Volunteer Engagement Manager

Volunteer Engagement Manager

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, led by our CEO, Keith Valentine, who has valuable lived experience of sight loss. We ve secured well-respected and highly engaged ambassadors, such as Sir John Major and Frances Segelman.

We are now looking for experienced, committed, and creative individuals to join our dynamic team to help realise a new five-year growth strategy. You ll be part of something impactful, we d love to hear from you.

The Volunteer Engagement Manager forms an integral part of our Retail management team, working closely with our shop management and HR teams. They will be responsible for recruiting, organising and coordinating the charity s volunteers and our volunteer programme working with our shop managers to develop their skills to drive recruitment, improve retention, and ensure we have the right number of volunteers in the right locations to support our work.

Responsible to

Responsible to

Retail Development Manager

Direct reports

None, although this may change as the role evolves

Working hours and contract

35h per week across a flexible seven-day rota

Salary

£28,000 - £32,000 (depends on experience), plus travel expenses

Location

Four days per week in our shops, and one day at our Head Office

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a cover letter which evidences the specification with subject header Volunteer Engagement Manager

Closing date for applications: 22/03/2025

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.

Role Responsibilities

Deliver recruitment targets by shop to ensure we have sufficient volunteers and volunteer hours to support our financial objectives

Support the onboarding of our volunteers for various retail roles

Engage our volunteer team with Fight for Sight s work and help them to understand the value of their contribution

Maintain an empowered, well trained, motivated and engaged volunteer team with excellent communication at team and individual level

Attend in-person recruitment events to engage with our volunteering communities.

Work alongside our Retail HR lead to schedule and deliver online training sessions, to ensure volunteers are well-prepared and confident in their roles

Work closely with the shop managers to grow relationships with volunteers and to demonstrate outcomes and the value and impact of volunteering activities.

Support our shop managers to maintain accurate records of volunteer activities and hours, ensuring compliance with all legal and organisational requirements.

Person specification

Desirable skills, knowledge & experience

Track record in successful charity shop volunteer recruitment and retention

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with volunteers, retail staff, and other stakeholders

Passionate about the benefits of volunteering to both volunteers and organisations, and an understanding of the challenges involved in volunteer management

Experience of working with and managing a regional volunteer network

Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities effectively

Experience with volunteer management software and recruitment sites (desirable)

Personal qualities

An understanding of and commitment to the sight loss community.

Strong communication skills and presentation style.

Flexibility and a practical, can-do attitude.

Highly motivated and able to juggle a varied workload.

Personable, with excellent listening skills.

Excellent accuracy and attention to detail.

Growth mindset

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. Therefore, please refrain from using AI tools, including ChatGPT, to produce your application materials. Applications drafted with the assistance of AI will be automatically rejected.

Successfully shortlisted applicants will be invited to 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 and Vision Foundation 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.