Volunteer Communications & Engagement Manager

1,300 volunteers — and no dedicated role to keep them connected

Wildlife Victoria runs a 24/7 Wildlife Emergency Response service powered by more than 1,300 volunteers across the state. These volunteers are the backbone of the organisation — rescuing injured wildlife, staffing the emergency hotline, and supporting field operations in every corner of Victoria.

But keeping 1,300+ volunteers informed, recognised, and connected to the mission is a significant communications challenge. Wildlife Victoria needed a dedicated Volunteer Communications & Engagement Manager who could build a proper volunteer communications strategy, introduce recognition initiatives and feedback loops, and strengthen the sense of belonging across a large, geographically distributed volunteer base.

The tricky part: this role sits at the intersection of two skill sets that rarely overlap — strategic communications capability and hands-on volunteer programme management. Finding someone with both is genuinely difficult.

Finding a rare combination of skills

Gab knew this search required a candidate with a specific dual capability: someone who could design eDM journeys, manage CRM segmentation, and build content calendars — but who also had real experience managing and motivating volunteer teams, not just communicating at them.

The search targeted professionals working across not-for-profit community engagement, volunteer coordination, and communications — with specific emphasis on candidates who had worked with CRM and volunteer management systems like Salesforce and ThankQ.

Every candidate was assessed against practical capability: Could they design a recognition framework? Segment communications for different volunteer groups? Build feedback loops that actually get used? Engage stakeholders across regional coordinators, trainers, and operations teams?

The right candidate was identified and placed within three weeks.

A more connected, motivated volunteer community

The new Volunteer Communications & Engagement Manager hit the ground running:

• Launched recognition initiatives — giving volunteers visible, meaningful acknowledgement of their contribution
• Refreshed the volunteer newsletter and eDM journeys — with proper segmentation so different volunteer groups receive relevant, targeted communications
• Introduced community-building activities — strengthening connections between volunteers, coordinators, and the broader Wildlife Victoria team
• Established two-way feedback mechanisms — so volunteer voices are heard and acted on, not just collected

The result: a more connected and motivated volunteer base, improved participation rates, and stronger retention across the network.