example on running events, social media, maintaining the platform and so forth. You will be supported throughout the year by Professor Jen O’Brien, Director of the University Living Lab.
To find out more about this role please contact Professor Jen O'Brien - jennifer.o'brien@manchester.ac.uk
Do you want to make a difference alongside your studies with the School of Environment, Education and Development? If so, would you like to work within the School of Environment, Education and Development Change Social Responsibility Team. As a SEED Change-Maker you will:
Commit to the role: Actively participate in the role for at least two semesters.
Attend regular meetings initially at school level and then in small groups (based on the themes that the students express interest in) where you will organise awareness-raising events, volunteering, or fundraising opportunities to help in that area. You will organise one event and one awareness-raising campaign per year in your group’s area of choice, supported by SEED. You will be a Champion for Social Responsibility in SEED, telling your networks and fellow students what this work is and how they can get involved and help to publicise events and lectures. Students will use the SEED social media channels to promote this role and work. This is an exciting opportunity for students to create space for themselves and fellow students to take action. The role should be a motivating, inspiring, and fulfilling opportunity as well as providing students with the opportunity to develop new skills and networks.
The role is open to both UG and PGT students within the School of Environment, Education and Development. The role lead is Professor Nicola Banks (School of Environment, Education and Development - Social Responsibility Director) within additional support provided by the SEED communications team.
Training will be provided by the role lead and meeting attendance. Please contact Professor Nicola Banks (nicola.banks@manchester.ac.uk) for more information.
The Global Ambassador Programme is a voluntary programme involving students who have been allocated a place to study abroad at one of Manchester’s Partner Universities worldwide. They will support the Placements and International Programmes Office and with the promotion, delivery and setting up/down of in-person events. Students will also be required to write a number of blog articles for the University’s Manchester on the Road study abroad journal, as well as the promotion of the University whilst overseas as well as promotion of international mobility programmes on return to Manchester.
Students will provide peer advice and guidance by taking part in the following activities: Go Abroad Fair (both at the University of Manchester and at their partner institution); pre-departure events, in-person and on-line; returners events, in-person and on-line; Open Days.
The Scheme provides an opportunity for students to develop their confidence and expand their skills in the following areas:
communication, leadership and team work
presentation, public speaking and marketing
adaptability and networking.
In order to successfully complete the Scheme students will have to display a high level of organisation, self-motivation and initiative.
Students should see the Placements and International Programmes Office for further information regarding the role.