Volunteer Manager

West 4th Strategy; New London (CT); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k contribution

Job summary

West 4th Strategy seeks a Volunteer Manager to bridge the museum with the community in New London, CT. You will recruit, train, and retain volunteers and docents, manage shift calendars, and ensure accurate volunteer hour records to support daily museum operations.

You will develop educational modules for volunteers, coordinate trainings, and help organize appreciation events while maintaining compliance with applicable procedures and laws.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, social sciences, communications, or museum studies.
• 2–4 years of volunteer management, community outreach, or program coordination experience.
• Experience sourcing diverse volunteer demographics.
• Experience developing educational modules for nonexperts.
• Proficiency in volunteer management tracking databases.
• Understanding of labor laws between volunteers and employees.

Responsibilities

• Recruit volunteers for gallery docents, museum ambassadors, educational assistants, and admin support.
• Interview candidates and collect vetting information per procedures.
• Train volunteers in museum history, visitor services, and safety protocols.
• Match volunteer skills with museum needs.
• Manage volunteer shift calendars for peak hours and events.
• Maintain databases of volunteer hours and contributions.
• Advocate for volunteers within the staff culture.
• Organize annual volunteer appreciation events and newsletters.

Skills

Volunteer management

Community outreach

Program coordination

Recruiting

Volunteer training

Nonprofit experience

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Volunteer management databases

Job description

Volunteer Manager

ROLE

We need an experienced Volunteer Manager at the National Coast Guard Museum (NCGM). The NCGM is a new 80,000 square foot national museum in New London, Connecticut, built to honor the history and missions of the U.S. Coast Guard and expected to welcome roughly 300,000 visitors a year. In this role, you will serve as the link between the museum and the community, recruiting, coordinating, training, and retaining the volunteers and docents who support daily museum operations. You will manage volunteer shift calendars, train volunteers in museum history, visitor services, and emergency safety protocols, and maintain accurate records of volunteer hours and contributions. This is a full-time opportunity. We can offer a competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Recruits volunteers for Government approved roles such as gallery docents, museum ambassadors, educational assistants, and administrative support.
• Interviews candidates and collects or submits required volunteer vetting information in accordance with Government procedures.
• Trains volunteers in the museum's history, mission, visitor services, and emergency safety protocols.
• Matches volunteer skills and interests with museum operational needs.
• Manages volunteer shift calendars to ensure proper coverage during peak hours and events.
• Maintains accurate databases of volunteer hours and contributions.
• Acts as the voice of the volunteers, integrating them into the broader staff culture.
• Organizes annual volunteer appreciation events, luncheons, and milestone awards.
• Produces regular newsletters, web updates, and notifications to keep the volunteer network informed.

BACKGROUND/REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, social sciences, communications, or museum studies.
• Two (2) to four (4) years of experience in volunteer management, community outreach, or program coordination.
• Experience sourcing diverse volunteer demographics, from students to retirees.
• Experience developing educational modules that train nonexperts to interact with the public or assist with collections.
• Proficiency in volunteer management tracking databases.
• Clear understanding of legal distinctions between volunteer and employee labor laws.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

• Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA).
• Volunteer management experience in a nonprofit or cultural setting.
• Comfort delivering presentations, leading large orientations, and representing the museum externally.
• Diplomatic interpersonal skills to manage diverse personalities and handle performance issues within a volunteer pool.
• Ability to tailor communication approaches across generational groups.
• Experience creating nonmonetary incentives and appreciation events to drive volunteer retention.

LOCATION

• New London, Connecticut – National Coast Guard Museum

CLEARANCE

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must pass a federal background investigation and meet facility and system access requirements

CLIENT

• United States Coast Guard – National Coast Guard Museum

HOURS

• 40 hours per week. 8 hours per day

EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION

• Employment Classification Eligibility – W2

COMPENSATION

• Salary range: $60,000 – $70,000
• Benefits: Benefits package includes options for health, dental, and vision insurance coverage; 401k contribution options. Full benefits brochure available for review.

West 4th Strategy is an Equal Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, age, marital status, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, pregnancy, political affiliation, military or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal or state law.

Other Considerations:

This position is W-2 only; no Corp-to-Corp or 1099 candidates.Relocation will not be offered. As a condition of employment, selected candidates must complete and receive favorable adjudication from a federal government background investigation as required by the client. Individual’s primary workstation is located in an office area. The noise level in this environment is low to moderate. Regularly required to sit for extended periods up to 80% of the time; frequently required to move about to access file cabinets and use office equipment such as PC, copier, fax, telephone, cell phone, etc. Occasionally required to reach overhead, bend, and lift objects of up to 10 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the use of computer monitor screens up to 80% of the time.