Choir Manager - Sheffield

Background to the role

The Choir with No Name (CWNN) run choirs involving people affected by homelessness across England and Wales. We were founded on the premise that singing with others makes you feel good; it distracts you from all the nonsense in life and helps you to build confidence, skills and genuine, long-lasting friendships. Each choir gets together to rehearse every week and share a meal together at the end of rehearsal, welcoming everyone, regardless of background, characteristics or idiosyncrasies. We want everyone involved in the Choir with No Name to feel they belong in our community.

The Sheffield Choir has been running in Sheffield for one year, in partnership with the Archer Project and Sheffield Cathedral, who support homeless and vulnerable people. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings at 6.30pm at Sheffield Cathedral. Our rehearsals follow the usual Choir with No Name format of tea, biscuits and a chat before rehearsal, then ninety minutes of joyful singing (mostly pop and rock, arranged for mixed ability in 3- and 4-part harmony) followed by a free hot meal for members.

We are committed to co-production. Co-production means that people with lived experience of homelessness work alongside others to deliver all aspects of our work. Our Sheffield Choir Manager will be vital in helping us achieve this aim, working alongside choir members to develop the skills needed to steer their own choir projects and fully share the control and direction of the organisation.

We're looking for someone with strong project management skills, able to organise the project so that our members can safely access weekly rehearsals and perform two gigs during the pilot. The Choir Manager works in close partnership with the choir director who will lead the choir musically, as well as with the Archer Project and Sheffield Cathedral teams. The Choir Manager is also responsible for looking after a small group of dedicated volunteers who will help with preparing a hot meal after rehearsals and offering pastoral support to members. We're looking for someone with some experience in working alongside vulnerable people, offering support and signposting members to specialist services on occasions. It s a busy and varied role which should be a lot of fun and has plenty of support from the wider Choir with No Name programmes team as we launch this exciting new project.

Deadline for applications is 12pm on Monday 12 January 2026

Job Description

1. Member recruitment and liaison

a) Support choir members and develop lasting positive relationships.

b) Arrange workshops to spread the love and recruit choir members, ensuring that the opportunity to attend choir is available to as many potential members as possible.

c) During work hours and at rehearsal, be the first point of contact for potential and existing choir members.

d) Where appropriate, aid members in crisis by signposting or referring them to specialist services and act as Safeguarding lead for the Sheffield choir.

e) Enable and support choir members to take an active role in their choir e.g. taking-up informal roles at choir, joining steering groups and just involving them as much as possible

2. Rehearsal and Volunteer Management

a) Be the person responsible for all aspects of running a smooth rehearsal (except the musical bits!)

b) Recruit and manage all Sheffield volunteers, including supporting them in their support of choir members.

c) Arrange induction and training for volunteers.

d) Be responsible for the health and safety and food hygiene at choir.

3. Gigs and workshops

a) Arrange and promote regular gigs for the Sheffield choir, in partnership with the Choir Director.

b) Arrange regular outreach workshops (and occasionally larger-scale community projects) within the homeless, mental health and other relevant communities.

4. Administration

a) Set and deliver an appropriate work plan for the Sheffield choir, ensuring that it follows the agreed priorities of CWNN and that the choir reaches people with experience of homelessness in Sheffield.

b) Follow operational policies and procedures consistently and help to keep them relevant and up-to-date.

c) Contribute to measuring the social impact of the choir through conducting member surveys/focus groups and compiling results.

d) Complete quarterly reports and impact data.

e) Be responsible for the Sheffield choir budget, ensuring spending is reasonable and in line with predicted costs.

f) Shared information with the organisation to be included in national communications, communicate the achievements of your choir to your local community (via social media and other channels).

Person Specification

Essential

• Commitment to our vision, mission, and values at CWNN and a passion for the choir and its members potential.
• Demonstrate an understanding and knowledge of working with people who have experienced complex trauma.
• Good understanding of coproduction strength-based working and psychologically informed environments.
• The ability to act calmly and decisively in emergencies, and to work positively with challenging behaviour.
• Experience of delivering successful projects or services in partnership or collaboration with multiple stakeholders.
• Highly motivated self-starter with initiative to make things happen.
• Organised and methodical
• Ability to keep accurate financial records.
• IT literate (Microsoft Office including Word and Excel)
• Compassion and respect for all members of society, including a commitment to equal opportunity.
• Excellent written communication skills.

Highly desirable

• A love of music!
• Experience of co-production and working in a co-produced way.
• Previous experience of safeguarding adults at risk of abuse.
• Knowledge of the principles and methods of impact measurement.
• Proven experience of volunteer management and budget planning.
• Experience of managing events.
• Knowledge of the homelessness sector in Sheffield.

In the interest of a non-biased approach to recruitment, all applications will be anonymised before they reach the selection panel. We are not, at this stage, asking for information about your work experience or education, we are only seeking the answers to questions that will demonstrate the skills required to deliver the role.

Details of the application process are on our website.