Community, Participation & Volunteering Manager

National Trust; Dunstable; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A heritage conservation organization in the United Kingdom is seeking a Community, Participation and Volunteering Manager for a 1-year maternity cover. The role involves leading a team to engage local communities and enhance participation at various sites. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in community engagement practices, volunteer management, and partnership building. This position offers a salary range of £30,966 - £34,437 and various employee perks.

Benefits

Substantial pension scheme

Free entry to National Trust sites

Rental deposit loan scheme

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Gym membership discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Flexible working

Free parking at Trust places

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of community engagement practices.
• Experience in volunteer program innovation.
• Ability to analyze data for effective engagement.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team to plan and deliver community programs.
• Lead volunteer initiatives and trainings.
• Develop partnerships to enhance community participation.

Skills

Community engagement practices

Volunteer engagement

Data analysis for engagement

Partnership working

Building collaborative relationships

Coaching and mentoring

Job description

Summary

In line with our redeployment policy, we’ll prioritise applications from employees who are under formal notice of redundancy.

Important notice

In line with our redeployment policy, we’ll prioritise applications from employees who are under formal notice of redundancy.

We are looking for a Community, Participation and Volunteering Manager to take on the position for a 1-year maternity cover. Based across the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Portfolio, including Ashridge Estate, Dunstable Downs and Shaw's Corner.

This role is all about people; connecting with them, inspiring them and finding ways to make our sites accessible, welcoming and inspiring to existing and new groups.

Contract: 1 year maternity cover

Hours: 37.5 hrs per week

Salary: £30,966 - £34,437

Working pattern: You’ll work every 6th weekend as well as some bank holidays and additional weekend events.

What it's like to work here

You’ll support the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire team across a number of sites including Ashridge Estate, Dunstable Downs and Shaw’s Corner. Ashridge Estate is a truly special place, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to its beautiful and historic landscape. Because of its growing popularity and increasing local housing development, Ashridge is entering a period of change—working to adapt and invest so that we can continue to welcome people in ways that allow nature and wildlife to thrive. Dunstable Downs and Shaw's Corner offer very different experiences within the portfolio, each with their own unique character and audiences. At both sites, increasing visitation and engaging our local audiences are key priorities, with a focus on connecting people to nature, culture, and heritage through meaningful experiences.

You’ll lead on the portfolios ‘population and people first’ approach to put the voice and needs of our communities at the heart of our priorities and plans. Working with the wider leadership team and Spirit of Place of our properties, you will help to link everything we do back to our cause and the ongoing work we do.

You will be reporting to the Visitor Operations and Experiences Manager and as part of the Visitor Experience leadership team you will help to ensure the wider team and volunteers stay motivated, inspired and focused to deliver an exceptional visitor offer to everyone who visits our properties.

What you'll be doing

You’ll manage a team of three to plan, build and deliver our programme of events across our properties. Including family trails and activities during school holidays, as well as larger engagement events such as our Kite Festival at Dunstable Downs. You'll lead on developing our offer through cultural programming, educational opportunities and partnership working. As the portfolio lead for volunteering, you will manage, train and coach our volunteer managers across our properties and departments to effectively run their volunteer programmes. You will find new ways to develop our volunteering opportunities to encourage a diverse and reflective volunteer base.

At Ashridge Estate, you will support the wider team with our large-scale project, Protecting Our Roots, offering guidance as we move ahead with future plans for Ashridge Estate. Additionally you'll manage a team of three community staff members who have been brought on board to support the project, ensuring we are connecting with the right audiences, educating about our work and delivering practical mitigation tasks across the estate.

Who we're looking for

Applications from redeployees are assessed against the minimum criteria for the role. In your application, please provide details of how you meet the minimum criteria below:

• excellent understanding of good practice in community engagement and participatory practice, and experience of applying it in a range of contexts.
• excellent understanding of volunteer engagement and experience of innovating volunteering and increasing wider participation
• able to use data and insight to prioritise, make effective choices and decide when and how to engage
• significant experience of partnership working different audiences
• able to build effective and collaborative working relationships with leaders and wider teams
• ability to coach people to build confidence/capability, increasing community engagement and participation & volunteering.

Criteria for all other applicants:

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• ability to use strategic outcomes and audience data to set clear priorities and make informed decisions
• experience in leading inclusive and flexible volunteering and community participation initiatives, especially those that empower underrepresented groups
• a track record of building and managing strategic partnerships across public, private, and charitable sectors
• deep knowledge and practical application of participatory methods in various contexts
• ability to coach managers and teams through change
• demonstrated success in developing and implementing innovative, inclusive volunteering models that align with strategic outcomes and deliver measurable public benefit
• ability to use empathy, openness, and cultural awareness to build trusted relationships with diverse stakeholders, including volunteers, partners, and community groups

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
• 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