Senior Community, Participation & Volunteering Manager pa

We’re looking for a passionate and strategic leader to join us as a Senior Community, Participation & Volunteering Manager. In this exciting role, you’ll lead inclusive and participative approaches across our portfolio putting people and communities at the heart of everything we do. You’ll help us grow and diversify volunteering, build strong partnerships, and create opportunities for more people to connect with nature and heritage.

You’ll be part of the portfolio leadership team reporting to the general manager. The leadership team support each other to deliver portfolio objectives, agree a vision and set the direction to ensure the wider team work collaboratively to give visitors a great experience.

Most of the time you’ll be based on one of the properties in the portfolio working with a variety of people from different backgrounds. We are committed to working with partners and the communities increasing our reach into communities in urban environments around us to deliver positive impact.

You’ll lead a ‘population and people first’ approach, using insight and strategic outcomes to set priorities and guide decision‑making. You’ll work with property leadership teams and wider colleagues to embed participative ways of working, increase access, and support inclusive volunteering experiences both on and off property.

Your role will involve building and managing strategic partnerships, coaching teams to build confidence and capability, and creating opportunities for people to share their time and skills. You’ll champion collaborative working, support community‑led initiatives, and ensure that the voices of communities, partners and volunteers are heard and valued—especially during times of change.

You’ll also play a key role in evaluating impact, sharing learning, and contributing to national networks and Communities of Practice. Ultimately, your work will help us increase access to nature and heritage and inspire millions of people to take action.

As one of the senior staff on the property you will support on occasion as duty manager.

Applications from redeployees are assessed against the minimum criteria for the role. In your application, please provide details of how you meet the minimum criteria below:

• excellent understanding of good practice in community engagement and participatory practice, and experience of applying it in a range of contexts.
• excellent understanding of volunteer engagement and experience of innovating volunteering and increasing wider participation.
• think strategically and demonstrate strong analytical skills. Able to use data and insight to prioritise, make effective choices and decide when and how to engage different audiences.
• significant experience of partnership working.
• able to build effective and collaborative working relationships with leaders and wider teams, and to coach people to increase their confidence/capability and increase community engagement and participation – including volunteering.

• significant experience of partnership working across multiple disciplines, such as nature conservation, historic landscape management

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

Gibside, Rowlands Gill, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE16 6BG

• Senior Community, Participation & Volunteering…