Volunteering & Community Manager

We're looking for a Volunteering & Community Manager to join our property team in Belfast. You'll support volunteer managers across the property with improving the volunteer experience and increasing support in targeted ways. You'll support our community engagement and partnerships, sometimes with a volunteering focus. Working with property colleagues you'll ensure our volunteering offer grows and develops. You will be someoneo who is capable of managing complex relationships and you'll lead for greater engagement with our communities. 

We're a busy portfolio with 100 volunteers working across our operation, as well as busy projects your role will support an incredible community engagement ambition, so weekend and Bank Holiday work are required as part of this role. You'll be required to work one weekend per month and this role includes Duty Management responsibility. 

This is a fixed term contract until March 2025.

This role is required to work with vulnerable groups including children and any offer of employment or volunteering is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

The Belfast Property Group is an exciting, vibrant and diverse collection of sites across the City and stretching out into the surrounding countryside. We look after 12 special places in the Belfast portfolio including Divis & the Black Mountain, Rowallane Garden, Minnowburn, Lisnabreeny & Cregagh Glen and Patterson’s Spade Mill among others. Belfast is a growing and busy city and the National Trust has a role to play in supporting access to greenspaces so that both people and nature can thrive.

You will be managing the development and delivery of this portfolio’s strategic plan for volunteering and communities alongside the property leadership team. Managing and embedding change whilst widening and deepening our relationships with existing and new audiences.

Reporting to the General Manager you'll work in partnership with the property leadership team to strategically plan, implement, evolve, and support the property volunteer managers in how they lead for volunteering within their departments. Coaching colleagues to increase their confidence and capability and creating a positive, flexible, and inclusive environment for volunteers whilst increasing volunteer involvement across the portfolio.

You will also increase the confidence and capability of others whilst creating a collective, flexible and inclusive environment for existing & future volunteers, communities and partners.

You will lead for community involvement across the portfolio and support the wider Belfast team in our work to “be a good neighbour”. You will be an advocate for people and equal access to nature, beauty and history.

Supporting the General Manager to develop an inclusive culture and embed our ‘Everyone Welcome’ value, you'll be a key member of the property leadership team and be collectively responsible for the effective delivery of the property business plan.

We would love to hear from people with the following skills/experience:

•Understanding of good practice in volunteering, volunteer recruitment, volunteer management

•Understanding of good practice in community engagement and involvement, as well as broader participation and partnership working.

•Practical and successful experience in developing and implementing innovative approaches to volunteering and community engagement 

•Strong knowledge of relevant legislative requirements relating to the role – including safeguarding and the legal distinctiveness of volunteering

•Ability to coach and support those managing, supervising and working alongside volunteers and community partners

•Able to build effective and collaborative relationships with property leadership peers and their teams, and partners

•Excellent organisational and planning skills and strong communication skills.

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

•Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

•Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

•Rental deposit loan scheme

•Season ticket loan

•EV car lease scheme 

•Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

•Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

•Flexible working whenever possible

•Employee assistance programme

•Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.