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Developing a position description

Developing a position description

Once you know what roles the club needs, it's time to develop a position description to help recruit the right volunteers.

Why is it important?

A role description is important for volunteers because it allows potential volunteers to know exactly what they are taking on, how much time is needed to fulfill the role, what is expected of them and how they will be supported.

TIP: Make sure to review each position annually to ensure it is still required and fits the needs of the club and person.

First steps

Before developing a position description, first ask:

  • Is the role achievable?
  • Has there been any feedback about the role previously?
  • Could it be split into smaller bite sized roles or tasks?
  • Could tasks be distributed across more people?
  • Are there any barriers to the role?
  • How can we support flexibility?

Prepare to be flexible depending on the right candidate to ensure it works for them. Look at opportunities to cater for short term volunteering options or one-off activities – remember flexibility is key!

Writing a position description

Once you know what job descriptions you need, now it's time to write them!

  • Use templates as a starting point, check out the resources below.
  • Add your organisation logo and colors and tweak the descriptions to fit your needs. Ensure to include all tasks
  • Only include items you really need - you don't want to scare people away by overloading it
  • Include an estimate on the time required per week (or per day if it is an event role)

Position description templates

Check out the variety of position description templates below from a range of great sites. These sites have templates for a variety of roles such as President, Treasurer, Junior Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator and more

Can't find a template that suits?

Check out this template on the Volunteering Australia website on designing a position description from scratch Designing a volunteer role description, opens in a new tab

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