Job Title:Involve ProjectOfficer (Lambeth)

Scale:NJC 5.22 equivalent of £22,920 pa

Hours:Full time post (weekdays, 36 hours per week)

Time period:Permanent Contract

Responsible to:Involve Coordinator

Job Purpose:

The post of Involve Project Officer is integral to the continued success and further development of Volunteer Centre Southwark’s Involve project. In this role, you will be a key member of the team working to improve links with community organisations based in Lambeth.You will work to develop and deliver ‘team challenge’ volunteering opportunitieswithin Lambeth.

Ideally, you will be a cheerful, confident team player with a strong organisational skills, the ability to prioritise tasks and happy to manage a portfolio of projects.

This role is perfect for a self-motivated candidate who enjoys working in a high energy environment.

On some days you will be meeting community organisations to discuss potential projects we could undertake or perhaps carrying out site visits to show a business representative what they and their colleagues could volunteer to do to make a difference to the community. Other days you will be based in the office – planning and preparing volunteering projects, ordering materials and report writing for clients. Of course, some days you’ll actually be running a challenge – it could be anything from leading a team in creating a mural in a primary school playground, painting a community hall or working with volunteers to clear an area of parkland to make it more accessible to the local community.

Working as part of a team will be key to this role as you will be supporting others to help them prepare for challenges by ordering materials, chasing up groups to make sure everything is going to plan and then helping motivate teams and ensure work is completed on challenge days.

Throughout, the role will involve liaising with volunteer involving organisations (VIOs), private and public sector partners, and employee volunteers in order to deliver a range of employee volunteering services.

The Involve ProjectOfficer will also work with other post-holders at Volunteer Centre Southwark to ensure that the range of services offered by the Involve project complements other services for voluntary and community groups offered by the Centre.

See more about what Involve does and the types of things you would be doing at

Responsibilities:

  1. Supporting the Involve team in the organising and managing of one-off team challenges [1] from inception to final reporting. This includes sourcing appropriate challenges, liaising with business and VIO representatives, ordering materials and attending and leading groups of volunteers at challenges.
  1. Researching and identifying volunteering opportunities in Lambeth suitable for our business partners and working alongside the community and voluntary organisations to develop these opportunities. This includes office based research and site visits. The post-holder will also need to carry out risk assessments – training will be given.
  1. Undertaking monitoring and evaluation of employee volunteering days, including report writing for businesses.
  1. Maintaining relevant administrative systems and processes, ensuring that ICT is used to its full capacity within the programme, including the use of new media, Internet and e-mail and using technology to reduce paper based working.
  1. Operating within the budget constraints of the programme.
  1. Ensuring that all duties and responsibilities are discharged in accordance with the charity’s policies including: Safeguarding, Health & Safety and Anti-Discrimination policies.
  1. Working towards specific agreed targets in improving the performance and growth ofInvolve.
  1. To positively contribute to the overall work of Volunteer Centre Southwark by establishing & sustaining effective teamwork & relationships with all stakeholders.
  1. As directed, the post holder will undertake additional duties and responsibilities that may arise from time to time commensurate with the grade of the post.

Person Specification

Job Title: InvolveProject Officer (Lambeth)

Essential criteria

  1. Understanding of and commitment to, volunteering and its potential value in society.
  1. Enjoy working both in office and outdoor environments with an ability and energy to lead, inspire and manage groups of volunteers on practical projects (challenges) that require hands-on involvement and can be physically demanding.
  1. Experience or understanding of how to develop and run practical projects such as those that may include DIY, environmental, carpentry or arts projects.
  1. Ability to work independently and as part of a team (both in the office and when running challenges).
  1. Good project management, time management and event organisation skills with the ability to deal with conflicting workloads (managing a number of similar projects at the same time) and a creative approach to problem solving.
  1. Excellent communication skills including sound administration skills, computer literate (knowledge of WP, database, spreadsheet and how to use internet and email systems).
  1. Flexible attitude towards working hours and ability to work some unsociable hours. (All work is on weekdays;some days may require an early start and may not finish until early evening).
  1. Commitment and understanding of equal opportunities.

Desirable criteria:

  1. Experience or knowledge of working on employer supported volunteering projects
  1. Practical knowledge of the Borough of Lambeth
  1. Ability to carry out risk assessments and Health & Safety checks.
  1. Qualified first aider

[1]A team challenge is a one-day, practical project, paid for and undertaken by volunteers from companies. These projects take place in a variety of community and voluntary organisations in Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham.

Volunteer Centre Southwark Registered Office as above.
Registered charity number No. 1060581. A company limited by guarantee Registered in England No. 3218745.