The Reader Vacancy – North West Regional Manager

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VACANCY REFERENCE CODE: 21 /2019

Please quote this code on the application form

Based: Calderstones Park, Liverpool, L18 3JB

Reporting to: Head of Operations

Salary:  Band 3 £22,000 – £27,000 per annum

Hours: Full Time, 35 hours per week.

Duration: Permanent

About this post

“A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.” 

Samuel Johnson

The Reader are looking for a target-driven, motivated and focused leader to take responsibility for building a Shared Reading community in the North West.  This regional post holder will be responsible managing the staff and relationships required to ensure excellent quality volunteer and Shared Reading experiences that will support and enable growth, helping the organization achieve its vision.

Your specific responsibilities will be to:-

• Take responsibility for the successful running and oversight of the North West Shared Reading Hubs, making sure that through a variety of stakeholders they are delivering high quality shared reading groups that are improving the lives of as many people as possible.
• Manage and support Hub Leaders within your region. This includes staff recruitment, allocation of responsibilities, objective setting and development reviews, staff support and supervision
• Take responsibility for the quality of volunteer experiences in your region by ensuring your team are delivering their work in line with the best practice set out by the central support functions:

Attract:  Ensure that the Hub Leaders identify the best opportunities for volunteer recruitment and make best use of the tools and support provided by our Communications Team

Recruit: Work in close collaboration with the Volunteer Recruitment Manager and the Hub Leaders, ensuring a robust volunteer recruitment process is implemented so that volunteers are placed within the most suitable roles

Train:  Ensure that Hub Leaders are supported in delivering excellent quality training for all volunteer roles and that training is delivered to meet project KPIs

Support:  Enable Hub Leaders to deliver a comprehensive programme of support, that both fosters a strong sense of community, creates clear pathways to volunteer opportunities and nurtures the relationships that help maintain the provision

• Ensure that key operational processes run well, and in a timely manner. This includes but is not limited to Budget Management, Monitoring and Evaluation processes, data capture (including Microsoft Dynamics) dealing with day to day issues and concerns
• Manage key relationships with commissioners and funders for the region, ensuring: regular communication and relationship building, SLAs are in place, reporting is completed in an accurate and timely manner, successes and challenges are shared and key KPIs are met.
• Help develop a new, more structured and directed way of working with Shared Reading Organisers to ensure future development of hubs
• Operate as a key link between the North West team and operational management team, representing the region and feeding into central systems and planning
• Work with the Partnerships Manager and Development team to build and sustain shared reading and shared reading pathways within and across a range of services
• Work with the Communications team and the Hub Leaders to ensure regular group member recruitment activities run locally and centrally
• Run a regular team meeting to ensure collaborative working, best practice, sharing of learning and ideas and that projects are running to plan
• Ensure Hub Leaders are building a network of stakeholders that will help them to recruit volunteers, embed shared reading in services and ensure groups are reaching the right beneficiaries through partners and referral routes
• Ensuring Hub Leaders are managing their communications so that volunteers and group members feel connected to and making good use of The Reader’s core membership programme
• Ensuring that good quality, accurate and up to date data is a priority within the team, working closely with the operational management team to achieve this
• Responsible for maintaining an overview of the North West region and ensuring good cross working and communication between staff and volunteers in Hubs.
• Take responsibility for ensuring at least one cross region event is held per annum

This role could be for you if you:-

• Enjoy testing new ways of working
• Are an agile, collaborative worker who is excited by working across the organisation and its functions, able to pull different strands together, make things happen
• Are kind, yet bold
• Are comfortable working in a changing environment
• Do what it takes to get the job done
• Can seize opportunities
• Are a good leader
• Are committed to on-going learning

Person Specification

In order to fulfill this role, it is essential that you

• Understand that individual projects are delivering wider organizational aims and you take responsibility for sharing learning that will improve the quality of our work
• Have excellent IT skills, including CRM.
• Have people management experience
• Have project management experience
• Are self-motivated and able to motivate others
• Have experience of liaising with funders
• Are able to prioritise and manage your own workload and workloads of others
• Can work flexibly and unsupervised
• Have experience of partnership working
• Are resilient
• Can demonstrate excellent leadership skills
• Good networker
• Understand and model The Reader’s values

Desirable criteria

• Marketing and communications experience
• Hold a driving license and have access to a car

 What you can expect from The Reader in this role:

• Coaching and Support in the role
• Support from the Development Team with funder relationships
• Support from the Communities and Communications Team with Marketing, Communications and learning activities including and Train the Trainer training where appropriate

How to Apply

Note: Please do not just send in a CV. They will only consider applications that follow the following process:

Visit www.thereader.org.uk and select the ‘Get Involved’ tab where you will be able to view the full job description and download an application form. Please complete the application form explaining how you meet the requirements of this role, to kateharrison@thereader.org.uk

Deadline for applications: 9am, Wednesday 6^th February 2019

NB: applications arriving after 9am will not be considered

A high volume of applications may make replies to everyone impossible.

Selection Process: If successful at shortlisting you will be invited to attend a panel interview.  You may be required to complete a selection task at the interview if this is the case you will be informed of this prior to the interview date.

A high volume of applications may make replies to everyone impossible. If you have not heard from them by Friday 15^th February 2019 then unfortunately your application has been unsuccessful.

Role to start as soon as possible