Senior Manager, Volunteers

Job Title: Senior Manager, Volunteers 

Department: Volunteers

Location: Remote/Virtual office within the continental US

Reports to: Senior Director, Volunteers

Direct Reports: No

Classification: Exempt

Position type: Full-Time Employee

Pay Band: $69,000 - $88,000

 

Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families is the largest nonprofit dedicated to making military life better for families. Each year, we support over 1.5 million military- and veteran-connected family members through a national network of 300,000+ members and local chapters in communities across the country.

Our mission is simple and bold: We make military life awesome for families. 

We listen, share, partner, and act to deliver evidence-based, data-driven solutions that work for real people. We’re a lifestyle organization, a friend and neighbor, and a trusted partner. Our approach is collaborative, human-centered, and designed with the whole family in mind.

A Blue Star Family is one with an immediate family member — a spouse, parent, or child — actively serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Guard and Reserves. These families face unique challenges: frequent relocations, deployments, career disruption, and isolation. We respond with research-informed programs that create connection, build resilience, and foster a true sense of belonging.

We serve with urgency but build trust over time — because change happens at the speed of trust. Whether we’re driving spouse employment, supporting caregivers, or helping communities welcome military families, we strive for upstream solutions.

Who We’re Looking For:

• Bold thinkers. Fast movers. Smart collaborators. People who want to build, lead, and drive measurable change — and who care deeply about making an impact that matters.

What You’ll Do Here:

• Solve complex challenges with data, heart, and humility
• Build cross-sector partnerships that get things done
• Help military families feel at home wherever they live

If you're ready to work in a high-performance, mission-driven environment — and to make life better for those who serve — Blue Star Families is where you belong.

 

General Description

The Senior Manager, Volunteers plays a vital role at Blue Star Families by assisting in the management and coordination of our volunteer program. Reporting to the Senior Director of Volunteers, this position focuses on recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers to ensure their effective involvement in our initiatives. The Senior Manager collaborates with both national and chapter teams to align volunteer efforts with the organization's mission and goals, ensuring that all volunteers feel supported, valued, and engaged.

As a fully remote organization, we rely on scheduled in-person gatherings to foster alignment, collaboration, and organizational culture. This role requires the ability to travel out of town overnight, up to several times per year for staff offsites, planning retreats, and company-wide events. These gatherings are essential for connection, brainstorming, and staying strategically aligned across teams. Participation is required as a core part of the role.

 

Key Job Functions:

• Assist in designing and implementing the volunteer program per Blue Star Families' objectives.
• Develop clear volunteer role descriptions, policies, and procedures.
• Utilize volunteer management software to maintain accurate records.

• Support strategies to attract volunteers at various levels.
• Create engaging recruitment materials.
• Coordinate the onboarding process, ensuring volunteers are well-prepared for their roles with guidance from the Senior Director, Volunteers.

• Serve as a contact for volunteers, addressing concerns and providing guidance with oversight from the Senior Director, Volunteers. 
• Assist in organizing training sessions and development opportunities.
• Coordinate volunteer schedules and assignments.
• Work with staff and chapter leaders to support the identification of volunteer needs.

• Support strategies to acknowledge and celebrate volunteer contributions.
• Contribute to fostering a supportive volunteer community to enhance retention.
• Conduct feedback sessions to improve the volunteer experience.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

 

Required Experience, Skills & Background:

• 4-5 years of relevant experience in volunteer management, including direct, hands-on involvement in guiding volunteers through all stages of their engagement.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or commensurate experience.
• Proficiency in using volunteer management software and other digital tools, with a strong understanding of data protection regulations.
• Strong organizational and leadership skills, with the ability to work independently.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• Occasionally may be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary to carry out key job functions.
• Ability to travel out of town overnight several times per year for staff offsites, planning retreats, and company-wide events. These gatherings are essential for connection, brainstorming, and staying strategically aligned across teams. Participation is required as a core part of the role.
• Ability to lift and carry supplies and equipment up to 30 lbs.

 

Desired Experience, Skills & Background:

• Knowledge of the military family experience and an understanding of Blue Star Families’ mission-driven culture is a plus.
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems; familiarity with Salesforce is a plus.
• Familiarity with membership-driven organizations.
• Comfort and proficiency in public speaking.

 

More About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families empowers military and Veteran families to thrive by connecting them with their civilian neighbors — both people and organizations — to create strong communities of mutual support. We believe we're all stronger when we take care of one another.

Our groundbreaking research is raising the nation's awareness of the unique challenges of military family life. With the help of neighbors across the country, Blue Star Families is overcoming the isolation and alienation of frequent moves, deployments, and reduced support from the government. Our innovative programs are solving specific challenges for military families, including fighting economic insecurity with resources that foster spouse career development, creating family strength with rich family programming, and providing critical peer support for caregivers, whose numbers are only increasing.

Blue Star Families is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 

 

EEO Policy

Blue Star Families is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.