Volunteer & Learning Manager

FIGHT FOR SIGHT; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible/hybrid working options

Employer pension contributions matched

Generous parental leave

Apprenticeships scheme, study leave &\

Cycle to work scheme, eye test Vouc...

Job summary

Fight for Sight is seeking a Volunteer & Learning Manager to lead recruitment, induction and retention of volunteers across our 12 charity shops. Working with the Area Manager, you will ensure volunteers feel welcome, valued and well supported so shops can raise funds for eye research.

This 35-hour-per-week, 12-month fixed-term contract offers flexible, hybrid working including one day from home. You will develop training programmes, monitor volunteer performance and build partnerships with

Qualifications

• Experience in volunteer management, learning and 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.

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.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.

Job description

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.

Volunteer & Learning Manager

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

Closing date for applications

5pm, Wednesday 4th November

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

• 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

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.