Read Easy UK is a national charity providing free, 1-to-1 and confidential help to the 2.4m UK adults in need of help with reading skills. Simply, we transform lives: evaluation shows that the people who come to us experience >200% improvement in ability to cope with everyday life and >200% increase in confidence about themselves.
Our group is one of the larger of Read Easy's 80+ local groups. We have grown fast from an original base in Exeter to cover various areas in E,W and N Devon/Torridge.
After five years, our Team Leader is looking to hand over to another ambitious leader looking to lead the organisation through its next phase of growth.
The Team Leader is responsible for the proper and effective direction of a team of several dozen volunteers, through a well-proven team structure and with support of the national Read Easy Organisation. We are lucky to have a very strong management team.
This role will appeal to someone who will enjoy managing and motivating a large team of diverse volunteers and be motivated by the challenge of helping ultimately hundreds of adults in our community to improve their reading.
In this role you will:
- provide overall direction to and motivate the group, in line with Read Easy UK strategy;
- call and lead monthly Management Team meetings;
- ensure that all on the Management Team are able to contribute to the success of Read Easy locally;
- lead the balance between necessary compliance and successful growth of Read Easy locally;
- maintain strong and mutually beneficial working relationships with Read Easy UK and with other local groups.
Much of your work can be done through phone calls, video meetings etc. though some travel in Devon will be needed. Many of the Management Team are based within 10 miles of Exeter, though we have teams located up to 40 miles away.
Resources, guidance and support
You will be supported by a strong core management team already in place and working well together. This is a leadership role. As we are growing fast and expanding into new geographic areas, there is a lot of ongoing recruitment and change to be managed. The outgoing Team Leader plans to remain available to the new Team Leader to enable smooth transition, while letting the new Team Leader shape the detail of the future.
You will be provided with Read Easy UK's Management Team Handbook, training/induction, policies and guidance specifically needed for this role, including access to support from a Read Easy UK Regional Adviser. You will also be invited to Read Easy UK’s regional forums and annual conference which give volunteers an opportunity for networking with those from other groups.
Responsibilities
- Lead the Management Team in setting goals and planning activities so that it functions effectively in delivering reading coaching to as many local people as possible
- Ensure all Team members are encouraged and enabled to fulfil their individual roles and responsibilities, and manage succession planning for the group
- Support and oversee the team of Coordinators (the core role managing delivery of our service)
- Ensure volunteers and Readers are supported and encouraged to enjoy what they do
- Ensure that the requirements of your Constitution and Affiliation Agreement are met, and that the guidance in the handbooks provided by Read Easy UK is followed
- Act as an ambassador for your Read Easy group and build positive and beneficial relationships with key stakeholders
- Build strong relationships with your Read Easy UK Regional Adviser
- Maintain and promote the reputation of your group and of Read Easy UK as a whole and ensure that members of the group uphold Read Easy UK’s values and good name.
Leading a large group of volunteers through change is necessarily time-consuming. While many tasks can be delegated, there is a lot of stakeholder management to do in the coming year. This is not a role that can be done in a few hours a week. Ideally you would be planning to make a significant commitment to a hugely satisfying multi-year challenge.
Personal qualities and experience needed
- strong leadership and team management skills and experience, with ability to inspire trust and confidence in others.
- ability to think and act strategically, set goals, plan work, establish role boundaries and delegate.
- ability to motivate/influence/manage volunteers.
- willingness and ability to challenge others, deal with underperformance and manage conflict when necessary.
- open attitude that encourages two-way communication with Team and Regional Adviser, and a willingness to seek support as necessary.
- an understanding of the need to meet the legal duties of Management Team membership and affiliation to Read Easy UK, with an attention to detail and procedure.
What is in it for you? You will:
- lead the next stage of growth of an organisation that transforms the lives of some of our most disadvantaged community members;
- lead vital work communicating the scale of the UK's literacy problem, the fact that an easy fix is available and reduce the stigma associated with reading;
- shape and lead a large team of volunteers in sharing the satisfaction of making a huge difference as a high performing team;
- meet and work collaboratively with many new people and community organisations;
- hear and share remarkable stories of transformational personal change enabled by your team's work; and
- add value to your local community.