Volunteer & Learning Manager

Volunteer & Learning Manager - 12 month fixed-term contract

Job description and person specification

Imagine being told that you, or someone you love, is losing their sight. In that moment, two profound questions demand urgent answers:

·Can this be stopped?

·How will I live my life?

Currently, research into preventing and treating sight loss is chronically underfunded, receiving a mere 1.2% of publicly funded health research grants: people who are blind or vision impaired are three times more likely to experience loneliness and isolation than the general population.

We find and fund the brilliant minds and bright ideas that put change in sight. Our researchers are at the forefront, making breakthroughs and discoveries that will prevent, treat and cure eye disease. The partnerships we build and initiatives we support are changing life for blind and vision impaired people.

We are Fight for Sight: we won’t stop until we: Save Sight. Change Lives.

We have a clear ambition and have the support of well-respected and highly engaged ambassadors. We are now looking for experienced, committed, and creative individuals to join our dynamic team to help realise a new five-year growth strategy. If you want to be part of something impactful, we’d love to hear from you.

The Volunteer & Learning Manager will be an integral part of our Retail team, working closely with the Area Manager to recruit, support and retain the volunteers who keep our shops running. You’ll help make sure every volunteer feels welcome, valued and well supported, so our shops can raise as much as possible for research into preventing sight loss.

Responsible to

Head of Retail

Direct reports

None

Working hours and contract 

35h per week,12 month fixed-term contract

Salary

£30,000 - £35,000

Location

Four days per week across our shops, and one day from home

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a covering letter to our recruitment inbox with subject header – Volunteer & Learning Manager

Your covering letter should include a supporting statement (max two pages) comprising why you think you are an ideal candidate for the role, what applicable experience you’ll bring and why you want to work for Fight for Sight?

Closing date for applications: 5pm, Wednesday 4th November

Early applications are encouraged. We will be interviewing on a rolling basis; therefore, we will close the vacancy as soon as we have found the right candidate.

Important note:All applicants must have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we do not have a sponsoring license for non-UK employees which means that if you do not have a current, valid UK working permit, please do not apply, as we will not be able to consider your application.

Role Responsibilities

·Manage volunteer recruitment across our 12 shops using online recruitment platforms and local advertising channels.

·Create and maintain volunteer vacancies, respond to applications and coordinate the volunteer onboarding process.

·Support Shop Managers with volunteer recruitment activities and provide guidance on recruitment best practice.

·Ensure volunteer records, training records and onboarding documentation are accurate and up to date.

·Monitor volunteer recruitment activity and produce regular reports on applications, vacancies and volunteer numbers.

·Identify appropriate recruitment channels and develop partnerships with community organisations, educational institutions and other relevant groups.

Volunteer induction, engagement and retention

·Develop a consistent volunteer induction and onboarding programme.

·Ensure volunteers receive appropriate information, training and support before undertaking their roles.

·Establish good practice for volunteer supervision, recognition, engagement and retention.

·Develop approaches to understand why volunteers leave and identify opportunities to improve retention.

·Promote clear communication, recognition and opportunities for volunteers to develop new skills.

·Ensure volunteer policies and processes align with organisational requirements and relevant safeguarding and safety procedures

Shop Manager Training and Support

·Deliver practical training and guidance to Shop Managers on volunteer recruitment, onboarding, supervision and retention.

·Visit shops regularly to provide coaching and support to Shop Managers in managing and developing volunteer teams.

·Identify development needs through shop visits, feedback and performance discussions, and agree practical improvement actions with managers.

·Work with managers to identify areas where additional support, training or resources may improve volunteer experience and shop performance.

·Support managers to develop volunteer rotas that meet the needs of the shop and make the best use of available volunteer time.

·Work with the Area Manager to identify areas where volunteer shortages are impacting shop operations and support recruitment activity accordingly.

Monitoring, Reporting and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate records and produce regular reports on volunteer recruitment, vacancies, active volunteer numbers, volunteer hours and training completion.
• Monitor volunteer recruitment and retention activity across the retail estate and highlight trends, concerns and opportunities for improvement.
• Produce dashboards and management information reports for the Head of Retail and Shop Managers as required.
• Monitor the effectiveness of volunteer recruitment campaigns and recommend improvements where appropriate.
• Gather feedback from volunteers and Shop Managers to identify ways to improve the volunteer experience.
• Work collaboratively with the Retail Operations & Facilities Manager to ensure volunteers complete required induction, health and safety and compliance training.
• Support the ongoing review and improvement of volunteer processes, guidance and training materials to ensure they remain practical and effective.

Person specification

Desirable skills, knowledge & experience

·Experience in volunteer management, learning and development, people development or a related field.

·Experience of developing and delivering recruitment, induction, training or engagement programmes.

·Strong coaching and facilitation skills, with the ability to develop confidence and capability in others.

·Experience of identifying learning needs and evaluating the effectiveness of development interventions.

·Strong communication, relationship-building and influencing skills

·Ability to use data to monitor performance and identify improvement opportunities.

·Commitment to inclusive volunteer engagement and the charity's mission.

·Experience in charity retail or volunteer-led organisations.

·Experience of recruiting and retaining volunteers across multiple locations.

·Experience of coaching managers or developing leadership capability.

·Knowledge of volunteer role design, retention strategies and community recruitment.

Personal qualities

The postholder will be people-focused, organised, supportive and results-driven. They will be passionate about volunteering and committed to developing people, while remaining focused on measurable improvements in workforce capacity and shop performance. They will understand the difference between providing support and creating dependency and will help managers develop the confidence to lead their teams effectively.

Flexibility

The role description is a general outline of duties and responsibilities and may be amended as we grow. The post holder may be required to undertake other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time.

Employee benefits

We value our staff and volunteers and want to make sure that they are supported in their work. Other benefits we also offer are:

·A great team and a supportive culture

·Employer pension contributions matching up to 10%, and death in service cover

·Generous parental leave

·Flexible/hybrid working options

·Apprenticeships scheme, study leave and financial support for training & development

·Cycle to work scheme, eye test vouchers, and a staff loan scheme, access to an Employee Assistance Program

·An active Social Committee and staff events

Application & Interview process

See above (page 2) for How to Apply. Please note that we value the authenticity and individuality of our applicants and believe that your CV and cover letter should reflect your unique skills, experiences, and personality.

Successfully shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview online via MS Teams.

Accessibility

We believe in fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of their abilities or circumstances, feel supported and valued. If you have any accessibility requirements or specific needs that you would like us to accommodate during the application process, please let us know. If you are unfamiliar with MS Teams and would like to familiarise yourself with the platform before the interview, we are more than happy to arrange a tech run-through to ensure your comfort and confidence.

Equal opportunities, diversity & inclusion

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Fight for Sight we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every item in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles that we have.

We have an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, including any adjustments required to support people from diverse community groups.