Volunteering Development Lead
| Posting date: | 16 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £35,000 to £38,000 per annum (plus car allowance) |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 16 October 2025 |
| Location: | Oxford, OX2 0QH |
| Company: | RABI |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 50 |
Summary
Job Advert
RABI is the farmers charity.
RABI supports farming people across England, Wales and NI with expert, one-to-one practical, financial and emotional help, all
year round. From confidential advice and mental health support to direct financial assistance, their tailored services respond to
the unique challenges of farming life.
At the heart of RABI’s mission is a commitment to strengthening resilience; helping farming people feel valued, supported and
better equipped to navigate uncertainty and change. RABI is working to close the farming wellbeing gap and build a future where
farming people can thrive.
Over the past 25 years alone, RABI has delivered almost £250 Million in direct financial support to the farming community, whilst
the charity’s professional counselling service has provided 11,500 free sessions to farming people since 2022. RABI’s wrap-around
support services continue to evolve, reaching more people year on year.
RABI is on a journey to help shape a future farmers deserve.
ROLE OVERVIEW:
This role is central to how we evolve our volunteering offer. The Volunteering Development Lead is responsible for designing and
working with other teams to pilot new models of volunteering that help us reach more people, increase flexibility, and create
meaningful opportunities for individuals to contribute in ways that suit them.
Working at the intersection of innovation, collaboration, and project delivery, the role will lead on developing new opportunities
for volunteer involvement, creating training materials, and building internal capability to support new ways of volunteering. The
post-holder will act as a connector across teams, identifying where volunteers can add value and supporting colleagues to
confidently engage them. It’s a dynamic role that requires creativity, people skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
This role involves occasional travel and overnight stays to attend events, meetings.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Design and develop new types of volunteering opportunities, ensuring they are accessible, purposeful, and meet both
organisational and volunteer needs. Works closely with the Volunteering Experience Lead and Coordinator to ensure new roles
are integrated and supported.
* Lead volunteering development projects, managing timelines, stakeholders, and outcomes to deliver high-quality results.
* Work closely with teams across the charity to identify where and how volunteers can be better utilised and supported.
* Develop and deliver training resources for new volunteering roles and approaches, supporting staff and volunteer leads.
* Champion inclusive and innovative volunteer practices, inspiring teams to adopt new ways of involving people.
* Embed good volunteer management principles across the organisation, building confidence and consistency in approach.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Maintain strong relationships with internal teams, ensuring alignment across departments.
* Take a proactive role in team meetings, agenda setting, and action tracking.
* Ensure compliance with health and safety policies and other regulatory requirements.
* Engage in continuous professional development through training and feedback.
* Represent RABI at events and outreach initiatives.
* Support team operations during absences and assist with additional tasks as needed.
PERSON SPECIFICIATION:
Essential
* Affinity, understanding and demonstration of the goals and objectives of RABI
* Experience designing and delivering new volunteer roles or programmes.
* Strong knowledge of volunteer management best practice and safeguarding.
* Skilled collaborator, able to build relationships and influence across teams.
* Strong project management skills with the ability to lead multiple priorities.
* Creative thinker with a solutions-focused approach to challenges.
* Confident communicator with excellent written and verbal skills.
* Experience designing and delivering training or workshops.
* Good understanding of inclusive and accessible volunteering practice.
* Knowledge of volunteer management best practice and safeguarding.
* Able to use data, feedback, or insight to improve services.
* Experience supporting change or innovation projects in a charity or community setting.
* Good digital literacy, including MS Office and CRM/volunteer platforms.
* Willingness and ability to travel occasionally, including overnight stays.
Desirable
* Experience using CRM or volunteer management systems.
* Understanding of rural or community-based volunteering.
* Experience involving people with lived experience in service development.
* Experience supporting organisational or cultural change.
* A full UK driving licence, as travel within England and Wales will be required.
This role profile is not exhaustive and is subject to review in conjunction with the post holder according to future developments
at RABI.
Benefits
* Enrolment to Nest on commencement of employment and then opportunity to join RABI’s group pension scheme with Standard Life
where RABI make contributions equivalent to 10% of your basic salary, provided you make a personal contribution of 5%.
* Life assurance from day one.
* Access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
RABI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and aims to ensure that all employment practices secure equality of opportunity
and that no prospective or current employee receives less than favourable treatment at RABI because of their sex, sexual
orientation, age, race, religion, belief, ethnic origin, disability, marital, or for any other reason which cannot be shown to be
justifiable. Our recruitment process strives to ensure that individuals are selected only based on their relevant skills,
experience, qualifications, and abilities.
RABI is the farmers charity.
RABI supports farming people across England, Wales and NI with expert, one-to-one practical, financial and emotional help, all
year round. From confidential advice and mental health support to direct financial assistance, their tailored services respond to
the unique challenges of farming life.
At the heart of RABI’s mission is a commitment to strengthening resilience; helping farming people feel valued, supported and
better equipped to navigate uncertainty and change. RABI is working to close the farming wellbeing gap and build a future where
farming people can thrive.
Over the past 25 years alone, RABI has delivered almost £250 Million in direct financial support to the farming community, whilst
the charity’s professional counselling service has provided 11,500 free sessions to farming people since 2022. RABI’s wrap-around
support services continue to evolve, reaching more people year on year.
RABI is on a journey to help shape a future farmers deserve.
ROLE OVERVIEW:
This role is central to how we evolve our volunteering offer. The Volunteering Development Lead is responsible for designing and
working with other teams to pilot new models of volunteering that help us reach more people, increase flexibility, and create
meaningful opportunities for individuals to contribute in ways that suit them.
Working at the intersection of innovation, collaboration, and project delivery, the role will lead on developing new opportunities
for volunteer involvement, creating training materials, and building internal capability to support new ways of volunteering. The
post-holder will act as a connector across teams, identifying where volunteers can add value and supporting colleagues to
confidently engage them. It’s a dynamic role that requires creativity, people skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
This role involves occasional travel and overnight stays to attend events, meetings.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Design and develop new types of volunteering opportunities, ensuring they are accessible, purposeful, and meet both
organisational and volunteer needs. Works closely with the Volunteering Experience Lead and Coordinator to ensure new roles
are integrated and supported.
* Lead volunteering development projects, managing timelines, stakeholders, and outcomes to deliver high-quality results.
* Work closely with teams across the charity to identify where and how volunteers can be better utilised and supported.
* Develop and deliver training resources for new volunteering roles and approaches, supporting staff and volunteer leads.
* Champion inclusive and innovative volunteer practices, inspiring teams to adopt new ways of involving people.
* Embed good volunteer management principles across the organisation, building confidence and consistency in approach.
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Maintain strong relationships with internal teams, ensuring alignment across departments.
* Take a proactive role in team meetings, agenda setting, and action tracking.
* Ensure compliance with health and safety policies and other regulatory requirements.
* Engage in continuous professional development through training and feedback.
* Represent RABI at events and outreach initiatives.
* Support team operations during absences and assist with additional tasks as needed.
PERSON SPECIFICIATION:
Essential
* Affinity, understanding and demonstration of the goals and objectives of RABI
* Experience designing and delivering new volunteer roles or programmes.
* Strong knowledge of volunteer management best practice and safeguarding.
* Skilled collaborator, able to build relationships and influence across teams.
* Strong project management skills with the ability to lead multiple priorities.
* Creative thinker with a solutions-focused approach to challenges.
* Confident communicator with excellent written and verbal skills.
* Experience designing and delivering training or workshops.
* Good understanding of inclusive and accessible volunteering practice.
* Knowledge of volunteer management best practice and safeguarding.
* Able to use data, feedback, or insight to improve services.
* Experience supporting change or innovation projects in a charity or community setting.
* Good digital literacy, including MS Office and CRM/volunteer platforms.
* Willingness and ability to travel occasionally, including overnight stays.
Desirable
* Experience using CRM or volunteer management systems.
* Understanding of rural or community-based volunteering.
* Experience involving people with lived experience in service development.
* Experience supporting organisational or cultural change.
* A full UK driving licence, as travel within England and Wales will be required.
This role profile is not exhaustive and is subject to review in conjunction with the post holder according to future developments
at RABI.
Benefits
* Enrolment to Nest on commencement of employment and then opportunity to join RABI’s group pension scheme with Standard Life
where RABI make contributions equivalent to 10% of your basic salary, provided you make a personal contribution of 5%.
* Life assurance from day one.
* Access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
RABI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and aims to ensure that all employment practices secure equality of opportunity
and that no prospective or current employee receives less than favourable treatment at RABI because of their sex, sexual
orientation, age, race, religion, belief, ethnic origin, disability, marital, or for any other reason which cannot be shown to be
justifiable. Our recruitment process strives to ensure that individuals are selected only based on their relevant skills,
experience, qualifications, and abilities.