Volunteer Engagement Manager

Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE); Rugby; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a proactive Volunteer Engagement Manager to lead their centralized management function. This exciting role involves enhancing volunteer experiences and maximizing their impact while contributing to the organization's strategic goals. You will oversee a dedicated team, develop effective strategies, and ensure a world-class volunteer experience. Join a dynamic team committed to making a difference and driving sustainable growth. This is a fantastic opportunity for a passionate manager with a track record in volunteer engagement to make a significant impact in a global movement.

Benefits

Annual performance reviews

Training and development opportunities

Company contributory pension scheme

Life assurance

28 days annual leave

Paid sickness leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Health cash plan

Financial support for professional memberships

Free parking and refreshments

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in volunteer management or related fields.
• Proven ability to develop impactful volunteer engagement strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of the Institution's volunteering strategy.
• Manage a professional volunteer management function across the Institution.

Skills

Volunteer Management

Strategic Development

Risk Management

Communication Skills

Team Leadership

Education

Degree Level Education

Job description

At IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers), we are more than a professional body – we are a powerful, global movement of over 32,000 chemical, biochemical and process engineers who are solving some of the world’s biggest challenges.

From climate change and clean energy to food security and health, our members lead the way in creating a safer, more sustainable world. We champion excellence, ethics and innovation. As the only organisation licensed to award Chartered Chemical Engineer status and Professional Process Safety Engineer registration, we set the standard for our profession.

With a bold new strategy, fresh leadership, and an ambitious agenda for growth, inclusion and influence, this is a truly exciting time to join IChemE. Be part of a team that is raising the bar, growing its global voice, and Engineering a Sustainable World.

Position:

We are seeking a proactive, dynamic and experienced Volunteer Engagement Manager to lead our centralised management function. They will be responsible for leading and continually improving a professional, high-quality, and impactful centralised management function. They will integrate an increasing number of volunteers into the Institution’s activities and initiatives, enhancing their experience, and maximising their impact, regardless of geography or circumstance.

This role makes a significant contribution to the Institution’s success by managing a centralised business function that enables a dynamic, inclusive and effective volunteer community, with positive impacts for volunteers, the IChemE and wider society. They will play a central role in helping the organisation achieve its strategic goals of sustainable membership growth, improved member experience, and amplifying our voice.

You will oversee a small team, ensuring clear and supportive management while working across all areas of the institution to balance supply and demand. You will develop and implement effective strategies, policies, and procedures to engage and retain volunteers, promote the value of volunteering, and ensure a world-class volunteer experience. Your efforts will contribute to a dynamic, inclusive, and effective volunteer community, driving continuous improvement and celebrating volunteer impact.

In this role, you will also provide guidance on best practices in volunteer management, address any issues or conflicts promptly, and ensure appropriate financial management of an assigned budget. You will maintain a clear understanding of volunteer needs through regular evaluation and benchmarking, and develop a growing offer for recognition and reward of volunteers.

If you are a proactive manager with a passion for volunteer engagement and a track record of delivering impactful strategies, we would love to hear from you. Join us in making a difference!

Core responsibilities of the role include:

• Development and implementation of the Institution’s volunteering strategy, policies and procedures to ensure world-class engagement and retention of volunteers at all stages in the volunteer cycle, regardless of geography or circumstance.
• Providing oversight and expert input into a growing number of innovative programs to enhance volunteer recognition and rewards.
• Leading a high-quality and professional volunteer management function, ensuring supply and demand needs are met across the Institution, and supporting all teams to embed consistent and coordinated approaches.
• Playing an active role in company / departmental development projects and continued improvement initiatives.
• Professional and effective line management of appropriate staff.

Requirements:

Our ideal candidate will:

• be educated to minimum of Degree level education
• have at least 5 years work experience or proven practical and diverse work experience in a related field aligned to volunteer management.

They will be able to demonstrate:

• Proven experience in the development and implementation of impactful volunteer engagement strategies.
• Proven expertise in defining and driving strategies to achieve step changes in engagement.
• Proven experience forming partnerships and networks with other organisations which bring mutual benefit.
• High level of proficiency in risk management and mitigation.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering and reporting against ambitious targets, KPI’s, budgets and deadlines.
• Proven expertise in ensuring appropriate policies and practices to guarantee compliance with regulatory and legal obligations.
• Expertise in developing and continuously adapting a dynamic range of volunteer training and competence assessment activities.

Other information:

This is an office-based role in either our Rugby (preferred) or London offices and with a UK-wide remit and an opportunity to work internationally. If candidates are London based, there will be a requirement to travel to the Rugby office at least weekly to engage with staff teams and direct reports.

As the role requires working across a range of international time zones, flexibility in working patterns is also required.

IChemE reserves the right to vary this working arrangement on reasonable notice.

This is a permanent, full-time role based on 37.5 hours per week, generally Monday – Friday, but a high degree of flexibility will be required to meet business needs.

Due to IChemE’s international nature, this position requires a willingness to work flexibly and to engage in business discussions outside of normal working hours.

Only candidates eligible to work in the UK will be considered.

Starting salary will be in the region of £45-49,000 per annum (depending on experience) plus benefits which includes an excellent pension scheme.

The closing date for all applications is midnight Sunday 18 May 2025. IChemE reserves the right to interview exceptional candidates and make an offer of employment before the closing date should we wish.

Interviews will take place as needed when suitable candidates are secured.

IChemE benefits of employment include:

• Annual performance reviews
• Training and development opportunities
• Company contributory pension scheme that matches employee contributions by 1.5 times up to a maximum capped 12% employer contribution
• Life assurance linked to being an active member of the pension scheme
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) for full time members of staff
• Company paid sickness leave after 6 months employment and increased at intervals based on length of service
• Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support
• Health cash plan (cash back on optical, dental, physio and more)
• Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions if relevant to your role
• Free parking and refreshments at our Rugby Office.

For more details about this and other vacancies at IChemE, visit www.icheme.org/jobs.