Reporting to the Development & Volunteer Engagement Lead, this role plays a vital part in recruiting, coordinating, and supporting skilled volunteers who serve aboard hospital ships operating in low-resource settings across Africa. Your contribution will be both meaningful and valued.
Working collaboratively with colleagues, you will help mobilize Canadians by implementing targeted recruitment strategies and driving organizational improvements to primarily fill volunteer crew roles in the medical sector, management, educational and related roles. The position focuses on creating a welcoming environment, aligning volunteers with the mission to provide free surgical care and capacity-building initiatives.
Keys responsibilities include contributing to and implementing effective recruitment plans, supporting screening and staffing process for English- and French-speaking applicants and collaborating with Mercy Ships Canada staff and international colleagues in a cross-functional and cross-cultural communication environment. A specific administrative emphasis on the role will be on : volunteer recruitment & sourcing, volunteer screening & selection and onboarding & deployment.
Each Advisor manages a portfolio of roles or occupational families—primarily in surgical and ward sectors—based on volunteer placement priorities. Professional agility, enthusiasm, and a growth mindset are essential, as priorities may shift in response to Mercy Ships International’s evolving organizational needs and ongoing healthcare and development efforts in underserved regions. Representing the organization to external audiences is a secondary aspect of this role.
This is a remote bilingual (French/English) position. Candidates should demonstrate effectiveness in a remote work environment.
What You Will DoCross-functional and Cross-cultural Teamwork
- Work closely with the Development and Volunteer Engagement Lead and other volunteer placement advisors, coordinators, and organizational leaders to align volunteer crew program efforts within broader organizational goals.
- Proactively participate in team meetings and initiatives to address challenges, brainstorm solutions, and pilot new initiatives while demonstrating a strong commitment to shared outcomes.
- Collaborate with the Mercy Ships International team members, including the recruitment and staffing professionals, the academy, chaplaincy and other communities if practice; to proactively resolve issues, share best practices and networks.
- Stay abreast of volunteer human resource recruiting and relevant industry advancements by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and/or joining professional organizations, understanding the trends and issues pertinent to the industry, volunteerism, etc.
Volunteer Recruitment & Sourcing
- Contribute to and help implement strategies to recruit diverse professionals — surgical and ward healthcare professionals —who are prepared to serve in alignment with the charity's mission and values.
- Build and nurture relationships with volunteers, sharing opportunities and inspiring a sense of purpose, while embracing volunteers of all backgrounds who support the charity's ethos.
- Collaborate with global teams and partner organizations to align recruitment with operational needs.
- Proactively prepare for, attend, and promptly follow up on meetings with Mercy Ships International colleagues to discuss direction and volunteer crew needs.
- Provide inputs for the creative content for new recruiting materials and campaigns (videos, brochures, banners, etc.).
- Organizing, participating in, and promoting webinars and other recruitment functions and activities.
- Provide input and advice on the effectiveness of volunteer recruiting channels and budgets.
Volunteer Screening & Selection
- Conduct initial follow-up contact and informational interviews to understand each volunteer’s motivation, strengths, and availability.
- Provide initial candidate screening to ensure they meet role-specific qualifications or suggest alternative roles.
- Collaborate with Mercy Ships International resource managers and leaders to deeply understand the organization’s programs and identify present and future volunteer needs.
- Provide feedback to Mercy Ships International on volunteer questions related to role descriptions for volunteer positions, outlining specific tasks, time commitments, and required skills.
- Engage in activities that match and place volunteers with positions based on their skills, experience, availability, within the context of the faith-based organizational culture.
Onboarding & Deployment
- Support the pre-deployment orientation, including faith-oriented values (especially for longer-term volunteers), cultural sensitivity, and operational readiness.
- Help provide or direct volunteers to the right colleagues to address questions about logistics, such as visas, medical clearances, travel plans, and orientations.
- Complete the Mercy Ships Canada processes necessary to facilitate role changes or transitions when volunteers seek new challenges or require adjustments.
Mercy Ships Canada Volunteer Crew Staffing and Administrative Services
- Consult with and collaborate with team members to prioritize work, including planning and follow-up to address critical volunteer needs and build the talent community.
- Maintain current knowledge of Mercy Ships Canada's volunteer crew staffing regarding Mercy Ships' departments, policies, and procedures regarding minimum commitments, volunteering requirements, and position requirements.
- Update, refine, and provide input on volunteer policy and procedures, and on business processes, including the Canadian volunteer crew guidebooks, forms, and documents.
- Maintain detailed records of volunteer recruitment and placements and proactively provide feedback and insights to implement new business processes.
- Assist Canadian volunteers in developing their service budgets, coordinate travel arrangements, and confirm insurance requirements.
- Work closely and collaboratively with staff to monitor the overall volunteer crew fundraising efforts on behalf of Mercy Ships Canada and serve as the "voice" of the volunteers regarding fundraising needs and strategies within the organization.
- Complete a variety of administrative tasks in collaboration with MSCA colleagues to support Canadian volunteers in fulfilling their service commitments, such as providing information and records necessary to coordinate the payment of monies to Mercy Ships International related to the volunteer crew program or reimbursable expenses to Canadian volunteers.
- Contribute to the completion of MSCA's reporting requirements related to the status of the volunteer recruitment goals and perform data-driven analysis of recruitment and volunteer crew staffing efforts.
Volunteer Support Advocacy & Retention
- Act as a central point of contact for volunteers, addressing queries, concerns, and challenges with empathy and professionalism.
- Model and help foster a positive and inclusive environment that reflects the values of a Christian faith-based surgical charity by doing so in a welcoming manner where potential volunteers from a linguistically diverse and pluralistic society feel valued, respected, and empowered to consider serving on the organization’s world’s largest civilian hospital ships.
- Maintain ongoing communication with volunteers (especially longer-term), offering emotional and practical support during their assignments by directing them to the right organizational resources.
- Celebrate volunteer contributions through recognition initiatives, newsletters, social media highlights, or appreciation events.
- Implement continuous feedback mechanisms to enhance the volunteer experience continually.
