Volunteer Manager

Future First wants to see every state school and college in the UK, and every state pupil, supported by a
thriving and engaged alumni community, which improves students’ motivation, confidence and life
chances. We have a network of alumni who have supported our programmes in schools for over a decade.
They act as accessible and inspirational role models by sharing their stories through a variety of
activities, including blogging, online mentoring, networking and careers activities in schools.

About the role
We are seeking an experienced individual to lead our volunteer development activity. Working closely with
the Fundraising, Delivery and Marketing teams, this is a varied role working with alumni and employee
volunteers to support activities in our member schools.

You will lead on the development of our volunteer community which is managed online through the Future
First Hub, and be responsible for developing and delivering a programme of activities that nurture
relationships with Future First’s diverse audience of volunteers, and increases support for the charity’s
fundraising and development goals.

You will have excellent customer service skills, be proactive and detail oriented and have the ability to
manage multiple projects at any one time. You will be confident in the use of standard office technology, as
well as experienced in the use of databases and IT applications.

Key Duties and responsibilities

• To be responsible for developing Future First’s volunteer relations strategy, and associated budget with a particular focus on the development of an engaged community, and a focus on the needs of employee volunteer schemes.
• To seek opportunities to raise the profile of the volunteer network, and grow its capacity and reach.
• To develop our work mapping and implementing recommendations against the Investing in Volunteers standard.
• To be responsible for running volunteer events and producing relevant communication materials.
• To participate in the strategic development of the Future First online Hub powering our school and volunteer community.
• To recruit volunteers and provide appropriate training and development opportunities, to include consideration of a volunteer board, and engagement activities targeted at the growing near peer volunteer community.
• To work closely with other departments to develop and implement their strategies for engagement.
• To work collaboratively with the fundraising team to explore and support volunteer philanthropy.
• To ensure that a robust monitoring and evaluation framework is in place for volunteer relations.
• To work with senior colleagues to ensure safeguarding policies are robust.

Why join Future First?
We are a mission-driven, innovative social mobility charity that believes a young person’s start in life
shouldn’t limit their future. Our central team is friendly and motivated, and we have a strong network of
experienced freelancers, who support across all functions. Our team comes from a variety of backgrounds
including partnership development, delivery, teaching, programmes and communications. We value all
contributions and offer the possibility to expand and grow the role based on interests.

Ways of working
We work remotely, with opportunities to come together in person to work, plan and develop. In this role you
will also have to travel to some events and workshops.
The work is varied and often fast-paced, requiring rapid processing of information, and the ability to act
confidently with multiple and senior stakeholders including employers, volunteers and school leaders.
As with any small, constantly evolving organisation, each individual balances multiple responsibilities, while
shaping their role around their skills and interests.

Salary and Holiday
This is a permanent position. The salary is between £34,000 and £36,000. Future First staff receive pro rata
28 days of leave (in addition to 8 UK public holidays) increasing one day per year of service up to 33.

Application process
Please submit your CV and a covering letter (no longer than one side of A4) setting out why you feel you’re a great fit for this role and why you want to work for Future First. Please also note how you heard about the position.

At Future First we are committed to social justice and the value of role models. We value and celebrate
people’s diversity and believe this strengthens our team and our work. We are keen to build a workforce
that reflects the young people and schools we support. We particularly welcome applications from
candidates from racialised communities, and those who attended state school and were in receipt of free
school meals and/or were the first in their family to go to university.

Applications will be reviewed as they come in, with 24th May as the final deadline. The first round
interviews (online) will take place on Friday 31st May. The second round will be in person, in London, on 7
June. We reserve the right to close applications early.

Future First is committed to safeguarding the staff, volunteers and young people we work with. Where
applicable, a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check will be required for the
successful candidate.