Volunteer Development Partner (3488)

Help us to create a volunteering experience that makes a lasting difference.

At the RSPCA, our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. They give their time, skills and passion to help improve the lives of animals, and we want to make sure they have a positive, rewarding and engaging experience with us.

As our Volunteer Development Partner, you'll play a key role in making that happen.

Working closely with teams and managers across the RSPCA, you'll provide expert advice, guidance and practical support to help them develop and deliver effective volunteering opportunities. You'll proactively build strong relationships with colleagues across the organisation, understand their needs and help them find innovative volunteering solutions that support both their teams and our wider strategic ambitions.

This is a home-based role with very occasional travel to attend team meetings. We have hubs in Horsham (West Sussex) and London (Blackfriars) if you like to work in the office too.

You'll be a trusted partner to managers and teams across the RSPCA, helping them to make the most of volunteering. This will include

• Proactively building strong relationships with internal stakeholders across Central Services to enable them to expand their volunteer offering.
• Working with relevant teams across the RSPCA to manage our digital volunteers, Big Help Out programme, and Duke of Edinburgh volunteering.
• Working with teams to develop new and innovative volunteering opportunities that support their objectives and improve the volunteer experience.
• Providing expert advice on all aspects of volunteering.
• Providing guidance on volunteering policies, procedures, legal requirements and best practice.
• Supporting managers and volunteer coordinators with complex volunteer relations and problem-solving situations.
• Providing guidance on volunteer performance management and supporting managers with challenging situations.
• Helping teams identify training and development needs for volunteers and volunteer coordinators, and working with colleagues to develop appropriate solutions.
• Supporting business and workforce planning where volunteers are involved, including succession planning.
• Providing advice and guidance on equality, diversity and inclusion in relation to volunteering.
• Monitoring and evaluating volunteer development and training activity to ensure it delivers the intended outcomes.
• Keeping up to date with relevant legislation, best practice and developments in volunteering to ensure the RSPCA continues to provide a safe, inclusive and effective volunteering experience.

• Understanding of volunteer management and development.
• Extensive experience of building and managing constructive working relationships
• Complaint resolution and reputational management.
• General knowledge of legislation that impacts on volunteers
• Successful experience of participating in cross functional projects with tangible results

Desirable 

• Knowledge or experience of working in a not-for-profit-organisation.
• Working with volunteers.
• Proven analytical, problem solving and organisational skills
• Project management skills
• Knowledge of animal welfare issues or animal care.
• Use of Google information systems.

Successful candidates for certain RSPCA roles may need to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK as we are unable to sponsor visas.

We want to ensure we do all we can to give you a positive candidate experience through our recruitment. Whilst we do try to give feedback where we can, sometimes due to receiving high levels of applications, this may not always be possible

Our vision is a world where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. Our purpose is to inspire everyone to create a better world for animals. We are building the future of a diverse Society, and our priority is to support animal welfare by finding people from all backgrounds who are committed  to our purpose.  For this reason we actively encourage a wide diversity of applications - in particular from members of minority ethnic groups, and people with disabilities - as these candidates are currently under-represented at the RSPCA. 

We're here to support you and encourage you to let us know if you need any adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please feel free to contact us at resourcingteam@rspca.org.uk or 0300 123 0685 so we can ensure the process works for you.