Senior Volunteering & Community Officer

Summary

We're looking for a Senior Volunteering & Community Officer to join the team at Divis and the Black Mountain. If you have experience in volunteer and community management and are creative, sociable, interested in how a community, volunteers or partners can be involved in our work and you have great customer service skills, we would love to hear from you. 

You will be working in a team delivering a large-scale project at one of our flagship countryside sites in Northern Ireland.  

We are grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Northern Ireland Environment Agency who have generously provided grant to funding for this project post. 

This role is a fixed term contract to 30 Nov 2026.  

Interviews will take place on Thursday 13th February 2025.

What it's like to work here

You will be based at one of our flagship countryside sites, Divis and the Black Mountain, working with both internal and external partners to deliver project ambitions, working both on and off-site to build meaningful connections with local communities to transform lives for the better. Your role is central to making this project a success and it will only be so through responding to the needs identified by local communities and ensuring deep and meaningful participation.  

You will be working with a group of peers who are each passionate and knowledgeable in their respective fields, pulling together as one team to deliver our vision, “where people and place thrive together in a healthy, nature-rich and beautiful wild landscape”. 

What you'll be doing

Our project, “Divis - A View to the Future” is delivering a series of initiatives to enhance access and engagement with Divis & the Black Mountain as well as undertaking landscape scale nature restoration. 

As Senior Volunteering & Community Officer, you will play a pivotal role in the delivery of the project’s ambitions, working both on and off-site to build meaningful connections with local communities. You’ll be leading on community engagement and will plan and lead a range of activities designed to welcome, engage, and involve people in discovering the natural, social, and cultural heritage of this landscape. 

Within the project you’ll be leading for community engagement, volunteering and participation around Divis & the Black Mountain, this will primarily be through implementation of the project’s Community Activity Plan, growing interest and support to further the aims and outcomes of our project. You will also lead the People and Communities Workstream of the project, which includes a small project team to support you. 

This role is integrated into the wider National Belfast team. You will report to the Volunteering & Community Manager and work closely with the Project Manager and property team to deliver workstream activities. You will also be part of a network of Volunteer & Community Leads across the region. 

For more info, please read the full role profile and job context document attached to this advert. Click here for a video outlining the overall project.

There is a requirement for occasional work during busy periods and may include working on some bank holidays, weekend and/or evening work. You'll need to spend some time lone working without direct contact with their colleagues and direct supervision. 

Who we're looking for

• Experience of working directly with communities to engage, consult and partner with to achieve aims that not only further the strategy of the National Trust, but the objectives of the community, local authorities, funders, and partner agencies.
• Experience in understanding and processing data & information, able to effectively prioritise and make clear recommendations on strategies and ways forward that best achieve the aims of the project
• Practical and successful experience of widening and deepening relationships with existing and new audiences and developing innovative approaches to audience engagement
• Experience of stakeholder management – experience of leading and managing stakeholder relationships to deliver outcomes and maximise the Trust's influence and harness opportunities.
• Good communication skills – evidence of good written and oral communication.
• Experience in developing, leading and facilitating workshops and other engagement activities to bring people together, discuss issues & ideas, and agree ways forward.
• Experience of managing a budget and you will support with developing innovative approaches to fundraising on site

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

•Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

•Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

•Rental deposit loan scheme

•Season ticket loan

•EV car lease scheme 

•Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts

•Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

•Flexible working whenever possible

•Employee assistance programme

•Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.