Community, Participation & Volunteering Manager

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Bridgnorth; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Substantial pension scheme up to 10%

Free entry to National Trust places

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Free parking at most Trust places

Job summary

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty is seeking a Community, Participation and Volunteering Manager for the South Shropshire and Kinver Edge portfolio. You will support volunteer managers to improve the volunteer experience and broaden engagement with communities, working with property colleagues to grow the volunteering offer.

The role reports to the General Manager and involves leading a flexible, inclusive environment for volunteers, coaching staff, and developing

Qualifications

• Experience of community work.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, including public-facing engagement.
• Proven ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders (community groups, academics, local authorities, arts/cultural orgs, health initiatives).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, building productive relationships.
• Experience tracking, monitoring and reconciling budgets responsibly.
• Strong IT competency for reporting, record-keeping, finance management and communication.

Responsibilities

• Strategically plan, implement, evolve and support portfolio volunteer managers in leading volunteering within their departments.
• Coach colleagues to increase confidence and capability and create a positive, flexible, and inclusive volunteer environment.
• Support the Nature Restoration and Access portfolio through existing partners and new community links.
• Support the General Manager to develop an inclusive culture and embed the ‘Everyone Welcome’ value within the portfolio leadership team.

Skills

Community engagement

Communication

Stakeholder management

Independent and team work

Budget tracking & reconciliation

IT reporting & finance tools

Job description

We're looking for a Community, Participation and Volunteering Manager to join our portfolio team in South Shropshire and Kinver Edge. You'll support volunteer managers across the portfolio with improving the volunteer experience and increasing support in targeted ways.

You'll support our community engagement and partnerships, sometimes with a volunteering focus. Working with property colleagues, you'll ensure our volunteering offer grows and develops. Capable of managing complex relationships, you'll lead for greater engagement with our communities.

You'll work 4 days per week and 1 weekend per month, as well as some bank holidays and additional weekend events.

Summary

We're looking for a Community, Participation and Volunteering Manager to join our portfolio team in South Shropshire and Kinver Edge. You'll support volunteer managers across the portfolio with improving the volunteer experience and increasing support in targeted ways. You'll support our community engagement and partnerships, sometimes with a volunteering focus. Working with property colleagues, you'll ensure our volunteering offer grows and develops. Capable of managing complex relationships, you'll lead for greater engagement with our communities. You'll work 4 days per week and 1 weekend per month, as well as some bank holidays and additional weekend events. This is a fixed term contract due to end when the postholder returns to the role. At this point we cannot confirm exactly how long this contract will last, but it is unlikely to be more than 12 months.

What it’s like to work here

We’re a diverse and busy portfolio with a mixture of open countryside at places like Long Mynd and Wenlock Edge with others like Dudmaston and Benthall comprising houses, gardens, parks and agricultural estates as well as other places like the Rock Houses at Kinver. We work with many stakeholders and partners and are an inclusive and creative team always striving to improve how we care for our places and experiences for people, visiting, working, and volunteering with us. We’re progressive and ambitions, always working at pace and are keen to develop the volunteer experience in supporting our work and delivery of plans.

What you’ll be doing

Reporting to the General Manager, you’ll work in partnership with the portfolio leadership team to strategically plan, implement, evolve, and support the portfolio volunteer managers (Heads of Department) in how they lead for volunteering within their departments. Coaching colleagues to increase their confidence and capability and creating a positive, flexible, and inclusive environment for volunteers whilst increasing the number of volunteers. You’ll support our ambitious plans for Nature Restoration and Access in the portfolio through working with existing partners and stakeholders and forge links with new communities. Supporting the General Manager to develop an inclusive culture and embed the ‘Everyone Welcome’ value, you’ll be a key member of the portfolio leadership team and be collectively responsible for the effective delivery of the portfolio People and Places Plan.

Who we’re looking for

• experience of community work
• excellent communication and facilitation skills, including experience with public-facing engagement
• proven ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of diverse stakeholders (e.g. community groups, academics, local authorities, creative organisations, health and wellbeing initiatives)
• ability to work independently and as part of a team, building productive relationships
• experience tracking, monitoring, and reconciling budgets responsibly
• strong IT competency for effective reporting, record-keeping, finance management, and communication

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.

National Trust place

Dudmaston, Quatt, Bridgnorth, WV15 6QN

Documents

Community, Participation & Volunteering Manager - Grade 7.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here .

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.

Closing Date: 11th October 2026