HR & Volunteer Operations Assistant - Volunteer in Belfast

Help build and implement ethical, people-centred systems that support staff and volunteers at an award-winning international youth leadership and wellbeing organisation empowering underserved youth across Northern Ireland, South Africa, Sudan and India.

Your contribution will directly strengthen eduSOIL’s ability to deliver safely, ethically and sustainably. By helping to build and implement clear, compassionate people systems, you will:

• Improve staff and volunteer experience, retention and effectiveness
• Reduce risk through stronger safeguarding, records and compliance
• Support consistency across countries and programmes
• Enable Programme Directors and delivery teams to focus on youth impact
• Help lay foundations for future paid roles and organisational growth

With a dedicated HR & Volunteer Operations Manager, eduSOIL can:

• Give all staff and volunteers needed attention and support, via our various platforms.
• Maintain clarity and accountability as programmes scale
• Protect wellbeing, boundaries and ethical practice
• Strengthen trust with funders, partners and communities

This role bridges care and structure, ensuring that people systems support — rather than constrain — mission-led delivery.

What are we looking for?

We are seeking a values-led individual with strong administrative and people-management experience, ideally within charities, CICs, education or community organisations. You should have:

• 3–5+ years’ experience in HR administration, volunteer management or people operations
• Strong organisational and record-keeping skills
• Experience supporting recruitment, onboarding and induction processes
• Confidence handling confidential information sensitively and ethically
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• An empathetic, supportive approach to working with volunteers and teams
• Interest in education, youth leadership, wellbeing or social impact

Experience in safeguarding, volunteer coordination, HR systems and compliance is preferred. You should be open to learning, reflective practice and working within a wellbeing-informed organisational culture.

We are particularly interested in applicants who:

• Are based in Northern Ireland (though this is not essential)
• Bring lived experience of migration, cultural transition or integration
• Have experience in arts, mindfulness, yoga or wellbeing practice alongside professional expertise
• Are motivated by equity, youth voice and ethical leadership

This role suits someone who enjoys bringing order, clarity and confidence to complex systems, who values stewardship as a form of leadership and who is excited by working at both local and international levels.

What will you be doing?

We are seeking a HR & Volunteer Operations Assistant to strengthen the systems, processes and culture that support both volunteers and paid contributors to thrive. This is a delivery-aware, systems-focused leadership role, combining HR administration with volunteer management and engagement. You will ensure that recruitment, onboarding, records, safeguarding checks and support structures are clear, consistent and humane — enabling Programme Directors and delivery teams to focus on impact.

This role is not about HR policy in isolation. It is about building a values-led people system that balances compliance, care and clarity across countries and contexts.

eduSOIL works with a range of volunteers as follows:

• Senior Leadership Managers per Division (Finance, HR etc);
• Programme Directors per country/region (SA, NI, Sudan or Global);
• Global Programme Coordinator;
• Executive Assistant
• Intermediary Leadership Assistants per Division, Consultants, Regional Programme Coordinators
• Junior Leadership
• Youth Mentors (Community or School Based) (18 years+)
• Youth Leadership Children and Young People (6 - 17 years) driving social action projects, that are directly supported by Youth Mentors, Regional Programme Coordinators and indirectly supported by all Intermediary and Senior level leaders.

The HR & Volunteer Operations Assistant will be involved as follows:

• Phase 1 (Feb - March) will require dedicated, synchronised office hours with HR & Volunteer Operations Manager and Founder/CEO as well as on-demand support for volunteers via our dedicated platforms.
• Phase 2 (April - Dec) will involve more self-directed, asynchronous, on-demand support, with scheduled strategy and review sessions with the HR & Volunteer Operations Manager and Founder/CEO.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Coordinating recruitment, onboarding and records for volunteers and staff
• Supporting induction and training pathways
• Acting as a first point of contact for volunteers and contributors, via our Volunteer Recruitment platforms, some of which assist us with Volunteer Management.
• Maintaining accurate HR and volunteer records and databases, using Salesforce Non Profit Cloud Software for Volunteer Management
• Supporting safeguarding checks, training completion and compliance
• Supporting volunteer engagement, wellbeing and retention
• Coordinating recognition, appreciation and communication initiatives
• Working closely with Programme Directors and Managers to align people systems with delivery needs

You will work closely with the HR & Volunteer Operations Manager, Founder & CEO, Programme Directors and Managers across fundraising, digital learning and programmes, and be part of a peer leadership group supporting ethical growth and sustainability. The role builds on confirmed funding and established delivery programmes, with a focus on strengthening international coordination, accountability and governance. You will work as part of a peer leadership group alongside Programme Directors and other Managers, helping bridge strategy and delivery while protecting organisational integrity.