Volunteering Recruitment and Onboarding Manager

Hearing Dogs for Deaf people; Gillingham; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance Programme

Annual leave enhancements

Pension plan

Learning and Development opportunities

Job summary

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People seeks a Volunteering Recruitment and Onboarding Manager to lead the recruitment and onboarding of volunteers. The 12-month fixed-term role is based at The Grange with hybrid options from Saunderton or Beilby, York, and a GBP 40,000/year package.

The post holder will strengthen recruitment and onboarding, introduce a Volunteer Management System, and collaborate across teams to improve accessibility, experience and processes for future volunteer growth.

Qualifications

• Experience leading or managing volunteer recruitment within a charity.
• Experience designing accessible and inclusive recruitment/onboarding processes.
• Experience leading projects or organisational change.

Responsibilities

• Lead the organisation's approach to volunteer recruitment and onboarding in-line with the Volunteering Strategy.
• Oversee all volunteer vacancies and plan recruitment priorities with teams.
• Develop and maintain a strong onboarding journey and resources for volunteers.
• Collaborate with Marketing, IT, and People teams to improve processes and campaigns.
• Champion inclusive recruitment and continually improve applicant experience.
• Lead the development of policies and digital recruitment enhancements.

Skills

Volunteer recruitment

Stakeholder management

Process improvement

Data reporting

Tools

CRM systems

Recruitment databases

Job description

Volunteering Recruitment and Onboarding Manager

Application Deadline: 20 October 2026

Department: Volunteering

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: The Grange

Compensation: GBP 40,000 / year

Description

Job title: Volunteering Recruitment and Onboarding Manager

Based: Hybrid/ Saunderton, Buckinghamshire or Beilby, York

Contract: Fixed Term - 12 months

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People rebuild connection, companionship, and confidence through trained hearing dogs, practical and emotional support services; transforming the lives of people who are deaf or have hearing loss.

The Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding Manager is an exciting new role, leading Hearing Dogs' approach to attracting, recruiting and welcoming volunteers to the organisation. As a 12-month fixed-term role, the postholder will strengthen Hearing Dog' recruitment and onboarding approach, including supporting the introduction of a Volunteer Management System. The role will improve visibility, accessibility, and the applicant experience, while embedding sustainable processes that support future volunteer growth.

Our Values

• We work as one team, united by purpose, trust and shared success.
• We recognise, value and celebrate everyone who is part of our journey
• We are driven by curiosity, passion and pride in making a real impact

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

• Develop and deliver the organisation's approach to volunteer recruitment and onboarding in-line with the Volunteering Strategy.
• Oversee all volunteer vacancies, working with volunteer-involving teams to understand current needs, recruitment priorities, and future demand.
• Monitor volunteer recruitment activity across the organisation, identifying shortages, hard-to-fill roles and any emerging trends, making recommendations as needed.
• Manage and develop a Grange-based team of 2 to 3 in the Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding section of the wider Volunteering Team.
• Work collaboratively with Volunteering, Services, Marketing & Communications, IT and People teams.
• Represent Hearing Dogs externally where appropriate and develop relationships with volunteer centers, community organisations and other partners.
• Act as a champion for excellent volunteer recruitment and onboarding practice across the charity.

Volunteer attraction and recruitment

• Work with volunteer-involving teams to develop clear, engaging and realistic role descriptions, including expectations, commitments and requirements.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications colleagues to plan and deliver recruitment campaigns.
• Identify and develop new recruitment channels, partnerships, and opportunities to reach potential volunteers.
• Continually review and improve recruitment processes to increase the number of suitable applicants progressing from enquiry to active volunteering.
• Maintain the volunteer roles on the Hearing Dogs website.

Accessibility, inclusion and volunteer experience

• Ensure recruitment and onboarding processes are welcoming, accessible, and inclusive.
• Identify and remove avoidable barriers that may prevent people from volunteering.
• Promote inclusive recruitment practices that encourage applications from a diverse range of communities.
• Support colleagues to apply fair and consistent selection processes.
• Seek feedback from applicants and new volunteers and use it to improve volunteer experience.

Volunteer onboarding

• Own and continuously improve the volunteer onboarding journey from application through to volunteer role offer.
• Develop and maintain volunteer recruitment resources, communications, guidance and tools for volunteers and staff.
• Establish clear service standards and timescales for onboarding activity.
• Work closely with Volunteer Experience & Engagement Manager to ensure volunteers are welcomed, prepared and supported when starting in role.
• Monitor onboarding times and identify opportunities to improve efficiency without compromising quality or safeguarding requirements.
• Ensure applicants who are not suitable for a role receive timely, professional and respectful communication.

Processes, policies and quality

• Lead the development and review of volunteer recruitment and onboarding policies, procedures, and guidance.
• Ensure processes meet organisational, safeguarding, data protection and compliance requirements.
• Provide advice and support to managers and colleagues, promoting good practice and consistency across volunteer recruitment and onboarding.
• Develop standard operating procedures that support safe and consistent recruitment and onboarding practice.

Digital recruitment and continuous improvement

• Lead improvements to the digital volunteer recruitment journey, playing a key role in the implementation of a Volunteer Management System.
• Work with IT and Digital teams to improve systems, workflows and automation, reducing manual administration where possible.
• Ensure volunteer recruitment systems provide accurate and meaningful information.
• Keep up to date with volunteering sector trends and good practice and recommend improvements where appropriate.

Insight, reporting and evaluation

• Develop meaningful recruitment and onboarding reporting to support decision making.
• Monitor vacancy levels, application volumes, conversion rates, onboarding times and diversity data.
• Analyse trends, evidence and feedback to recommend improvements to recruitment outcomes.
• Produce regular reports and insights for leaders and stakeholders.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Experience

• Experience of leading or managing volunteer recruitment, volunteer services, recruitment, applicant experience within a charity.
• Experience of designing and improving recruitment or onboarding processes that are accessible and inclusive.
• Experience of leading projects, process improvements, or organisational change.
• Good understanding of volunteer recruitment and onboarding.
• Knowledge of volunteer management good practice.
• Understanding of accessibility, inclusion, and reducing barriers to volunteering.
• Understanding of safeguarding, data protection and safer recruitment principles.
• Knowledge of digital recruitment methods and channels.

Skills

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Strong planning and organisational skills.
• Ability to balance competing priorities and manage multiple projects.
• Ability to analyse data and information to identify practical solutions and improvements.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to create clear and engaging information including policies, procedures, or guidance.
• Confidence using CRM systems, databases and reporting tools.
• Ability to influence and support colleagues at all levels of the organisation.

Approach

• A strong commitment to creating positive volunteer experiences.
• A collaborative and approachable way of working, with a wide range of stakeholders.
• A practical, organised and solution-focused approach.
• A commitment to inclusion and accessibility.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of organisation-wide work.

General responsibilities

• Promote and uphold Hearing Dogs' values and contribute to an inclusive culture in which people are treated with dignity and respect.
• Follow all relevant policies and procedures, including safeguarding, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality.
• Complete the level of deaf awareness and communication training required by Hearing Dogs.
• Work flexibly and collaboratively, including occasional travel and agreed evening or weekend activity where required.
• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the purpose and level of the role.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 due to its duties involving the protection of children and/or adults at risk. Applicants are therefore required to disclose all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings, and reprimands, as well as any relevant non-conviction information. The successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in accordance with the Police Act 1997 (Part V).

Benefits

• Employee Assistance Programme
• Death in Service Payment
• Annual leave enhancements recognising long service
• Day off for your birthday
• Defined contribution group personal pension plan
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Eye care
• Hearing tests
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Discounts on merchandise at Hearing Dog gift shops
• Pet Dog Policy