Volunteer Manager

Purpose of job

To lead and develop BucksVision s approach to volunteer involvement across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, ensuring volunteers are recruited, trained, supported and retained to help deliver high-quality services for people with sight loss.

The Volunteer Manager provides guidance and support to staff, volunteers and local groups, helping BucksVision maintain a safe, confident and sustainable volunteer base.

Impact

BucksVision relies on over 280 volunteers to support people with sight loss across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Volunteers are central to the charity s ability to maintain existing services, respond to local need and develop new opportunities.

The Volunteer Manager plays a key role in ensuring BucksVision has a safe, effective and sustainable volunteer base. This includes improving recruitment, supporting retention, strengthening volunteer practice and helping staff and volunteer leaders to manage volunteer involvement confidently and consistently.

Decision making responsibility

The Volunteer Manager is the organisational lead for volunteer involvement and is expected to make day-to-day decisions relating to volunteer recruitment, onboarding, training, support, retention and safe practice.

The postholder will use professional judgement to resolve volunteer-related issues, advise colleagues, identify risks and escalate safeguarding, performance or conduct concerns where appropriate.

Main accountabilities

To work in partnership with the Chief Executive and Operations Manager to lead and develop volunteer involvement across BucksVision, ensuring recruitment, onboarding, training, support, retention are delivered in line with BucksVision s strategic outcomes.

This includes:

• Leading the recruitment, selection and onboarding of volunteers across BucksVision, ensuring applicants are matched to suitable roles and have a positive, accessible and inclusive experience.
• Strengthening volunteer retention by helping to create a positive volunteer experience through clear communication, recognition, feedback and practical problem-solving.
• Line managing three members of staff working with volunteers.
• Providing guidance to staff, social club volunteers, divisional volunteers and volunteer leaders on volunteer involvement, role boundaries, expectations, good practice and safe working.
• Designing, delivering and coordinating training for staff and volunteers, including induction, safeguarding, health and safety, sighted guiding, role boundaries and volunteer management good practice.
• Helping to resolve issues relating to volunteer involvement, including conduct, accessibility, safeguarding, expectations and role boundaries, escalating concerns where appropriate.