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Volunteer Centre Officer

Permanent Contract
Job Ref: V460
Hours/Days per week: 35 hours per week – (Flexible days/hours)
Salary: £25,000
Start date: ASAP
Location: Hybrid Working (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Closing date: 22nd August 2023
Interview date and Location: W/C 28th August, online

Volunteering Matters

At Volunteering Matters we use volunteering’s unique power to bring people together and build stronger, more resilient communities across the UK.

We bring people together to resolve some of society’s most complex issues. From social isolation and loneliness; improving health and wellbeing; building skills, confidence, and opportunity; to ensuring young people can become change makers in their community, the impact that we make is great. And we won’t stop until everyone in the UK has the opportunity to thrive.

People-led and impact driven, we are a national charity that is deeply embedded in local areas across the UK. We operate in five regions: London and the South East; Wales and the West of England; East of England; the Midlands and North West England; and Scotland and North East England. We also have an Employee Volunteering Team with over 25 years’ experience, acting as a broker to provide tailor-made solutions to employers. We turn local knowledge and energy into action and progress, building stronger communities and a better future for all.

This is an exciting time to be joining the team. We’re changing the way we work to meet new ambitions and make sure our impact continues to grow alongside out business.

Volunteer Centre Officer

Role Purpose

You will be a passionate champion of the impact of volunteering, helping to ensure volunteering is understood, celebrated and that more people are attracted to take part. Working alongside the Volunteer Centre Project Manager, you will support members of the public, identifying their interests, goals, and needs, before matching them with a relevant volunteering opportunity/organisation. You will provide advice and guidance to members of the public, based on a good knowledge of Volunteer Engagement and volunteering across Newcastle. You will also support “volunteer-involving organisations” across Newcastle by providing information and guidance around all things Volunteer Management. This includes support to design and advertise new volunteering roles, help to increase their capacity to take on new volunteers, advice on processes and policies, delivering training to organisations and participating in Volunteering forums, troubleshooting and more.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Consistently role model and display our organisational values (further info on our values are below)
• Provide effective support running a busy Volunteer Centre, working in partnership with various other stakeholders including Volunteering Matters colleagues, volunteers, Connected Voice, other external partners, the local authority, members of the public
• Helping the Project Manager by supporting a small group of internal volunteers, ensuring they are valued in their roles and making sure they can continue to make a significant contribution
• Supporting the City’s volunteering database, which is hosted on VCN website, ensuring opportunities are kept up to date, and helping individuals to find and apply for a suitable opportunity
• Provide support to volunteer-involving organisations in various ways – providing advice on guidance on volunteering policies and practices, helping to identify and develop new volunteering roles, advertising roles, and more
• Supporting the Project Manager through the delivery of organisational training, forums and networks
• Developing, designing, and publishing marketing and promotional materials related to Volunteer Centre Newcastle and distributing these in various locations across the City
• Provide effective support to ensure we have an appropriate, up to date and engaging website and social media channels. Being a champion of volunteering, taking part in events, talks, or engaging with traditional media sources to promote volunteering, the benefits to individuals and organisations
• Help to ensure that Volunteer Centre Newcastle is delivered in line with Volunteering Matters organisational policies, including risk management, quality assurance and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Administrative tasks including the use of Office 365 and internal databases and files.
• Ensuring monitoring, impact and evaluation information and data is collected and recorded, and that Volunteer Centre Newcastle meets its agreed targets, reporting format and schedule.

Skills Required

• A comprehensive understanding of best practice, in all areas of Volunteer Management
• Excellent people skills with the ability to build professional, long-term relationships with various stakeholders, to influence and motivate others
• Excellent organisational skills including strong attention to detail, the ability to manage a busy workload and prioritise accordingly
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including being able to have strategic conversations with external partners one minute, and talk to an anxious or unsure volunteer the next
• Excellent IT skills including the use of Office 365, Microsoft Teams and other software packages
• A creative approach to problem solving and ability to work independently and use own initiative • Skills around creating content for social media, drafting updates to websites etc

Experience Required

• Experience in all aspects of effective Volunteer Management (recruitment, training, support)
• Experience working with a wide range of stakeholders, proven ability to communicate effectively and work as part of a team
• Experience of Project Coordination/Management, achieving high targets, managing a busy workload and working to strict deadlines
• Experience of measuring impact and understanding data
• Understanding of and full commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Qualifications

We are looking for a candidate with relevant knowledge, skills and experience, as well as commitment to our organisational values, rather than any specific qualifications.

Our Values & Way of Working:

In all that we do, we embrace a philosophy of ‘Freedom within a Framework’ and are guided by our values: Empowering, Inclusive, Compassionate, Positive & Straightforward.

This job description is intended to include the broad range of responsibilities and requirements of the post. It is neither exhaustive nor exclusive but while some variations will be expected, these will be at an appropriate level for the role.

Diversity & Inclusion

Volunteering Matters welcomes all applicants and are keen to ensure our team reflects the diversity of the UK and the communities we serve. We encourage applications from disabled, LGBT and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, along with candidates with any protected characteristics and from disadvantaged groups.

Disability Confident & Reasonable Adjustments:

We guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the role. Please provide evidence in your application, which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required in the “Experience/Skills” section of this advert.

To be considered for a guaranteed interview or to discuss any reasonable adjustments during the process, please state this in your application or contact [email protected] for more information.

We have also committed to the following pledges which positively encompass our recruitment and selection processes and methodology: The Promise, Show The Salary, Salary History.

Benefits

Our employee benefits reflect our culture which is built on an approach of full flexibility with accountability, and designed to let you make your most positive contribution; we offer Flexible Working by Default (re hours & place of work), Unlimited Annual Leave, Employee Pension scheme, Life Assurance, Cycle to Work Scheme, Season Ticket Loan, Employee Assistance Programme, enhanced sick and family leave. We are also open to discuss job share applications.

GDPR Statement

If you apply for a role with us, we will retain your contact details including your name, address, email address and phone number to help us manage your application for up to 6 months. We will not use your personal data for any other purpose or share it with any third party. You can contact us at any point to update your personal information or ask us to delete it from our records.

To Apply

• Please send a CV and Cover letter to [email protected] stating which role you are applying for.
• Complete the Recruitment Monitoring Form
• If you would like to have a discussion with the Hiring Manager, please request this from [email protected]

#volunteeringmatters www.volunteeringmatters.org.uk