Senior Volunteer Experience Specialist

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park • Grand Rapids, MI

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is seeking a Senior Volunteer Experience Specialist to lead the day-to-day operations of one of the region's premier volunteer programs. This role ensures volunteers feel welcomed, supported, and connected while advancing the organization's mission. It combines operational leadership, process improvement, and relationship building to create an outstanding experience for volunteers and the departments they support. The position serves as the organization's senior operational resource for volunteer services, helping departments effectively utilize volunteers while continuously improving the systems, processes, and programs that make volunteer engagement successful.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5-7 years of experience in volunteer coordination, HR operations, workforce scheduling, nonprofit program management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex scheduling environments or high-volume service operations.
• Excellent organizational, communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong analytical thinking, professional judgement, and process improvement mindset.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships and influence stakeholders across multiple departments.

Nice To Haves

• Experience using volunteer management systems or HRIS platforms.
• Experience leading operational improvement or organizational change initiatives.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or developing less-experienced team members.
• Experience working within a nonprofit, cultural institution, or mission-driven organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily operations of Meijer Gardens' volunteer program, ensuring consistent service and operational excellence.
• Oversee complex volunteer scheduling and deployment across multiple departments and institutional priorities.
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert for volunteer operations, policies, systems, and best practices.
• Champion volunteer engagement, recognition, and retention initiatives that strengthen the overall volunteer experience.
• Partner with HR leadership to enhance volunteer recruitment, onboarding, communications, and engagement strategies.
• Provide guidance and solutions for complex volunteer concerns while fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment.
• Analyze volunteer participation, scheduling, utilization, and engagement data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead operational improvement initiatives that increase efficiency, consistency, and program effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain volunteer procedures, standards, documentation, and system enhancements.
• Partner with department leaders to anticipate volunteer resource needs and recommend operational solutions.
• Represent volunteer services on cross-functional committees, projects, and institutional initiatives.
• Build collaborative relationships that strengthen volunteer operations across the organization.
• Provide onboarding, coaching, and day-to-day guidance to Volunteer Experience Coordinators and other assigned team members.
• Share operational knowledge and best practices that improve volunteer services delivery.
• Support special projects and perform additional responsibilities that advance organizational priorities.

Benefits

• Full-time, Salary, Exempt position
• Flexibility for occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays based on volunteer and organizational needs
• Opportunity to lead volunteer operations for a premier cultural institution
• Partner with leaders across the organization to improve systems, processes, and volunteer engagement
• Drive meaningful operational improvements that directly support Meijer Garden's mission and guest experience
• Join a collaborative Human Resources team focused on innovation, continuous improvement, and exceptional service

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior