Volunteer Coordinator (PB6A)

Job summary

As our new Volunteer Coordinator, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth day-to-day management of volunteer programme by working across all arboretum teams to coordinate our volunteer activities to ensure they meet business needs and provide the highest quality experience for our volunteers. You will oversee the work of our volunteer administration team to ensure we manage volunteer data and core processes (e.g. training, communications, recruitment) effectively and in line with relevant legislation / best practice. You will be an excellent organiser / facilitator, with exemplary communication and administration skills. You’ll thrive on forging strong relationships and have the empathy to tackle difficult and sensitive issues respectfully.

The role sits within the Learning and Participation team, which is responsible for the development and delivery of public engagement programmes, including formal education, interpretation, family events and community activities.

Job description

The Volunteer Coordinator will have responsibility for coordinating all aspects of day-to-day volunteering at Westonbirt:

• supervising our volunteer administration officers to ensure we deliver core processes in a timely fashion and in compliance with pertinent legislation/policy
• overseeing the volunteer CRM system (and its development) to ensure its effective use and that volunteer records are accurate, up-to-date and are stored in compliance with GDPR
• providing staff supervising volunteers with advice on volunteer issues including volunteer welfare, health and safety, equality and diversity and helping to ensure appropriate volunteer behaviour and support conflict resolution
• supporting ongoing volunteer recruitment, induction and training
• promoting respectful and timely dialogue between staff and volunteers – seek feedback from volunteer to help develop our ideas
• liaising with national colleagues and championing volunteering
• Championing volunteering across Westonbirt and beyond through appropriate media

The role will also play a supporting role in identifying new opportunities to develop our future activities by:

• working with national colleagues and local staff to review / update policies
• benchmarking against volunteer best practice
• providing research / data to support strategic decision making
• Proactively developing a network of volunteer partnerships

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Typically work will be office based (though not always). Although there will be some opportunities for home working, the nature of the role will require working at Westonbirt at least 3-4 days / week. This role is on a seven-day contract and flexibility will be required to enable the post holder to support volunteer activities at other times, including weekends, public and privilege holidays and evenings.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience:

Essential professional and technical experience

• A successful track-record in coordinating complex volunteering programmes across different teams ideally within a public-facing environmental setting
• Strong administrative experience and skills – evidence of day-to-day use of Microsoft Office (esp. Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint and Outlook), CRM systems and other digital packages to manage processes effectively e.g. event planning, marketing, record keeping, training
• Evidence of providing staff supervision and support
• Evidence of strong communication and relationship building skills including their application in situations involving conflict / disputes and sensitive issues
• Demonstrable experience of applying a risk assessment process to ensure the safety of those involved
• Understanding of GDPR and equality legislation and evidence of supporting the delivery of respectful and inclusive activities / services

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Demonstrable experience of delivering training and/or mentoring with volunteers
• Experience of undertaking evaluation of a service / activity to assess success, shortcomings and identify further development opportunities
• Evidence of developing and maintaining partnership networks and ideally knowledge of local volunteer services / networks
• Presentation skills

Qualifications

Desirable

• A GCSE in England and Maths
• A qualification in HR, Administration and/or Digital Skills Training.
• Membership of organisations such as NVCO, Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM), Heritage Volunteering Group

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• You will be assessed on technical skill during your interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,105, Forestry Commission contributes £8,721 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

You will be asked to write a 350 word statement summarising your relevant experience and career history, along with 2 additional questions. You will be assessed on all three during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

You will be assessed on experience and a technical skill during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Making effective decisions
• Communication and influencing
• Working together
• Managing a quality service

Successful candidates will undergo an enhanced criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.

Nationality requirements…

Read more about nationality requirements here.

Working for the Civil Service…

Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). This means candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria during the application process will be guaranteed an interview. We also offer a Redeployment Interview Scheme to current civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the role. This role is also part of the Great Place to Work for VeteransandPrison Leaver Recruitment initiative.

Within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to provide conversation in accurate spoken English.

Our recruitment process makes appointments based on fair and open competition and merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in in line with/according to these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : FC Recruitment Team
• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Forestry England Job Description - Volunteer Coordinator (PB6A) Opens in new window (pdf, 109kB)