A students’ union is looking for a chief executive to lead it into the future.

The University of Brighton Students’ Union became a charity about a year ago and the new role has been created to reflect the changes which are being made in the way it is run.

Interviews for the post will take place in the middle of November and whoever gets the job can expect a salary of £55,000, plus benefits.

The job has been part-funded by the University of Brighton which allocates a sum of money to the students’ union every year, as well as money from the union’s commercial services, entertainment and advertising.

Terry Preston, president of the students’ union, said the chief executive’s role had been brought in to replace that of the general manager.

The current general manager has taken voluntary redundancy.

He said: “We have a general manager at the moment but the chief executive’s position will replace that and the role will be different.

“It will be more about strategic planning and making sure it is working as a charity and a union.”

The chief executive will be responsible to the board of trustees for the leadership, management and control of the students’ union, which turns over £2 million a year and encompasses five campuses from Brighton to Hastings.