Volunteer and Student Placement Officer

About Us: At Dublin Simon Community, we're dedicated to making home a reality. We empower individuals to access and sustain housing through services like prevention, addiction treatment, emergency response, and targeted interventions, in collaboration with our partners.

If you share our values and want to make a difference, we'd love to hear from you. We're looking for client-focused, friendly, and adaptable individuals to join our team.

We prioritise best practices in HR, including staff training, communication, and involvement in decision-making, to create a supportive and effective work environment.

Job Purpose

To assist in the day-to-day operation and implementation of the volunteer and student placement programme within Dublin Simon Community

Reports to: Volunteer, CE & Placement Manager

Location: Smithfield, hybrid policy in place

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00-17:30, with occasional evening work required to support volunteer interviews.

Contract: 3 year fixed-term contract.

Recruitment

• Assist the Volunteer, CE & Placement Manager in coordinating volunteer and student placement recruitment process ensuring sufficient quality and quantities of volunteers are sourced.
• Ensure volunteer role descriptions are up to date, advertising vacancies, screening of candidates e.g. reference checks and Garda vetting
• Support the Volunteer & Student placement manager in the interview process as needed including Ulster University, Swedish University Students, University of Limerick, European Solidarity Corps Volunteers.
• Assisting in joining process by documenting required files form each volunteer.
• Assisting and organising TY student's placement in the organisation.
• Assist the volunteer & student placement manager in coordinating Part Time Volunteer recruitment process for Soup & Breakfast Run and ensuring sufficient quality and quantities of volunteers are sourced.
• Assist Client Development in sourcing Part Time Volunteers.
• Assisting Fundraising Team in advertising for Volunteers for Adhoc Events.

Induction

• Assist in the preparation for full time volunteer and student arrivals and departures including Joiners and Leavers forms and Induction packs.
• Review and up-date induction programme an on-going basis.
• Ensuring all volunteers have their Online Training completed.
• Assist in the induction process for Volunteers on Soup Run & Breakfast Run.
• Development and delivery of Full-time volunteer social programme e.g. planning social activities for Full Time Volunteer –Workshops, Summer Hike, Christmas Lunch.
• Organisation of TUD graduation once per year.
• Assisting the volunteer and student placement manager for Recognition Event.
• Participate in the planning and organising of various other volunteer events as required.
• Act as a mentor for approximately 10-12 Full Time Volunteers and conduct 1:1 and group mentoring sessions at regular intervals throughout the course of their placement.
• Ensure the upkeep of the Volunteer houses.
• Assist the manager to ensure cost effectiveness in the upkeep of the Volunteer houses in relation to all utilities and maintenance issues.
• Ensure all maintenance requests sent in a timely manner and follow-up to confirm the request is completed.
• Assisting volunteer and student placement manager with quarterly house inspections

Communication

• Schedule and conduct full time volunteer house meetings and compile information and reports as necessary.
• Manage all queries (phone, email, post) with support from volunteer office team.
• Act as point of contact for all full-time volunteers throughout their placement.
• Support the Communications team in ensuring database of Volunteer alumni is kept up to date.
• Ensure full time volunteer information on website is regularly reviewed and updated.

Administration & Reporting

• Provide administration support to the Volunteer, CE & Placement Manager to carry out a variety of functions; report compilations, organising meetings and minute taking.
• Assist in compiling statistical information for the Volunteer & Student Placement office.
• T ake charge of petty cash: ordering, collecting, recording and reimbursing volunteers and staff member's expenses where appropriate.
• Compiling the full database of all volunteers – full and part time in the organisation.
• Administrator for the Garda Vetting system for all client-facing volunteers in the organisation.
• Ensure all files are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure ease of access for staff and manager and to provide back-up assistance on routine administrative tasks.
• Maintain and update the Volunteer and Student placement Database.

Organisational Strategy

• Support the delivery of the volunteer office goals as per the organisational strategic plan.
• Assist in the development of the Volunteer and Student placement programme in accordance with the organisational Strategy and the Volunteer office yearly action plans

Health and Safety

• Responsible for ensuring all organisation and statutory obligations regarding health and safety are met in the Volunteer Houses.
• Conduct Health & Safety checks in Volunteer Houses and report issues.
• Advise Volunteer Manager on health and safety issues.

Requirements of all Dublin Simon staff

• Commitment to the purpose of Dublin Simon Community and to work within the values, policies and procedures of the organisation and in the context of current legislation and regulations
• To participate in regular supervision with your line manager
• To actively participate in team and staff meetings and service reviews/ evaluations and to contribute to the development of policy and practice within your area of work and within Dublin Simon as a whole
• To report any area of concern to your line manager in a timely manner
• To show reasonable flexibility in relation to hours of attendance to meet the needs of the work. Work during unsocial hours may be required.
• Have a flexible approach to the work in response to organisational change, development and review of best practice.
• Participate in and engage with a performance management programme.
  
• Identify training needs with your line manager and participate in training opportunities appropriate to the role
• To be vigilant to any Health, Safety and Welfare risks in the workplace and bring any concerns to the attention of your line manager or Health & Safety Representative
• T o participate in the efficient flow of information within the organisation by sharing and seeking information as appropriate
• To undertake other duties as may be requested by the line manager from time to time.
• To undertake your work in a manner that is friendly, flexible and informal.
  
  

Note: This Job Description will be reviewed and updated in line with the needs of the work.

Person Specification

• A recognised third level qualification to degree level in a relevant discipline e.g. HR/Social Care
• 2 years paid employment in a relevant setting e.g. human resources, voluntary sector or social care
• Experience in the administration field and dealing with the public
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
• Experience of working with homeless persons
• Experience of interviewing skills (recruitment and selection processes)
• Experience working with diverse groups
• Training or facilitation experience
• Health & safety awareness

Please note: If you are unsure of any of the requirements, please contact the Recruitment Team at (01) 6354860. Shortlisting will continue throughout the recruitment process.

Dublin Simon Community is an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from all qualified individuals.

Please download to view supporting documents below.

Volunteer and Student Placement Officer JD.docx

Human Resources Department, 5 Red Cow Lane, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 PD37, Ireland

+353 01 635 4800

Recruitment Office

Dublin Simon Community, 5 Red Cow Lane, Smithfield, Dublin, Ireland

#J-18808-Ljbffr

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