Volunteer Manager

Many charities and other non-profit organisations rely on volunteers to carry out some or all of their work. Volunteer managers make sure that all volunteers are in the right place at the right time. Their duties include recruiting, training and supervising volunteers, organising events and undertaking administrative work.

Volunteer managers usually work normal office hours, from Monday to Friday. Evening and weekend work may be required. Part-time work is available. Most volunteer managers are office based. A driving licence could be useful for travelling to meetings and events.
Salaries range from around £16,000 to over £30,000 a year.
Volunteer managers need:

• to be committed to the work of their charity
• excellent organisational skills
• strong written and spoken communication skills
• to be flexible and adaptable
• to be good at team work and to enjoy working with people.

Volunteer managers are employed by national and local charities, hospitals, arts, culture and sports organisations, environmental organisations and organisations working with children and young people.

There are around 153,000 general charities in the UK employing 569,000 paid workers. There are opportunities throughout the UK, but many large charities have their headquarters in London or other major cities. Volunteer managers working for charities dealing with overseas aid may have the opportunity to travel or work abroad.

There are no formal entry requirements. Experience in management, human resources or administration, or any paid or unpaid work for a voluntary organisation can be an advantage. There is no maximum age to become a volunteer manager.

Training varies depending on the organisation. Some larger charities have in-house training schemes which may include training in skills such as public speaking or writing press releases. Smaller charities may send staff on external training courses. Volunteer managers may work towards nationally recognised qualifications.

In larger organisations, promotion may be possible to a more senior role. Those working for small organisations may have to change employers in order to progress. Some volunteer managers move into careers in human resources or management. There may be opportunities to travel or work abroad.