Volunteer Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

Recruitment and the Volunteer Cycle

• Lead on drafting volunteer role descriptions in collaboration with the recruitment lead.
• Undertake advertising of volunteer opportunities across multiple platforms ensuring best practice in relation to safer recruitment and equal opportunities practice.
• Work with referral partners and community organisations where appropriate to support participation.
• Be responsible for the onboarding of volunteers including right to work checks, induction scheduling, and induction reviews.
• Managers volunteer leavers and the change in relationship, ensure volunteers are removed from any formal communication channels and receive an exit interview to document their experience.

Training, Learning and Development

• Ensure all volunteers are compliant with the essential training modules such as Safeguarding, Health and Safety and GDPR and maintain records of the same.
• Report on these as required.
• Lead on designing a progression pathway for volunteers who may wish to move into other areas of learning, traineeships or apply for other opportunities.
• Work closely with growers and other staff to plan and coordinate volunteer involvement and support staff to work confidently and positively with volunteers.

Systems and Organisation

• Be responsible for maintaining the volunteer's personal information in the BrightHR system and in compliance with GDPR rules.
• Lead on systematising the volunteer rotas whether regular volunteering or one-off activities.
• Tracking attendance and ensuring we know who is on site when.

Volunteer Team Culture and Management

• Lead the day-to-day coordination of the volunteer programme across growing areas, site care, and related activities
• Act as line manager for the volunteers, having regular opportunities for feedback such as one to ones and communicate key messages from organisation leads that are applicable to the volunteers.
• Lead on buddy / peer support approaches within the volunteer programme ensuring equality of experience of the volunteers.
• Foster a positive, respectful, and inclusive culture on site where people feel a sense of belonging
• Dedicate a portion of time to undertaking the tasks expected of volunteers working hand on alongside volunteers and developing a deeper knowledge and understanding of their day to day.
• Work closely with all site users to ensure volunteers are integrated into real site activities, particularly the growers team.

Monitoring and Evaluation Activities

• Gather feedback quantitative and qualitative from volunteers and support the ongoing development of the volunteer programme
• Contribute to monitoring and reporting requirements linked to funded volunteer activity
• Ensure information required for reporting is up to date and accurate in time for reporting deadlines and that those deadlines are met.
• Support funding applications where appropriate.

Compliance

• Ensure volunteer activities and management follow all organisational policies, including safeguarding, health and safety and equality applicable to the volunteer.
• Maintain clear professional boundaries and escalate safeguarding concerns in line with procedure
• Ensure that applicable internal policies and procedures are followed through in all areas of work.
• Also treat with confidentiality any information that could be deemed as personal, private, or sensitive and comply with both organisations GDPR and Safeguarding requirements.

Working with the Wider Team & Partnerships

• Help build and maintain relationships with community partners linked to volunteering and learning opportunities
• Represent the volunteer programme internally and externally when required
• Represent the organisations externally when required

Other

• To attend and participate in internal and external meetings as required.
• To attend relevant training to fulfil the requirements of the job.
• To undertake other duties which may from time to time be required and which are appropriate to the responsibilities of the post.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• Interest in sustainable food growing and community-led work
• Knowledge of the full volunteer cycle including recruitment, onboarding, supervision, development and exit processes
• Knowledge of safer recruitment principles and equal opportunities practice
• Understanding of safeguarding legislation and procedures, particularly when working with vulnerable adults and/or young people
• Knowledge of GDPR and data protection requirements in relation to volunteer records

Skills

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage rotas, records, and multiple volunteer streams simultaneously
• Ability to write clear engaging content for varied audiences and for different purposes.
• Confident communicator with the ability to build and maintain positive relationships across teams and with community partners
• Ability to support, motivate and line manage volunteers with understanding and mutual respect.
• An overall good level of IT skills, and a variety of online platforms.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to foster an inclusive, respectful, and supportive team culture with a warm, inclusive, and supportive approach.
• Comfortable working outdoors in a practical role year-round

Experience

• Experience of coordinating or managing volunteers or similar groups.
• Supporting people with additional needs and mental health conditions.
• Working in and understanding the needs of an on-site environment
• Experience of recruitment and onboarding processes of volunteers.
• Maintaining records and ensuring compliance with safeguarding, H&S and GDPR
• Experience of working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team
• Working with community partners or referral organisations
• Coordinating volunteers organisational training and assisting them with their individual development plans.
• Experience of supporting monitoring and reporting requirements

Desirable

• Practical horticulture or food growing experience such as seed sowing, planting, harvesting, composting and general site care
• Knowledge of agroecological growing practices that enrich living, biodiverse systems