Volunteer HR Director

We're seeking a Volunteer HR Director to lead our HR function and support our growing team. Flexible, part-time (8 hrs/week), mostly remote. Ideal for someone with HR experience and a passion for social impact and community-led work.

What difference will you make?

Diver's Community CIC is a volunteer-led organisation at a crucial stage of growth. Thanks to new funding and an expanded outreach and mentorship programme, we are engaging more volunteers and supporting more individuals than ever before.

This role will help ensure our internal systems and practices keep pace with this growth. With your HR expertise, we will be able to

• Build a positive and inclusive volunteer culture
• Ensure all policies, procedures, and safeguarding practices meet current legal standards
• Improve volunteer retention, satisfaction, and onboarding
• Support our leadership team with strategic HR guidance
• Foster a safe, ethical, and empowering environment for both volunteers and service users

Ultimately, your input will enable Diver's Community CIC to operate more sustainably and responsibly, maximising our impact on the lives of people experiencing homelessness in Birmingham.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for a passionate and experienced individual to lead our HR function and help us create a supportive, inclusive, and legally compliant environment for our volunteers and wider team.

Essential Qualities & Experience

• HR Expertise You should have proven experience in human resources, ideally at a managerial or strategic level. This could be within a charity, social enterprise, or corporate setting.
• Strong Legal Knowledge A solid understanding of UK employment and volunteer law is essential, including areas such as safeguarding, equality and diversity, GDPR, and health & safety.
• Leadership & Initiative You will be confident in working independently, taking ownership of projects, and advising our leadership team. As this is a standalone HR role, you should be comfortable developing policies, systems, and procedures from the ground up.
• Excellent Communication Skills The ability to communicate clearly and compassionately with a diverse range of volunteers, staff, and stakeholders is key. You'll be delivering inductions, advising on sensitive issues, and helping to shape our volunteer culture.
• Organisation & Reliability We need someone who is well-organised, dependable, and able to manage multiple priorities. This role offers flexibility, but a consistent weekly commitment is essential to maintain continuity.
• Ethical & Inclusive Approach Our work centres on people who are often marginalised or overlooked. We are looking for someone who shares our values of dignity, respect, and inclusion, and can embed these principles into our HR practices.

Experience & Qualifications

• CIPD Qualification Ideally, you'll hold CIPD Level 5 or above, or be working towards this. Equivalent experience will also be considered.
• Sector Knowledge Experience working within the charity, community, or CIC sector is highly desirable, particularly with volunteer-led teams.
• Safeguarding & Volunteer Management Familiarity with safeguarding procedures and managing volunteers would be a strong asset.
• Document Creation You should feel confident creating HR templates, contracts, volunteer agreements, policies, and role descriptions.

Personal Attributes

• Empathetic and people-focused
• Proactive and solutions-driven
• Committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Passionate about social justice and community support

We understand that not everyone will tick every box. If you bring strong HR knowledge and a genuine desire to make a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

What will you be doing?

We are looking for someone to take ownership of our HR and volunteer management systems, helping us build a solid, legally compliant, and people-centred foundation for growth.

Key responsibilities include

Volunteer Management & Onboarding

• Oversee the end-to-end volunteer onboarding process
• Create and deliver induction sessions and materials
• Maintain volunteer records and ensure compliance with DBS and safeguarding protocols
• Support retention and volunteer engagement initiatives

HR Strategy & Compliance

• Develop and implement HR policies aligned with employment and volunteer legislation
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, equality, GDPR, and other key frameworks
• Create HR templates, contracts, and role descriptions

Organisational Support

• Support recruitment strategies and advise on organisational structure
• Provide guidance on conflict resolution, performance management, and team wellbeing
• Attend monthly leadership or team meetings (remote or in person)