Volunteer Manager Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the volunteer manager job description, including the key tasks, duties, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the volunteer manager role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Volunteer Manager Do?

A volunteer manager can also be known as a volunteer coordinator; his/her primary role is to supervise and manage the volunteers’ resources to ensure the organization’s objectives and goals are met.

The volunteer manager job description entails directly managing volunteers, providing mentorship or guidance, support, resource, and tools to staff who supervise volunteers.

Volunteer managers basically are responsible for high-level or executive activities and spend most of their time planning, analyzing, and making decisions on their own.

An outstanding volunteer manager must command good knowledge of operating in a non-profit or volunteer-related organization desirably as a manager with exceptional leadership, computer, and communication skills, which will be useful for managing the volunteer staff and volunteer resources to meet the organization’s set goals or objective.

His/her work description also involves recruiting, training and mentoring the volunteer staff.

Volunteer managers also engage in program planning in a bid to meet their goals.

They are responsible for the timely and accurate processing of data from their staff – volunteers or paid members to create reports and distribute it to key members of the organization.

They work closely with volunteers to create a schedule that works for everyone and ensures the right amount of volunteers is always available to distribute duties too.

They also assess the budget for each program and ensure adequate resources available always.

Volunteer Manager Job Description Example/Template

Volunteer managers perform various functions in providing effective supervision to the volunteer staff of an organization.

Shown below are tasks, duties, and responsibilities that typically make up the job description of volunteer managers in most organizations:

• Develop a budget and assess available resources for the volunteer program activities
• Conduct continuous evaluation of the programs and services delivered by the volunteer and implements corrections when necessary
• Develop and implement effective strategies to recruit volunteers with the right skills at the right time to match the interest of the organization
• Train staff to work effectively with volunteers on each program and resolve any conflict or misunderstanding without bias
• Enlighten and clarify staff and volunteers on their roles and responsibilities to all stakeholders, in alignment with the goal or objectives of the organization
• Ensure that volunteers and staff are well supervised and check-in as at when due and meet up with the tasks given
• Research and draft volunteer policies and procedures, including risk assessments
• Generate income, write funding bids, and raise funds to ensure the sustainability and viability of each project
• Maintain an up-to-date database and use this information to monitor and evaluate activities; and write reports for funders and trustees
• Design formal or informal activities to recognize the contributions of volunteers to the organization
• Organize profile raising events to attract new volunteers and raise funds
• Ensure that the welfare of volunteers is high, and perform any other administrative activities.

Requirements – Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge – for the role of a Volunteer manager

Generally, the minimum education of a college degree in management, business studies, volunteer management, human-resource management, social work, youth and community work, adult education, social or humanity sciences or any other relevant field or its equivalent is usually required to become a volunteer manager, but it is possible to enter the career without a degree as some employers value experience more often than academic achievement.

Furthermore, taking courses that will help them better understand the job can be useful to any aspiring volunteer manager.

Courses on human-resource planning, management, business, spreadsheets and word processing can be helpful when it comes to preparing for a job in volunteer management or scheduling.

Other skills and qualities that can be helpful in securing an interview are:

• Minimum of two to three years managerial or related work experience in a non-profit or charitable organization, most preferably as a volunteer manager
• Strong communication skills – written and verbal, which will be useful in creating handbooks, training manuals, and other program materials
• Strong analytical, leadership and planning skills
• Ability to multi-task and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Strong computer skills and proficiency in word processing, database management, spreadsheet applications, and Raiser’s Edge or other fundraising software
• Attention to details and a clear understanding of the sector; commitment to the organization; and ability to handle information confidentially
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to deal with a diverse type of people
• Excellent organizational, time management skills, and ability to cope with limited resources, seize opportunities and think creatively
• Good work ethics, a flexible and non-judgmental approach to people
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and also take initiatives when the need arises
• Driving skills may be required for visiting organizations and assisting volunteers with travel.

Advancing Your Career

Postgraduate degree programs are usually not needed, but it is an added advantage, especially when one is applying for a job at more competitive organizations

Conclusion

Volunteer managers are important members of an organization that employ the services of volunteers in achieving their goals and objectives.

Are you an employer looking for the best manager to hire to head your volunteer resource unit? If you are, then the sample job description with the highlighted duties and responsibilities will be useful to you in making a detailed description for the role in your organization.

By publishing a comprehensive description of the job, you will be increasing your chances of attracting the best candidates to your organization.

The content of this post is equally useful to people aspiring to get into the volunteer management career. They will be able to learn all they need to know about the job of the manager in charge of volunteers in an organization.