Special Events Manager – Volunteering
Contract type: 12 Months Fixed term – 35 hours per week
Location: London, UK
UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40 % of working time is spent face-to-face (London office, external meetings or travel). 60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.
Salary: £47,423 per year with excellent benefits.
Change starts with water. Change starts with you.
Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.
About WaterAid
We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.
About the team
The Community, Events and Education team manages and delivers a diverse portfolio of fundraising and engagement activity ranging from challenge events, our partnership with Glastonbury festival to community fundraising, our volunteer Speaker Network and education engagement. The team delivers far more than income by deepening the engagement of new and existing supporters, raising awareness of WaterAid’s work.
The Special Events team is responsible for the management and delivery of unique festivals partnerships and special events.
About the role
As our Special Events Manager – Volunteering you will lead volunteer management across all of WaterAid’s festival and special events activity and manage teams of staff and volunteers onsite at some of the UKs biggest and most loved public events.
In this role, you will:
- Recruit, train and manage over 700 volunteers across festivals
- Develop and deliver volunteer training, safeguarding and wellbeing processes.
- Support the special events team with operational plans, including volunteer schedules, logistics and volunteer welfare.
- Lead teams onsite at festival events as required including Glastonbury festival, and other WaterAid events.
- Champion WaterAid’s commitment to equity, inclusion and safeguarding.
Requirements
To be successful, you will need:
- Proven experience of recruiting, developing, motivating, and managing large teams of volunteers at mass public events.
- Excellent knowledge and experience of safeguarding and welfare practices for volunteers and experience in delivering these in a live events environment.
- Proven experience of leading, managing and supporting volunteers and staff.
- Ability to manage cross-team projects and establish excellent stakeholder relationships at peer and senior levels to deliver against shared objectives.
View the full job description here
Closing date: Applications close 12:00 PM UK time on Monday 6th July. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 13th July.
How to apply: Click Apply to complete the pre-screening questions and upload your CV and cover letter
Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application?
At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.
Pre‑employment screening
To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Benefits
- 36 days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
- Option to buy an extra 5 days’ annual leave
- Employer pension contribution up to 10 %
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
- Season ticket loan
- Free annual eye tests
- ‘Give as you Earn’ charitable giving scheme
- Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
- Sabbaticals
- One paid volunteer day each year
As part of our annual leave policy, all employees receive three additional days of annual leave on top of their standard allocation of 25 days. These days are designated to cover the period when our UK office closes between Christmas and New Year, allowing all UK WaterAiders to take a well-deserved break.
These days are automatically scheduled and cannot be changed or moved. Annual leave is accrued based on your start date. If sufficient leave has not been accrued by the time of the closure, the 3 days will be taken as unpaid leave or pro-rated, depending on your circumstances.
Our People PromiseWe will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.
Equal OpportunitiesWe welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.
SafeguardingWe are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).
Together, we’ll change the world through water.
Join us and be part of the change!
Skills Required
- Proven experience recruiting, developing, motivating and managing large teams of volunteers at mass public events.
- Excellent knowledge and experience of safeguarding and volunteer welfare practices, delivered in a live events environment.
- Proven experience of leading, managing and supporting volunteers and staff onsite at events.
- Ability to manage cross-team projects and establish stakeholder relationships at peer and senior levels.
- Right to work in the UK (must demonstrate eligibility) and satisfactory pre-employment checks including a basic DBS check.
What We Do
WaterAid is an international non-profit organization that transforms lives by improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for everyone, everywhere.
