Volunteer & Mentoring Program Coordinator – KidStart

Volunteer & Mentoring Program Coordinator – KidStart

Organization: John Howard Society of Victoria
Department: KidStart
Location: In Person, Victoria, BC
Position Type: Part-time, Permanent
Work Hours: 30 hours per week, Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Compensation: $32.45 per hour

Recruit Volunteers. Build Strong Mentoring Relationships. Grow Community Impact.

John Howard Society of Victoria is looking for a proactive and organized Volunteer & Mentoring Program Coordinator – KidStart to lead the coordination and growth of our volunteer-based youth mentoring program.

This is primarily a volunteer management and program coordination position. Success in this role depends on your ability to recruit, screen, onboard, engage, support, and retain qualified volunteer mentors while ensuring the KidStart program operates effectively and meets its objectives.

We are looking for someone who can take ownership of the program rather than simply administer it. You will actively develop volunteer recruitment strategies, build partnerships in the community, maintain a strong pipeline of prospective mentors, coordinate youth referrals and mentoring matches, monitor program performance, and respond when recruitment, retention, or program outcomes are falling behind expectations.

You should be comfortable reaching out to community organizations, promoting volunteer opportunities, building relationships, setting clear expectations with volunteers, addressing concerns, tracking results, and continually looking for ways to strengthen the program.

If you have direct experience managing volunteers and enjoy building programs, developing community relationships, solving problems, and achieving measurable results, we would like to hear from you. This is an in-person position based in Victoria, BC, with no opportunity to work remotely.

About John Howard Society of Victoria

John Howard Society of Victoria is a growing nonprofit organization providing housing, employment, mentoring, and other community-based services across Vancouver Island and beyond.

We work with individuals facing barriers to housing, employment, and community participation, helping them build greater independence and connections within their communities.

Our programs are supported through government contracts, grants, and community partnerships. We believe effective leadership, responsible use of resources, and accountability for outcomes are essential to delivering meaningful services.

Compensation & Benefits

Hourly Wage: $32.45

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package that supports your financial security, health, well-being, and professional growth.

• Municipal Pension Plan (MPP): Participation in a defined-benefit pension plan with employer contributions, supporting long-term retirement security.

• Extended Health and Dental Benefits: Coverage to support your health and well-being.

• Paid Vacation and Leave: Paid vacation and eligible leave in accordance with organizational policies.

• Disability and Life Insurance: Additional financial protection.

• Employee and Family Assistance Program: Confidential support and resources for employees and their families.

• Professional Development: Opportunities to strengthen your leadership skills and continue your professional growth.

Benefits and eligibility are subject to applicable plan provisions and organizational policies.

About KidStart

KidStart is a community-based mentoring program that connects children and youth with carefully screened and supported volunteer mentors.

Through positive and consistent mentoring relationships, the program creates opportunities for young people to build confidence, strengthen community connections, participate in recreational and community activities, and develop supportive relationships with trusted adults.

The Volunteer & Mentoring Program Coordinator plays a central role in making these relationships possible by ensuring KidStart has a strong and sustainable network of qualified, engaged, and well-supported volunteer mentors.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

• Volunteer Recruitment, Management & Retention (45%) – Developing recruitment strategies, screening and onboarding volunteers, providing training, monitoring engagement, addressing concerns, and improving volunteer retention.

• Mentoring Program Coordination (25%) – Coordinating youth referrals, matching suitable mentors, monitoring relationships, supporting mentors, and ensuring appropriate safeguarding practices.

• Community Engagement & Program Development (20%) – Building recruitment partnerships, promoting volunteer opportunities, coordinating community activities, and supporting fundraising initiatives.

• Program Administration & Reporting (10%) – Tracking volunteer recruitment, active matches, retention, waitlists, program outcomes, and reporting requirements.

What We're Looking For

The strongest candidates will bring hands-on experience coordinating or managing volunteers.

Working in a program that happens to use volunteers is different from being accountable for recruiting, screening, supporting, engaging, and retaining them. We are specifically looking for candidates who have held that level of responsibility.

Experience:

We are looking for demonstrated experience in:

• Recruiting, screening, onboarding, training, supporting, and retaining volunteers.

• Developing and implementing volunteer recruitment strategies.

• Maintaining an active volunteer pipeline and responding to recruitment challenges.

• Managing volunteer relationships, expectations, participation, and performance concerns.

• Developing community partnerships that generate volunteer interest and participation.

• Coordinating programs and independently managing competing priorities.

• Establishing and working toward program targets and expected outcomes.

• Monitoring program performance and preparing reports.

• Maintaining accurate records and working with databases or information-management systems.

• Communicating professionally with volunteers, youth, families, community partners, and colleagues.

• Managing sensitive information appropriately and maintaining professional boundaries

Qualifications:

• Education in Volunteer or nonprofit management, Community development, Human services, Social sciences, Business administration, Recreation, Communications, Public administration, or another related discipline is preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to develop effective relationships with a range of different individuals.

• Proficient in verbal and written English at a professional level, with excellent communication, organization and interpersonal abilities.

• High proficiency in MS Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, SharePoint) and case management systems.

• Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Persons Check.

• Valid Class 5 Driver’s License and access to a reliable vehicle, insured for business up to $5,000,000 for liability, and which can be used to transport clients.

• Travel will be required within the CRD.

• Emergency First Aid certification is an asset.

• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information effectively and possess strong integrity.

Skills and Competencies:

• Understanding of youth mentoring and safeguarding is important and effectively ability to effectively manage the volunteer management of the program.

• Experience working with a range of different individuals and groups in the community, and to be sensitive to and understanding of their social realities, including culture, race, religion, sexual orientation, and lifestyle.

• Well-developed interpersonal communication, assessment, and conflict management skills.

What Will Make You Successful?

Beyond your education and experience, we are looking for someone who demonstrates the following in their work:

• Initiative: You don't wait for volunteer applications to arrive. You actively identify recruitment opportunities, build relationships, follow up on leads, and take action when the volunteer pipeline needs to grow.

• Volunteer Management: You understand how to attract, screen, onboard, engage, support, and retain volunteers and recognize that each stage requires intentional management.

• Organization: You can independently manage volunteer applications, screening processes, youth referrals, mentoring matches, community relationships, deadlines, documentation, and reporting.

• Relationship Building: You are comfortable approaching community organizations, developing partnerships, presenting volunteer opportunities, and maintaining professional relationships.

• Accountability: You take ownership of program responsibilities and outcomes. When recruitment or retention is falling behind, you identify why and develop a plan to address it.

• Communication: You communicate clearly and professionally and are comfortable establishing expectations, providing feedback, and having difficult conversations when necessary.

• Problem-Solving: You recognize when something isn't working, assess the barriers, and implement practical solutions rather than allowing problems to remain unresolved.

• Results Orientation: You understand that successful program coordination involves both strong relationships and measurable outcomes.

• Youth Mentoring & Safeguarding: You understand the importance of creating safe, appropriate, and supportive mentoring relationships while maintaining clear professional boundaries and following safeguarding requirements.

How Success Will Be Measured

The Volunteer & Mentoring Program Coordinator will be expected to actively monitor and improve program performance.

Key measures may include:

• Number of qualified volunteer applicants recruited.

• Number of prospective volunteers successfully screened and onboarded.

• Time required to move applicants through recruitment, screening, and onboarding.

• Number of active volunteer mentors.

• Number of new mentoring matches established.

• Number and stability of active mentoring relationships.

• Volunteer retention.

• Frequency and quality of volunteer engagement and follow-up.

• Youth waiting for an appropriate mentor and length of time on the waitlist.

• Community recruitment partnerships established and maintained.

• Progress against established program and funding targets.

• Timeliness and accuracy of program records and required reports.

Creating Safe, Healthy & Inclusive Communities at JHSV

At John Howard Society of Victoria, we proudly embrace the diversity of the communities we serve and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

We understand that everyone's journey is different, and we are committed to providing the support needed to ensure equitable opportunities throughout our hiring process. Reasonable accommodation is available upon request. Applicants requiring accommodation during the recruitment and selection process may contact [email protected].

Interested in Joining Our Team?

If you are passionate about supporting young people, developing meaningful mentoring relationships, engaging volunteers, and building stronger community connections, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your application through our recruitment portal. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled, so we encourage you to apply early.