Head of Volunteering

Managed by: General Manager

Department: Volunteering Office Location: Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, HP18 0JH

Waddesdon is an historic house and garden open to the public. Created by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild

from 1874, it is home to the Rothschild Collection. Waddesdon’s collections are exceptionally rich in fine

and decorative arts of the 18th century, assembled by three generations of the Rothschild family. Since

1957 the Manor has been owned by the National Trust and today it is managed by a charitable trust, The

Rothschild Foundation, under the chairmanship of Lord Rothschild.

Waddesdon welcomes over 400,000 visitors to the property each year and we offer a programme of

changing exhibitions, talks and tours, family activities and public events. Visitors are both National Trust

members and paying visitors, and the income from our shops, restaurants, events and filming helps

support opening the Manor to the public, our education programme and the care of the buildings,

collections and gardens.

Overall Purpose

Reporting to the General Manager, the Head of Volunteering is responsible for the smooth delivery of our

volunteering programme and providing guidance and stability to Waddesdon’s varied and committed

team of over 350 volunteers.

The role works closely with other Heads of Departments to set the strategic direction for volunteering

and ensure all volunteers, and the staff who line manage them, have the skills and support they need to

confidently and consistently perform their roles.

The Head of Volunteering is a visible presence and point of contact for all volunteers, exemplify an

approachable, friendly and accessible nature, and providing clear, empathetic and timely communication

in a variety of formats. Most importantly, the Head of Volunteering is an ambassador for Waddesdon’s

volunteers, advocating for them at all levels of the organisation and celebrating their contribution in all

its forms.

Key Areas of Responsibility

**Leadership and Management**
- Provide strong and motivational leadership for volunteers, maintaining a regular ‘shop floor’

presence, managing expectations and leading by example
- Provide support and robust advice to departmental managers of volunteers, ensuring there is

adherence to policies and procedures and a consistent approach to volunteering across the
organisation
- Promote volunteering and ensure volunteers continue to be a vital and valued part of Waddesdon
- Maintain an overview of volunteering at Waddesdon and collaboratively set the strategic

direction for volunteering through consistent and clear forward planning
- Maintain clear performance management procedures for volunteers, acknowledging excellent

performance and managing performance issues in line with the Waddesdon Volunteering Charter
and Waddesdon policies
- Line manage and work collaboratively with the Volunteering Manager to ensure departmental

objectives are met, workloads are balanced, and ‘on the ground’ support is available throughout
the week
- Further embed the Waddesdon Volunteering Charter in the organisation, encouraging volunteers

and staff to use it as a positive tool embodying our shared set of commitments
- Promote a positive approach to change within the organisation and the volunteer cohort
- Manage budgets so all aspects of the volunteering programme are sufficiently resourced
- Maintain Waddesdon’s professional environment, where standards of excellence are the norm,

through regularly reviewing policies and procedures
**Volunteer Recruitment, Retention and Training**
- Oversee the recruitment and retention of volunteers, and further develop a clear and inspiring

onboarding process, to ensure Waddesdon maintains a skilled and enthusiastic volunteer cohort
and a high quality of volunteering
- Working with the Volunteer Manager, provide innovative and creative ongoing training for all

volunteers, maximising opportunities for volunteer development across teams and working with
operational managers to ensure timely implementation
- Develop and deliver training for those managing and working with volunteers
- Work with relevant managers to develop and implement online training modules and ensure all

volunteers have undertaken training required by current legislation and in-line with best practice
- Ensure all volunteers are aware of Waddesdon’s access provision for visitors and are able to

facilitate and support visitors with additional needs

**Projects and Initiatives**
- Develop new and innovative approaches to volunteering to attract new volunteers, keep existing

volunteers engaged, diversify the volunteer team, and meet the evolving needs of the
organisation
- Research, implement, and maintain a new online volunteer rota and database system
- Grow and foster an active network of external partners, agencies and stakeholders, utilising this

network to share best practice and ensure Waddesdon remains a centre of excellence for
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