uea(su)

Rob Drury Consulting partnered with People Plan HR to support UEA Students' Union (uea(su)) in June 2024 with a transformation project

The students' union is complex; a membership organisation with charitable and commercial arms. The higher education (HE) sector is facing challenges in 2024, which the SU needed to be able to respond to. The project here was led by Chief Executive Officer, Jumara Stone, with the aim of keeping the SU at the heart of UEA life. 

The aim was to review and produce a new staff structure, alongside a review of job descriptions. The proposed restructure sought to realign teams for maximum efficiency. In doing so, it also sought to improve the employee experience with other contractual reviews. The SU had many job description formats, and there was a desire to bring these together in this project. This would enhance clarity for administration, and meant shared working could be captured. 

Rob Drury Consulting undertook the review and creation of all job descriptions, including: 

• A new, simple template format 

• A clear introduction of what the SU does 

• Refined responsibility lists in blocs 

• Stripped-back person specifications 

Rob also undertook consultation, along with Sue from People Plan HR. Following staff meetings, revisions were made in line with the feedback received. This ensured a holistic and inclusive approach. 

The project completed in August 2024, with rollout of the new structure, job descriptions and contractual changes being implemented after.