The Fostering Network

Improving the lives of children and young people in foster care

Job Description – Membership Development Officer

Job title / Membership Development Officer
Accountable to / Membership Development Manager
Objectives / To support the design and delivery of all activities related to membership retention and recruitment.
To actively recruit new members and to promote the benefits of membership to existing and prospective members.
To support the development of the Fostering Network’s membership offer.
To promote the Fostering Network and its services to its members.
Hours / Part-time – 4 days a week -> 28 hours/week
Location / Home-based
Status / Permanent
Requirement
Does the post involve contact with children/young people / No
Disclosure required / No

Responsibilities

1. Member relations

1.1 To be the first point of contact for all members and prospective membersin the South West and West Midlands regions to promote membership and membership services.

1.2 To provide a member enquiry service based on customer service excellence principles, signposting members to relevant colleagues where necessary.

1.3 To work in partnership with relevant colleagues to organise and deliver local membership engagement activities and events.

1.4 To represent the Fostering Network at local member events and functions in in themedia.

1.5To attend local events (for example, local chamber of commerce) to raise the profile of The Fostering Network, where appropriate.

1.6To co-ordinate and support a network of volunteers.

2.Membership recruitment and retention

2.1To support the development, implementation and evaluation of membership recruitment and retention activities in the South West and West Midlands regions.

2.2To promote the benefits of membership to existing and prospective members in these regions.

2.3To actively recruit new foster carer and fostering service members.

2.4 To support the review and development of The Fostering Network’s membership offer and range of membership benefits to ensure the charity is responding to the needs of its members and remaining competitive in the marketplace.

3.Membership promotion and communications

3.1 To communicate with members in the South West and West Midlands regions through a range of channels, including The Fostering Network’s online community and other communications channels.

3.2To contribute to shaping and deploying the ‘member journey’, ensuring proactive communication of products and services relevant to specific member needs in a timely manner.

3.3To prepare and deliver presentations to members and potential members.

4.Membership data management

4.1 To use the CRM system to store member engagement information and build member profiles to target members effectively.

4.2To contribute member feedback and market information to support the development of products, services and programmes to meet the needs of members.

4.3To contribute to and promote membership surveys to assist in the evaluation of member needs and levels of satisfaction.

4.4To contribute to the ongoing development of the CRM system across the organisation.

4.5To develop and maintain a dashboard on member services statistics in the South West and West Midlands regions, including joiners and leavers, services and products purchased.

5. General

5.1 Maintain a good knowledge of organisational priorities (for example fundraising, consultancy and so on) to cross promote products and services at the customer interface.

5.2Keeping abreast of developments and trends in foster care across the UK.

5.3Responding to feedback and supervision, and evaluating and developing one’s own work.

5.4Ensuring that all the Fostering Network’s practices and materials promote equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.

5.5Any other duties as requested by the membership development manager or head of member services and engagement.

Additional Duties

It is the nature of the Fostering Network that tasks and responsibilities are in many circumstances unpredictable and varied. All employees are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises and undertake tasks that are not specifically covered in their job description.

Our values

  • We are passionate.We believe in children and the difference foster care makes to their lives.
  • We are leading.We are at the forefront of foster care, shaping policy and practice at all levels.
  • We are a catalyst.We are dynamic and innovative, and work tirelessly to make foster care better.

Person Specification

Important note: candidates are assessed on their ability to meet the criteria listed in the person specification.It is essential that you refer to the person specification below and demonstrate how you meet each of the criteria listed when completing the application form.

ESSENTIAL

Knowledge/Experience/Understanding

  1. Experience of working in a membership relations/marketing role.
  1. Experience of developing membership services.
  1. Experience of stakeholder management, including developing relationships with members and partners.
  1. Experience of working with CRM systems.

Skills/abilities/competencies

  1. Excellent customer service skills.
  1. Excellent presentation skills, with an ability to connect with a range of audiences.
  1. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to prepare internal reports and also present information clearly for a range of audiences.
  1. Ability to work independently, undertaking a high level of personal responsibility and initiative as required within the role.
  1. Well organised, with an ability to plan and manage work, and prioritise competing demands.
  1. Confident and personable, able to communicate with different audiences.
  1. Ability to manage budgets and to plan and deliver work within agreed budgets.
  1. Ability to travel and work flexible hours – the role will require frequent.

Attitudes

  1. Commitment to working within the Fostering Network’s equal opportunities and diversity policies and practice.
  1. Collaborative approach.

DESIREABLE

Experience

  1. Experience of working from home.
  1. Experience of event management.
  1. Experience of supporting member engagement through an online community.
  1. Personal experience of fostering.

Additional Information

Pay and conditions of service

Grade / The Fostering Network Band 3 – salary point 26.
Salary / £23,720 per annum FTE
Annual Leave / 25 Days plus 5 Fostering Network days.
Probationary period / 6 calendar months.
Notice period / Four working weeks
One week during probationary period.
Hours of work / 28 hours/week
Pension / Money-purchase scheme and salary sacrifice option is available with Aegon:
Employee’s contribution 3%, Employer’s contribution 5% of
gross annual salary.
Season Ticket Loan / An interest free season ticket loan is available to all staff immediately.
Trade Union / The Fostering Network recognises the trade union Unite
and members of staff can join if they wish