Volunteer & Communities Officer

Do you believe in the power of people to restore nature? Are you passionate about supporting volunteers, strengthening local stewardship and helping communities create a wilder Surrey?

For nearly 70 years, volunteers have been at the heart of our work, giving thousands of hours each year to protect and restore wildlife across the county. Our 2026–2031 Volunteer Strategy sets out an ambitious vision to enhance the volunteer experience, grow an engaged and skilled volunteer‑led community, and broaden the ways people can get involved in nature’s recovery.

Our supporters bring a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience that are essential for restoring the natural environment. By creating opportunities for volunteers to share their expertise, contribute ideas and take on leadership roles, we strengthen our collective efforts. In return, we aim to provide an excellent experience, one that benefits both the Trust and the incredible people who give their time and energy to our cause.

As our Volunteer & Communities Officer, you will play a key role in supporting and developing our network of Voluntary Wardens, Friends Groups and volunteer leaders. You will provide ongoing support to existing volunteers and volunteer-led groups, while also helping establish new Friends Groups and other volunteer initiatives. Through this work, the postholder will strengthen local stewardship across Surrey, helping more people care for the places they value.

Working closely with colleagues across the Trust, you will also recruit, onboard and support volunteers, coordinate training and development opportunities, and create pathways that enable people to develop their involvement over time. You will encourage peer learning and help build strong connections between volunteers and the local community. This role also involves delivering engaging volunteer communications, maintaining accurate CRM data, evaluating participation, ensuring safeguarding best practice, and leading or supporting weekend activities.

We're looking for someone who is proactive, organised and has experience supporting volunteer-led groups and communities, and has a good ecological knowledge of Surrey. You'll be a confident relationship-builder who enjoys working collaboratively and can identify new opportunities for people to make a positive difference for nature.

If you're excited by the idea of helping volunteers and enabling more people to take action for nature, we'd love to hear from you. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with dedicated colleagues, passionate volunteers and communities and be at the heart of a growing movement for nature recovery in Surrey.

The full skills requirements for this role are available in the job profile on our website. It is vital that you have a passion for nature, experience successfully working with volunteers, a warm, inclusive approach to those around you and an understanding of our work.

Due to the nature of the role, which will require travel across Surrey, you will need a full UK driving licence and the commitment to work approximately 10 weekend days over the course of the year.

We are committed to having an inclusive and diverse workplace and encourage applications from backgrounds which may be under-represented in our sector, including people from minority ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to offering an interview to all candidates that meet the primary criteria for the post. Please let us know if you require any adjustment to make our recruitment process more accessible. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

If you fulfil the role criteria, please send a completed application form, available on our website, or a covering letter and CV, stating clearly which role is relevant to your experience to [email protected].

The deadline for applications is midday Monday 23rd November 2026.

Interviews will be held in person in Pirbright during week commencing 30th November 2026.