About WIRES

For 40 years, WIRES has been actively rehabilitating and preserving Australian wildlife and inspiring others to do the same. 

After the devastating bushfires of 2020 and facing an extinction crisis, our mission has become even more critical. We are building our team to make an even greater impact for Australian Wildlife, and we are looking for someone ready to make a real difference.

Reporting to the Volunteer Programs Manager, the Volunteer Programs Assistant is responsible for assisting with the onboarding, managing and supporting all volunteers within the organisation to maximise volunteer engagement, retention, recognition and well-being.

About the Role

• Full-time, 12 month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension
• Salary commensurate with experience
• Flexible working with a mix of working from home and in our modern, spacious, eco friendly Brookvale offices (with free access to outdoor swimming pool)

Key areas of responsibility:

Onboarding:

• Assisting with the onboarding of new volunteers, volunteer renewals, ensuring processes are efficient and ensuring all volunteer data in the system is accurate and up to date

Support:

• Assisting with answering volunteer enquiries, following up to ensure they are successfully resolved
• Ensuring volunteers have access to all systems and are given instructions and guidance on their use and provided updates as systems are improved
• Ensuring content on volunteer sites is current, relevant and updated accordingly
• Providing systems support for volunteers so they can accept rescues and update all rescue and care information in the system quickly and accurately, and providing advice to volunteers as to the importance of good record keeping
• Assist with systems support for volunteers from external organisations who are utilising our systems
• Helping to connect volunteers with community events, assisting with applications and communication
• Managing incoming donations of wildlife rescue supplies from members of the public, ensure these are recorded appropriately and donors are communicated with and streamlining systems to distribute donated items to branches.

Recruitment:

• Assisting the training team to encourage new volunteers into the organisation.

Engagement & Retention:

• Develop, build and maintain positive, long-term relationships with volunteers
• Encouraging volunteers to become engaged with the organisation in a capacity which suits their abilities and constraints
• Assisting with regular communications to all volunteers to ensure they are kept up to date with policies and procedures and information to assist with their volunteering responsibilities
• Assisting with regular webinars / online meetings with volunteer groups to assist with communicating important information and further engagement opportunities
• Help develop strategies to increase volunteer retention and engagement

Recognition:

• Assisting with the implementation of volunteer recognition initiatives and help develop new ways to recognise and reward outstanding volunteer achievements

Wellbeing:

• Assist with implementing strategies and researching information to assist with volunteer wellbeing.

Team Support:

• Assisting the Volunteer Programs team to manage overall workload
• Supporting staff and volunteers to improve outcomes for animals and grow the organisation
• Handling all correspondence confidentially in compliance with policies and volunteer legislation

Desirable experience:

• University degree
• Not for profit experience
• Experience in an office environment working as part of a team

Required skills:

• A passionate desire to help and support volunteers
• Excellent communication skills, report writing skills, problem solving skills, empathetic in nature, and the ability to work well with people of all ages and backgrounds
• High level of IT literacy skills across CRM databases and Microsoft office suite, as well as ability to embrace change as systems are developed/upgraded and integrated
• Highly organised, reliable, efficient and detail orientated
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to multi-task
• Demonstrated ability to work well independently as well as with other staff
• Positive attitude, great work ethic and the ability to work in a team with a wide range of stakeholders