Job Description

Volunteer Coordinator (Maternity Cover)

(

Job Number:

25001283

)

Student Enrichment Directorate
Grade 5: - 27,319 - 30,378 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time

Contract Duration

52

Contracted Hours per Week

35

Closing Date

02-Oct-2025, 5:59:00 PM

Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement

Not Applicable.

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other.


Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you.


We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.


We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.


Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.

The Role and the Department

Here at Durham we actively encourage and support people to volunteer. Students can choose to volunteer within any of the 26 student led projects on offer by DUSVO (Durham University Student Volunteering and Outreach). Students can also volunteer within their college outreach programme, it is even possible to complete volunteering as part of their degree programme, sports team or society.


There are a multitude of benefits that can be gained through volunteering at university including giving back to the local community, boosting self-esteem and confidence and developing skills.


Across the board we are working with nearly 200 charities and community organisations, in addition to offering services to North East schools and hundreds of individuals. In 2020, we received the prestigious Queens Award for Voluntary Service in the Community since 1989.In 2023, Durham University Volunteering and Outreach team won gold at the International Corporate Social Responsibility Awards and were winners of Business of the Year category at County Durham Together Awards. Due to the efforts of volunteering at Durham University, we have held the Investing in Volunteers accreditation since 2012.


This is a varied role within the Volunteering team, which will be responsible for the organisational aspects of volunteering, particularly the department's brand, programming, communications and online presence.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:

You'll receive 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days. The University closes between Christmas and New Year. No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions. Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16. We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference to the local community. Our family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). If you are keen on advancing in your role or career, we have a genuine passion for developing our colleagues from qualifications to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships. We offer generous pension schemes with varying contribution amounts to help you plan for your future.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It's important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.


We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisknext to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.

Qualifications/Experience

Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

1. Five GCSE's at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or a Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
2. Experience in a similar role or environment.
3. Experience of working collaboratively with other team members to ensure the delivery of high-quality services.
4. Experience of supervising a team.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

5. Excellent spoken and written communication skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
6. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including social media platforms, Microsoft forms and Canva.
7. Committed to continuing professional development.
8. Industry or professional knowledge relevant to the role.
9. Committed to continuing professional development.
10. Ability to solve problems yourself and as part of a team and plan appropriate solutions.
11. Ability to participate in networks to share and discuss good practice and exchange information.
12. Ability to contribute to operational planning activities.

Desirable Criteria

1. Experience of event planning

How to apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don't forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).



While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails

What you are required to submit:

A CV A supporting cover letter/ statement which shows examples of how you meet the job criteria

Contact details

If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Katie Binks would be happy to speak to you katie.binks@durham.ac.uk

Typical Role Requirements

Essential Criteria

Service Delivery

Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values. Supervise the implementation of changes to procedures and practices relating to your service area. Respond to queries and provide information/advice, while raising more specialist or complex queries with more experienced team members. Use your experience and problem-solving skills to investigate and resolve issues relevant to your role such as responding to issues arising to the use of the Volunteering platform and make recommendations based on your findings. Enhance Durham University's reputation by providing support to the running of internal and external outreach activities. Monitor and analyse the use of volunteering platforms and social medial platforms to ensure efficiency and report your findings to senior colleagues. Continually review what is required from volunteers and community partners to make sure the best possible service is provided. Ensure that information used to analyse volunteering and community impact is accurate and provide reports and analysis to senior colleagues. Ensure that data and information is accurate and share reports with internal networks.

Planning and Organising

Plan and organise own workload and the activities of other team members to deliver the role. Organise and schedule assigned activities, events and resources. Contribute to planning the operational priorities of your team and make suggestions to senior colleagues on how to improve the service. Monitor processes and activities to ensure team priorities are met. Help manage and coordinate National volunteering week, student volunteering week, freshers fair and the annual Volunteering Awards.

Teamwork and Team Development

Supervise and delegate tasks to other members of the team and make sure that they are completed. Explain systems and procedures to new starters and provide specialist advice and guidance (including any training) to help less experienced team members carry out their role. Contribute to performance review processes by providing feedback on individual and team objectives and expectations and considering any development needs. Provide specialist support and advice to team members on branding, promotions, social media, platform use and community partner correspondence. Make changes to the services provided by your team in discussion with other team members. Identify opportunities and contribute to decisions on how to improve services being delivered by the team. Seek feedback from volunteers and the community on their requirements from your service and recommend improvements to senior colleagues.

Communications/Liaison

Update and apply changes to processes and procedures. Use your knowledge and expertise to provide advice and guidance to resolve problems and respond to a wide range of queries. Create good working relationships with other team members and anyone else that you come across as part of your role to work together on joint activities. Liaise with Marketing and Communications team to ensure that services are being delivered in an efficient and collaborative way Record information such as volunteering and community partner data and share with internal partners. Create good working relationships with internal and external partners and suppliers to work together on joint initiatives. Build relationships with contacts to share good practice and exchange information. Use creative and engaging ways to communicate and promote information about Volunteering and Outreach to your stakeholders such as promotional flyers, newsletters and impact reports. Support in the delivery of training through updating and maintaining handbooks and training resources.



Any other reasonable duties.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.




Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

MATERNITY COVER

Appointment to this post is fixed term to cover the substantive post holders maternity leave and is not anticipated to be extended