Manager, Volunteer & Community Engagement

About this position

Are you excited about the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Canadians needing access to important medical care?

Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free travel and accommodations for Canadians in financial need who must access medical care far from home. Hope Air has arranged more than 150,000 travel arrangements in our 34-year history. Visit the Hope air website at www.hopeair.ca and watch this video to learn more.

Reporting to the CEO, the Manager, Volunteer & Community Engagement, is responsible for community and volunteer outreach for Hope Air programs available to low income Canadians across Canada.  The focus of this role is to enhance awareness at the local and community level for Hope Air programs for vulnerable families and individuals, including free air flights and accommodation when travelling long distances to reach specialized medical care.

In addition, you will manage, develop, implement and evaluate all volunteer programs within Hope Air. In this role, you will oversee various volunteer programs across Canada including programs relating to our client care, fundraising & marketing operations.  Hope Air is supported by passionate volunteers who provide critical resources to the charity.  These volunteers include: 100+ volunteer pilots who provide medical air transport functions on behalf of Hope Air clients ; volunteers who engage in local fundraising events across Canada; volunteers who assist our client care and office operations, etc. You will be a champion for deepening engagement with all Hope Air Volunteers volunteer-driven activities. 

You will work collaboratively with all Hope Air departments to ensure suitable volunteers are integrated and supported into our program delivery.

Responsibilities:

Patient Referral Outreach

• Identify and engage with all relevant social and medical support organizations in communities across Canada, focused on low income Canadian families and individuals.
• Coordinate and deliver key communication materials about Hope Air, the application process, and eligibility requirements – all in coordination with the Hope Air Marketing & Communications & Client Care team.
• Particular regional and demographic focus for communities and health issues where we have funding to provide support for patients.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration with economic empowerment, health and healthcare organizations to promote the travel support that Hope Air provides to clients who may need assistance with medical travel.
• Collaborate with other national and regional charities to drive awareness for Hope Air services;

Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement

• Provide volunteers with engaging and meaningful volunteer opportunities that support the needs of Hope Air.
• Recruit qualified volunteers, including placement students and interns, that will support and sustain program delivery.
• Organize, manage and facilitate a variety of volunteer opportunities that support program delivery within the specified region.
• Identify professional development needs of volunteer workforce and provide training opportunities.
• Contribute to the development of volunteer-related policies, procedures and practices in accordance with organizational standards.
• Develop annual plans for volunteer engagement that align with Hope Air  goals.
• Manage volunteer resources effectively to meet program goals and objectives in a changing environment.
• Maintain program records and files in accordance with organizational standards including the recording volunteer information and hours in the database.
• Contribute, monitor and report on annual objectives and strategic plans.
•  Implement and monitor evaluation standards for related volunteer engagement to demonstrate impact.
• Collaborate with local community-based, volunteer-led associations, related groups and key stakeholders to support best-practice models
• Stay up to date with new developments and trends related to volunteer engagement as it relates to supporting people with disabilities.
• Support and engage in Hope Air fundraising and awareness activities and events
• Identify government funding programs to support Hope Air Volunteer programs.
• Promote a positive, safe and caring environment for all Hope Air volunteers.
• Develop and foster an inclusive, empowered culture where every volunteer and participant feel their contributions towards our mission are equally valued and respected.
• You will lead by example in bringing our values to life – supporting our volunteers and colleagues with passion, determination, ambition and a positive spirit to change people’s lives, and society itself.

Education and Experience Required:

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in health promotion, education, social services, volunteer development, community development or related area.
• 3-5 years working experience in a volunteer coordination capacity
• Experience working within the health care system, will be considered a strong asset
• Experience of providing support to low income people
• Experience of working with health and social care professionals in a variety of settings

Qualifications Required:

• Proven expertise in volunteer resources development and volunteer management
• Experience and comfort using Microsoft Office products and volunteer management programs
• Demonstrated leadership abilities
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated program planning, implementation and evaluation skills
• Strong written and verbal skills with the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently
• Proven ability to supervise, motivate, train and monitor the performance of a team of volunteers
• Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines
• Works effectively with, and demonstrates respect for others
• Self-motivated to achieve results
• Demonstrated flexibility to changing demands of the job and multiple tasks and deadlines; results- oriented
• Demonstrates willingness and ability to apply new methods and techniques
• French an asset