National Volunteers Lead

Location: FAI HQ Abbottstown & Regionally

The Role

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a national volunteer framework aligned with the Association’s strategy and Football Pathway Plan.
• Establish clear volunteer policies, operational guidelines and best practices.
• Identify opportunities to expand and improve volunteer initiatives across grassroots football

• Lead nationwide volunteer recruitment campaigns, ensuring a diverse and inclusive pool of volunteers.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure consistent onboarding and training programmes.
• Develop and deliver workshops, resources and toolkits for volunteers supporting multiple roles in football.

Volunteer Engagement & Retention

• Foster a strong volunteer culture, recognising and celebrating contributions through awards, events and social media.
• Implement feedback mechanisms to ensure volunteers feel valued and supported.
• Develop strategies to enhance long term volunteer retention and leadership development.

• Build and maintain relationships with leagues, clubs, community organisations and government agencies to support volunteer programmes.
• Represent the Association at national and regional football meetings, conferences and networking events.
• Collaborate with the marketing and communications team to promote volunteer success stories and engagement opportunities.

• Track programme effectiveness and generate reports with actionable insights.
• Maintain accurate administrative records and ensure accessibility for relevant stakeholders.

Person Specification

• People centred and relationship driven with a natural ability to build trust, rapport and positive working relationships.
• Supportive and empowering, committed to creating environments where volunteers feel valued, recognised, and motivated.
• Creative and solution oriented, able to design new ways of attracting, supporting and retaining volunteers based on insight and feedback.
• Creative and solution-oriented, able to design new ways of attracting, supporting, and retaining volunteers based on insight and feedback.
• Inclusive and approachable, ensuring volunteer opportunities are welcoming, accessible, and representative of the wider community.

Experience and Qualifications

• Volunteer Management
• Framework & Project Development
• Leadership & People Management
• Communication & Influence
• Collaboration & Teamwork
• Accountability & Professional Excellence

• Experience in volunteer management, community engagement or leadership roles within a national or non-profit organisation.
• Knowledge of the community and voluntary sector, preferably within football.
• Ability to develop and implement national strategies to recruit, support and retain volunteers.
• Understanding of the volunteer sector and grassroots football ecosystem.
• Experience influencing policy and managing multiple stakeholders.
• Strong organisational, time management and problem solving skills.

• Experience public speaking or presenting at meetings/events.
• Comfortable with reporting tools, tracking KPIs and gathering feedback.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.