Community and Visitor Engagement Officer

Building relationships
The purpose of this role is to develop the people, partnerships and volunteer capacity needed to support the church’s growing programme, to help create a warm, welcoming and engaging experience for visitors and community participants at Holy Sepulchre, from the building and physical environment through to welcome, volunteers, activities and events.

The postholder will support the delivery and development of Holy Sepulchre’s community and visitor activities, building positive relationships with participants, visitors, volunteers, local organisations and businesses.

A key part of the role will be the strategic development of volunteering at Holy Sepulchre, considering how we can increase the number, range and commitment of volunteers and develop the capacity needed to work towards a future in which Holy Sepulchre is able to welcome visitors and deliver activities seven days a week, as well as identifying new opportunities for volunteering and building relationships with organisations that can provide volunteers and other forms of support. This will include developing and managing corporate volunteering relationships, particularly with businesses and professional organisations in the City of London and planning and coordinating corporate volunteering opportunities and events.

The role will have responsibility for the growth, administration and running of the weekly Community Choir and the launch of a Monday Communitea session. The postholder will also support Musicalitea and Communitea on Thursday and Friday, and coordinate and line manage the Holy Sepulchre Host Team.
The postholder will also help the wider organisation to develop a consistent approach to welcoming and engaging visitors, ensuring that everyone who comes into contact with Holy Sepulchre receives a warm and positive welcome.

The role will act as the main point of contact for the Friends of the City Churches, who provide Monday hosting at Holy Sepulchre, ensuring good communication and coordination between their team and Holy Sepulchre.

Main Duties
Visitor Engagement and Welcome
• Provide a warm and welcoming presence for visitors, community participants and other users of Holy Sepulchre.
• Engage with visitors and participants, helping them to discover more about Holy Sepulchre, its music, heritage, faith and community activities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local community groups, charities, businesses, cultural organisations and other partners, identifying opportunities for collaboration and community engagement.
• Help develop and embed a consistent approach to visitor welcome and engagement across Holy Sepulchre, working with colleagues and volunteers to ensure that visitors receive a positive and welcoming experience.
• Consider the visitor journey across the organisation and identify practical ways in which Holy Sepulchre can improve how it welcomes, informs and engages visitors.
• Share feedback and observations from visitors with the wider team and contribute ideas for improving the visitor experience.
• Support colleagues, volunteers and Hosts in developing confidence and good practice in welcoming and engaging visitors.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
• Build positive relationships with regular visitors and participants and encourage people to take part in the wider programme.
• Develop and maintain relationships with local community groups, charities, businesses and other organisations, identifying opportunities to work together.
• Develop relationships with businesses and corporate organisations particularly within the City of London, to create sustainable opportunities for corporate volunteering and partnership.
• Act as the main point of contact for the Friends of the City Churches, maintaining good communication and supporting the smooth running of their Monday hosting at Holy Sepulchre, ensuring that their Hosts have the information they need to welcome and engage visitors effectively.
• Encourage connections between community participants, visitors, volunteers and the wider life of Holy Sepulchre.

Community Programme
• Take responsibility for the ongoing development and delivery of the weekly Community Choir, working closely with the Director of Music and Choir Director to build participation, strengthen the choir community and encourage engagement with the wider life of Holy Sepulchre.
• Assist with the delivery of the weekly Thursday and Friday Musicalitea and Communitea events, helping to ensure they are welcoming, well organised and engaging.
• Support the development of new community activities and initiatives, working with colleagues and local partners, including the planning and delivery of the Monday Communitea event.
• Build relationships with participants across the community programme, identifying opportunities to encourage repeat engagement, volunteering and participation in other Holy Sepulchre activities.
• Help promote community and visitor activities and encourage new audiences to participate.
Corporate Volunteering
• Develop and manage corporate volunteering opportunities and relationships, from initial engagement through to delivery and follow-up.
• Plan and coordinate corporate volunteering days including logistics, activities, communications and on-the-day coordination.
• Ensure corporate volunteers receive a positive, well-organised and meaningful experience and understand the impact of their contribution.
• Maintain strong relationships with corporate partners after events, identifying opportunities for repeat volunteering, longer-term partnerships, fundraising, sponsorship and other forms of support.
• Keep appropriate records of corporate contacts, volunteering activity, engagement and outcomes, contributing to monitoring and reporting.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to increase the number and range of corporate volunteers supporting Holy Sepulchre.

Volunteer Development and Strategy
• Develop and maintain a growing pool of volunteers who can support Holy Sepulchre’s visitor, community and event activities.
• Work strategically with colleagues to identify current and future volunteer needs and develop appropriate roles, opportunities and pathways for involvement.
• Consider how volunteering can be developed to increase Holy Sepulchre’s capacity to open and operate seven days a week.
• Identify opportunities to attract new volunteers from different backgrounds, age groups, communities, businesses and professional networks.
• Develop relationships and partnerships that can create new routes into volunteering, particularly with City of London businesses, community organisations and other local networks.
• Support volunteer recruitment, induction, communication, engagement and retention.
• Identify opportunities for volunteers to develop their skills and take on greater responsibility.
• Monitor volunteer participation and feedback and use this to improve the volunteer experience and inform future planning.
• Contribute to longer-term planning for the development of Holy Sepulchre’s volunteer programme and capacity.

Holy Sepulchre Host Team
• Coordinate the Holy Sepulchre Host Team, including organising rotas, providing support and ensuring Hosts are prepared for their duties.
• Line manage the Host Team, providing regular support, guidance and feedback and helping to develop their skills and confidence.
• Help establish a consistent and welcoming approach to hosting across services, concerts, community activities and other events.
• Work with the Host Team and wider Holy Sepulchre team to develop good practice in visitor welcome and engagement.
• Identify opportunities to grow and strengthen the Host Team in line with Holy Sepulchre’s developing programme and ambition to increase opening hours.
• Undertake other duties and projects that are reasonably required to support the changing needs and development of Holy Sepulchre.

Person Specification
Essential
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to listen, build rapport and develop positive relationships.
• Demonstrable experience of developing and managing relationships with external organisations, businesses or corporate partners.
• Ability to think strategically about volunteer development and identify how volunteering can increase organisational capacity and ideally experience of developing or managing a volunteer programme, including volunteer recruitment, engagement and retention.
• Experience of planning and delivering events or activities, including the practical logistics involved in delivering successful volunteering or community events.
• Well organised, reliable and able to manage a range of tasks and priorities.
• Able to work independently and as part of a small team.
• Able to build positive and professional relationships with external organisations and community groups.
• Comfortable considering the experience of visitors and identifying practical ways to improve welcome, engagement and participation.
• Confident using Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Word and Excel.
• Enthusiastic about community, music, culture in a heritage setting and the role Holy Sepulchre can play in bringing people together.
• Understanding of and commitment to Holy Sepulchre’s vision and values.

Desirable
• Experience of working in a community, cultural, musical, heritage or faith setting.
• Experience of developing corporate volunteering partnerships and/or coordinating corporate volunteering programmes or events.
• Experience of working with businesses or professional organisations in the City of London.
• Experience of organising community, corporate or volunteering events.
• Experience of working with volunteers or line managing staff.
• Experience of developing relationships with local community organisations.
• Experience of visitor engagement, hospitality or front-of-house work.
• Experience of working with people who may experience social isolation or other barriers to participation.
• Knowledge of the local community and organisations around the City of London.
• Experience of partnership development, fundraising, sponsorship or corporate social responsibility.