Volunteering Recruitment and Onboarding Manager

Volunteering Recruitment and Onboarding Manager

Final date to receive applications: 20 October 2026

Department: Volunteering

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: The Grange

Compensation: GBP 40,000 / year

Description

Job title: Volunteering Recruitment and Onboarding Manager

Based: Hybrid/ Saunderton, Buckinghamshire or Beilby, York

Contract: Fixed Term - 12 months

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People rebuild connection, companionship, and confidence through trained hearing dogs, practical and emotional support services; transforming the lives of people who are deaf or have hearing loss.

The Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding Manager is an exciting new role, leading Hearing Dogs' approach to attracting, recruiting and welcoming volunteers to the organisation. As a 12-month fixed-term role, the postholder will strengthen Hearing Dog' recruitment and onboarding approach, including supporting the introduction of a Volunteer Management System. The role will improve visibility, accessibility, and the applicant experience, while embedding sustainable processes that support future volunteer growth.

Our Values

• We work as one team, united by purpose, trust and shared success.
• We recognise, value and celebrate everyone who is part of our journey
• We are driven by curiosity, passion and pride in making a real impact

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

• Develop and deliver the organisation's approach to volunteer recruitment and onboarding in-line with the Volunteering Strategy.
• Oversee all volunteer vacancies, working with volunteer-involving teams to understand current needs, recruitment priorities, and future demand.
• Monitor volunteer recruitment activity across the organisation, identifying shortages, hard-to-fill roles and any emerging trends, making recommendations as needed.
• Manage and develop a Grange-based team of 2 to 3 in the Volunteer Recruitment & Onboarding section of the wider Volunteering Team.
• Work collaboratively with Volunteering, Services, Marketing & Communications, IT and People teams.
• Represent Hearing Dogs externally where appropriate and develop relationships with volunteer centers, community organisations and other partners.
• Act as a champion for excellent volunteer recruitment and onboarding practice across the charity.

Volunteer attraction and recruitment

• Work with volunteer-involving teams to develop clear, engaging and realistic role descriptions, including expectations, commitments and requirements.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications colleagues to plan and deliver recruitment campaigns.
• Identify and develop new recruitment channels, partnerships, and opportunities to reach potential volunteers.
• Continually review and improve recruitment processes to increase the number of suitable applicants progressing from enquiry to active volunteering.
• Maintain the volunteer roles on the Hearing Dogs website.

Accessibility, inclusion and volunteer experience

• Ensure recruitment and onboarding processes are welcoming, accessible, and inclusive.
• Identify and remove avoidable barriers that may prevent people from volunteering.
• Promote inclusive recruitment practices that encourage applications from a diverse range of communities.
• Support colleagues to apply fair and consistent selection processes.
• Seek feedback from applicants and new volunteers and use it to improve volunteer experience.

Volunteer onboarding

• Own and continuously improve the volunteer onboarding journey from application through to volunteer role offer.
• Develop and maintain volunteer recruitment resources, communications, guidance and tools for volunteers and staff.
• Establish clear service standards and timescales for onboarding activity.
• Work closely with Volunteer Experience & Engagement Manager to ensure volunteers are welcomed, prepared and supported when starting in role.
• Monitor onboarding times and identify opportunities to improve efficiency without compromising quality or safeguarding requirements.
• Ensure applicants who are not suitable for a role receive timely, professional and respectful communication.

Processes, policies and quality

• Lead the development and review of volunteer recruitment and onboarding policies, procedures, and guidance.
• Ensure processes meet organisational, safeguarding, data protection and compliance requirements.
• Provide advice and support to managers and colleagues, promoting good practice and consistency across volunteer recruitment and onboarding.
• Develop standard operating procedures that support safe and consistent recruitment and…