Community Programme Executive

This exciting role is a unique opportunity to deliver and support the growth of a highly successful corporate volunteer programme. Day to day you will have the chance to work at every level – from attending strategy meetings with CSR leads for multinational businesses, to being on the ground at volunteer events delivering memorable experiences for our volunteers.

This is a hands on role. We are seeking an individual who is passionate about the community and recognises the tremendous value corporate volunteering can bring to the charity sector and schools when it is well managed. You will need to be highly organised and driven to make things happen; whilst having a flexible and empathetic approach, able to adapt to the demands and needs of both our charity and corporate partners.

Background information

Paddington is the largest area of growth within the City of Westminster, and is already home to major national and global headquarters. Our Community Programme connects these companies and their employees with surrounding charities and schools.

The Community Programme Executive will be responsible for leading the delivery of The Paddington Partnership Community Programme, placing over 1,500 employee volunteers in more than 40 charities and schools every year. Visit our website thisispaddington.com and our LinkedIn profile to view community programme activity.

Job Overview

To build on the existing initiatives that link companies and employees at Paddington with local voluntary sector, charities and schools and to identify new ways for companies and their employees to engage with the local community.

• Source, scope, match, plan and deliver a broad range of engaging and purposeful volunteering activities in the local community in the fields of housing, the environment, older people, education and employability, youth service and community development.
• Broker and support individual and team volunteering, both skilled and practical, one-off and long-term.
• Nurture the strong relationships built on trust and clear communication with our charity partners.

Job Description

Key activities will include:

• Providing an end-to-end volunteering service; identifying opportunities that match companies’ core values, preparing briefing documents and risk assessments, undertaking advance site visits, enduring the successful execution of volunteer projects on the day, celebrating volunteering on social media and in written case studies.
• Maintaining regular contact with charity partners to identify new opportunities which offer companies a breadth of experiences, utilise employees’ energy, skills and talents and which meet the needs of the community.
• Assisting with accurate reporting to company CSR leads by updating company tracking documents in a timely manner, holding conference calls and attending meetings.
• Delivering large-scale volunteering events in line with national campaigns, including Earth Day, National Volunteers’ Week and Silver Sunday.

Fulfilling the Role:

• Promoting and publicising project activities through written case studies for inclusion in newsletters, social media and on websites.
• Working within the agreed budget for projects (both internal and external) and keeping appropriate records.
• Being self-servicing in terms of administration.
• Working within the guidelines of The Paddington Partnership’s policies as outlined in the Employee Handbook, including financial procedures, compliance, equal opportunities and working practice.

Person Specification

We are seeking someone who is highly motivated with experience delivering projects or programmes, and is passionate about community involvement and the value of volunteering.

Required education and experience:

• Educated to a minimum of A Levels or equivalent. A degree is desirable.
• Three years’ work experience, including either corporate volunteering or community involvement experience.
• An understanding of the voluntary sector and the challenges it is under.
• Some experience of volunteering, possibly as an employee.
• Experience of working on projects with schools and colleges would be an advantage.
• Experience of planning and delivering events and of the logistics and challenges involved.

Required skills and competencies

• High level written and verbal English communication skills, with experience of preparing material for a range of audiences and media (newsletters, reports, social media).
• Ability to communicate professionally and confidently to a range of stakeholders.
• A creative and resilient approach, with an ability to problem solve and remain calm in a crisis.
• An efficient, proactive team member; capable of working on multiple projects and activities, maintaining high standards of work and attention to detail when under pressure.
• Able to prioritise own workload, work to tight deadlines and be highly organised.
• Confident user of MS Office with good administrative skills and ability to keep accurate records.
• An awareness of equal opportunities and health and safety.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, keeping colleagues in the loop in a fast-paced environment.

Place of Work

You will be based at The Paddington Partnership’s offices in Paddington in London, though there will be some flexibility to work from home as diaries permit. You will be expected to travel to visit various partners’ premises as part of your daily activities, for which journey costs can be reclaimed.

Salary:

• The post is offered with a salary of £33,000 to 35,000 pa, dependent on experience.

Hours:

• Monday to Friday 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Occasional evening working, for which time off in lieu will be given.

Holiday:

• 25 days per annum, plus paid public holidays and Christmas closure.

Employee benefits:

• The Paddington Partnership subscribes to an Employee Support Programme which you can utilise confidentially throughout your employment with us.
• Opportunities will be made available for you to regularly attend training.
• The successful candidate will complete First Aid and Risk Assessment training courses as part of their induction period.
• You will be automatically enrolled on the employee pension scheme.
• The Paddington Partnership will contribute to your pension throughout your employment, unless you choose to opt out.

Probationary period

Appointment will be subject to a probationary period of six months. Successful applicants will need to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check due to the nature of the role.

How to apply

Please submit a CV plus covering written piece totalling no more than 500 words responding to the question “Drawing on your own experience and knowledge of the sector, what value can corporate volunteers bring to the community sector and for the businesses and their employees who participate?”

Interviews will be held at our office. You will be asked to talk about your written piece at the beginning of the interview. Due to the volume of applicants we regret that we may not be able to reply to those applicants who have not been shortlisted.