Location: Nottingham National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont
Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week)
Salary: £37,000 - £39,000
Closing date: 26th June 2026
Actively support, recognise, and inspire new and existing volunteers across every level of our paddling community
Paddle UK is seeking an innovative and collaborative Volunteer Manager to lead the development and implementation of our volunteer support strategy.
Sitting within the Paddlesport department, you will drive the creation and delivery of a meaningful volunteer action plan designed to encourage, support, and retain volunteers across all grassroots and competitive levels.
This role offers a unique opportunity to shape volunteering not just at the grassroots club level, but also on the world stage for a major international event as one of the priorities within your first 12 months will be leading the recruitment and implementation of 300 volunteers for the 2027 ICF Slalom World Cup.
This is a high-impact, cross-functional role requiring a balance of strategic vision and exceptional relationship-building skills. You will work closely with internal departments and key sector partners to design initiatives that break down barriers, championing diversity to ensure people from all backgrounds are welcome and celebrated within the paddling community.
Strategic Delivery: Lead the development and delivery of the volunteer action plan, working collaboratively across Paddle UK departments to embed volunteer support strategies.
Inclusion & Diversity: Design and implement innovative strategies that encourage and enable individuals from diverse backgrounds to become volunteers.
Reward & Recognition: Coordinate and manage campaigns and initiatives that celebrate and recognise the vital contributions of volunteers at local, regional, national, and international levels.
Resource & Training Development: Create, promote, and manage high-quality guidance resources, funding streams, and impactful training opportunities to improve volunteer recruitment and retention.
Insight & Tracking: Develop robust systems and analytical insight tools to track project impact, monitor volunteer trends, and evaluate progress against strategic delivery goals.
Sector Collaboration: Oversee relevant volunteer forums to gather feedback. Build and manage strong relationships with external sporting organisations, including Sport England, NGBs, and Active Partnerships.
This is a pivotal role for an engaging relationship-builder looking to shape the culture and future of volunteering across a national sporting landscape. You will join a team that values:
Meaningful Change: A culture that encourages innovative thinking and creative problem-solving to continuously improve the volunteer environment.
Collaborative Success: Direct influence over a wide network of internal and external stakeholders, working together to achieve shared interests and strategic objectives.
Strategic Impact: The opportunity to translate high-level sector priorities into clear, outcome-focused objectives that directly support the people who keep our sport moving.
You will be a flexible and resilient leader who excels at breaking down silos and building operational cohesion across diverse teams. Communication and collaboration are at the heart of everything you do. We are looking for:
Collaborative Leadership: A natural networker with a proven track record of bringing different functions together to build cohesive, high-performing networks.
Skilled Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage, inspire, and navigate difficult conversations or conflicting viewpoints with respect and confidence.
Strategic Insight: The ability to translate organisational priorities into practical action plans while understanding interdependencies across different teams.
Analytical Thinking: Excellent decision-making and good judgement, backed by a strong understanding of data collection and evaluation processes.
Qualifications & Mindset: Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant subject matter, paired with a positive, can-do attitude and the ability to handle competing priorities. Experience volunteering in sport and project management systems is highly desirable.
Paddle UK is the governing body for Paddlesports. We have had many advances in our sport and paddling now covers a wide range of interests and passions as a sport and a leisure activity for all. We want to support and provide opportunities for everyone to enjoy and realise their potential within all aspects of paddling regardless of their age, background or ability.
We recognise the contribution our employees make and think these benefits reflect our appreciation:
25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
Dress for your day (jeans acceptable)
Free onsite parking and bike storage
Company pension scheme
Employee benefits platform (including Bike to Work, Health and Wellbeing and discounts)
To find out more about Paddle UK, our benefits, culture and recruitment process please visit our Careers Centre.
