Volunteer Coordinator (Pagham Harbour)

Why we want you.

Volunteers are key to the smooth running of our reserves, so we want to make sure we give them the best experience possible. We are looking for someone to help co-ordinate our teams of volunteers at Pagham Harbour and support the staff who manage them.

Pagham Harbour is a glorious and peaceful nature reserve, one of the few undeveloped stretches of the Sussex coast. Home to a wide range of wildlife and habitats, from here we also manage our Medmerry and Langston Harbour reserves. You’ll become part of the reserve team and your help would mean we can do even more, by creating new volunteering opportunities and developing existing teams.

What you’d be doing.

• Be the first point of contact for dealing with enquiries from those interested in volunteering.
• Help keep volunteer records current/up to date on our volunteer database, Assemble.
• Carry out other administrative tasks like processing volunteer expense claims and creating ID badges.
• Support staff in recruiting new volunteers. Help by proofreading new role profiles, creating adverts/posters, promoting roles on external websites, provide admin support for interview process.
• Assisting staff to plan and deliver volunteer interviews and inductions.
• Help organise volunteer thank you events (a couple of times a year) and long service awards (special pin badges).
• Compile a volunteer reserve newsletter to keep volunteers up to date with the latest news.
• Supporting volunteers with the use of Assemble, including training on using the system where needed.

It’s a very flexible role so can fit around your other commitments. We’d envisage it taking between 1 and 2 days a week and being part home-based and part reserve-based so proximity to the reserve is important. There is also the option of doing it as a role-share. As part of your volunteering from home set up, we’d supply you with an RSPB laptop for ease of accessing RSPB Systems and MS Teams for meetings.

When you’re volunteering from the reserve, this not only gives you the chance to get to know the volunteers and reserve staff and how things are done behind the scenes, but it’s also a fantastic setting to work from!

You'll be trained in everything you need to know before starting in role, including in our Volunteer Database, Assemble. There’ll be support on-site from your line manager as well as a network of volunteer co-ordinators across the country.

What’s in it for you?

• The opportunity to meet new people and be part of a large and diverse team of staff and volunteers who are passionate about nature.
• The chance to work in a beautiful reserve setting.
• The chance to use the skills honed in your working life to make things better for nature.
• The chance to learn new skills or develop existing ones and an opportunity for development within the role if you wish.
• Flexibility- the home working element of the role can fit in around your other commitments.
• You'd be helping us to ensure that volunteers have a rewarding and enjoyable time with us and that the reserve is well-supported by them. It's a wonderful opportunity to make a genuine contribution to wildlife conservation.

You’ll need:

• Excellent organisational and record keeping skills and great attention to detail.
• To be a great people person, friendly, approachable and tactful.
• Excellent telephone manner and written communication skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a small team.
• Able to work both from home and the reserve.
• Computer literacy (Microsoft Office).