Role Overview
Job title: Community & Volunteer Manager
Department/Team: Fundraising & Communications
Location: Hybrid — minimum two days per week at head office in Cork, with significant travel nationally
Employment type: Full-time, permanent
Reports to: Head of Fundraising & Communications
Salary: €38,000–€42,000, depending on experience
Working hours: 39 hours per week, with regular evening and weekend work around events
The Role
The Community & Volunteer Manager owns AADI’s national community and volunteer calendar. The purpose of the role is to replace a reactive year with a planned one: a single annual plan, built around 8 to 12 monthly core initiatives, that every branch, volunteer and school is working towards at the same time.
Within that calendar, the postholder will deliver 2 to 4 national bucket collection moments, two dedicated schools fundraising months and a programme of volunteer-led local events. They will be responsible for the four regional branches — Cork, Limerick, Galway and Dublin — and for developing these from goodwill into structured groups capable of raising money to plan.
This is a hands-on, road-based role for someone who is energised by events and people, and who can hold the national picture in their head while also organising a bucket collection in a shopping centre on a Saturday morning. Success will be measured in two ways: income generated through the community channel, and a calendar that is set in advance and runs without constant intervention.
About AADI
Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland trains and places assistance dogs with autistic children aged 4 to 12, and runs a schools programme that places support dogs in classrooms throughout the country.
Each dog takes two years to train, and some are trained for tethering, allowing a parent to safely bring a child who is a flight risk out into the world. We receive between 1,200 and 1,400 applications every January and place 30 to 40 dogs each year, so the amount we raise directly determines how many families we can reach.
We are a team of 18 based in Cork, supported by a large national volunteer base. This volunteer network is both how we raise money and how AADI is known and trusted in towns across Ireland.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
Annual Planning and Co-ordination
- Building and owning AADI’s annual community and volunteer plan — a published 12-month calendar of 8 to 12 core initiatives, each with a lead, budget, target and materials deadline.
- Sequencing the calendar so that branches, schools and volunteer-led events do not compete with each other or with national campaigns.
- Running a single monthly cycle of planning, briefing and review across all four branches, so volunteers know what is coming and when.
- Holding the national overview: tracking what is committed, what is at risk and what needs to be rescheduled, and escalating issues early.
Bucket Collections and National Moments
- Planning and delivering 2 to 4 national bucket collection moments each year, including permit applications, site bookings, rota building, volunteer briefings, cash handling and reconciliation.
- Recruiting and rostering collection volunteers to a target headcount for each site, with contingency cover.
- Reporting on income per site, per hour and per volunteer, and using this information to select sites for the following year.
Schools Programme Fundraising
- Working with the Schools Support team to deliver two dedicated schools fundraising months each year, with a ready-made challenge, materials pack and sign-up route.
- Recruiting schools to participate, supporting teachers through delivery, and ensuring every participating school is thanked and receives feedback.
- Developing the schools fundraising proposition so that it can be repeated each year with minimal rebuilding.
Community Fundraising and Income Generation
- Growing income from individuals, groups, schools, clubs and local businesses through both AADI-led and volunteer-led activity.
- Identifying and supporting third-party fundraisers, providing excellent stewardship from first contact through to the final thank you.
- Developing fundraising toolkits, materials and practical resources that allow volunteers and supporters to raise money independently.
- Supporting volunteers to deliver local events, including coffee mornings, walks, raffles, school challenges, church gate collections and store collections.
- Representing AADI at local events, cheque presentations and community functions.
- Working with the Communications team to promote opportunities in advance and share results afterwards.
Volunteer Programme, Recruitment and Retention
- Running clear onboarding, support and offboarding processes so volunteers understand their roles, feel supported and leave well.
- Recruiting a diverse pool of volunteers, with deliberate attention to people with leadership and fundraising potential.
- Delivering training in event delivery, fundraising basics, cash handling and local leadership.
- Co-ordinating recognition and appreciation activities, including an annual volunteer recognition moment.
- Building a culture in which volunteers take ownership of local activity rather than waiting to be asked.
Branch Capacity Building
- Building the capacity of AADI’s four regional branches: Cork (South/Southeast), Limerick (South/Southwest), Galway (West/North) and Dublin (East).
- Establishing a consistent operating standard for each branch, including named roles, a meeting rhythm, an annual activity plan and an income target.
- Identifying and developing local champions who can lead activity between visits.
Administration and Reporting
- Maintaining accurate records of volunteers, activities, hours and income in AADI’s CRM and volunteer management systems.
- Tracking performance against clear metrics, including volunteers recruited and retained, events delivered, income raised, cost to raise and income per volunteer.
- Reporting monthly to the Head of Fundraising & Communications and preparing community channel content for board reporting.
- Keeping volunteers informed through regular updates on AADI’s work, goals and achievements.
Person Specification
Experience
- At least two years’ experience in community fundraising, volunteer management, events or a comparable co-ordination role.
- Demonstrable experience of planning and delivering events to a calendar, including at least one multi-site or national-scale activity.
- Experience of recruiting, training and supporting volunteers.
- Experience of working towards an income target would be a distinct advantage.
Skills and Knowledge
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to quickly build rapport with volunteers, teachers, local businesses and families.
- Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the discipline to work to a calendar set months in advance.
- Comfortable working with numbers, including setting targets, tracking income and costs, and reporting honestly on both.
- Good IT skills, with working knowledge of Google Workspace — including Drive, Calendar, Meet, Docs and Sheets — as well as WhatsApp and CRM or volunteer management systems.
- Working knowledge of the practicalities of Irish community fundraising, including collection permits, cash handling and the Charities Regulator’s fundraising guidelines, or the ability to learn these quickly.
- Ability to work under pressure and adapt dynamically when an event or volunteer falls through.
Qualifications
- A full, clean driving licence and access to a car are essential.
- A relevant qualification in fundraising, marketing, events, community development or business would be advantageous.
- Willingness to undergo Garda vetting.
Personal Attributes
The successful candidate will be:
- Friendly, outgoing and genuinely energised by meeting people and attending events.
- Impeccably organised, with strong planning skills and keen attention to detail.
- Able to hold the national picture while delivering the local detail.
- Sound in judgement and decision-making, and comfortable saying no to activity that does not fit the plan.
- Solution-focused, with the ability to think creatively.
- Skilled at prioritising work and managing time effectively.
- Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team.
- Happy to spend significant time on the road, with regular evening and weekend work.
Key Relationships
Internal: Head of Fundraising & Communications, CEO, Fundraising department personnel, Communications team, Schools Support team, Puppy Programme team and Finance.
External: Volunteers and branch members, prospective volunteers, schools and teachers, local clubs and societies, local businesses and store managers, third-party fundraisers, local authorities, An Garda Síochána in relation to collection permits, and members of the general public.
Equal Opportunities
Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.
About Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland
AADI is a growing national charity focused on training and placing Assistance and School Support Dogs to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families.
Our community and volunteer network is central to that work. It raises the funds that place dogs with families, and it is how AADI is known and trusted in towns across Ireland. This is a new chapter for that network, and the postholder will help shape it.
How to Apply
Please send your CV and cover letter to Tom Cotter, Head of Fundraising & Communications, at tom@aadi.ie.
Closing date for applications: Friday, 27 November 2026