Chief Steward (Volunteer)

CHIEF STEWARD JOB DESCRIPTION

• Volunteer position for a minimum of three years
• Start date: asap
• Part-time (working from home) - minimum one hour per week (this will increase in the lead-up to each conference)
• Must be able to be on-site full-time for both Federal Conferences (usually March - 4 days and September - 6 days) - UK-based

Purpose of the post

The role of the Chief Steward is to organise the stewards’ team and oversee its activities in contributing to the running of all Liberal Democrat federal Party conferences. 

This involves recruiting, motivating, and managing a team of volunteers, and through leadership and training, ensuring that they become and remain a cohesive and effective team of stewards. It also entails maintaining regular communication with the team throughout the year.
 

The Chief Steward will work with the Head of Conferences & Events and their team under the general guidance of the Federal Conference Committee. 

Duties and responsibilities:

1. To lead, motivate, and manage the stewards’ team at federal party conferences and throughout the year.

2. To recruit an adequate team of conference stewards; the total will vary with each conference venue.

3. To attend FCC meetings, as required, and act as the principal means of communication between the FCC and its sub-committees and the stewards’ team.

4. To work with the FCC and Conference Office in all aspects of conference management relating to stewarding and front-of-house activities, striving at all times to improve customer service and the experience for members. This includes taking responsibility for the following activities:

• Party front of house, which includes the Information Desk, registration, doors and corridors, disability access, and fringe.
• Non-party front of house, which takes in/includes business and international lounges, tours, and exhibition.
• Resources, which takes in/include radios, stewards’ admin, set-up, bag stuffing, de-rig, recruitment, and admin.
• Auditorium, which takes in/includes stewards’ and speakers’ tables, platform.
• Coordinating with the Head of Conferences and Events and party security teams on any security issues within the conference venues.

5. To work with the FCC and Conference Office in developing and organising the conference arrangements and facilities, both before and at conferences. This includes in particular:

• Recognising ultimate accountability to FCC and the Conference members. Serve as a communication link between the leading team and their assigned staff, and work closely with the conference team throughout the year, not just during conference time.
• To regularly attend FCC meetings, as needed, and act as the principal means of communication between the FCC and its subcommittees. The Stewards’ team serves as the primary point of communication between the stewards and the FCC, as well as other committees on which the Chief Steward sits.
• Ensuring that the conference site is set up for the event and meets the requirements of the health and safety and fire officers for the area in which the event is taking place.
  
  6. To make sure members of the Conference stewards team are recruited and trained and are available in sufficient numbers to steward our Conferences.
  
  7. To lead the stewards’ team and oversee its organisation, resourcing, development, and communications. This includes:
   
• Creating and maintaining an effective and coherent team structure, including a Deputy Chief Steward (who shall be appointed by the FCC on the recommendation of the Chief Steward) and core team with clearly defined responsibilities.
• Being responsible for the management and distribution of the stewards’ team budget, as agreed by FCC, under the general guidance of the Finance and General Purposes Sub-Committee; this includes involvement in its preparation and approval. 
• Overseeing a programme of training for team members, at and between conferences, including preparation of stewards’ guides, as appropriate.
• Ensuring regular communication between team members throughout the year, through emails, meetings, training sessions, and newsletters.
• Providing a twice-yearly written report for FCC, which incorporates feedback from leading stewards at and after each conference. 

Management accountability

1. Assisting the Head of Conferences & Events with all aspects of the Conference Management, striving at all times to improve customer service and the experience for members.

2. The Chief Steward is appointed by and is ultimately responsible to the FCC. The Chief Steward is responsible for providing regular reports on the plans and activities of the stewards’ team to the FCC, its Officers, and sub-committees as appropriate. Day-to-day management is delegated to the Head of Conferences & Events.

3. The Chief Steward will be appointed by the FCC on the recommendation of its Officers, for a suitable term (two or three years) as appropriate; the Chief Steward will be eligible for reappointment at the end of their term. The Head of Conferences & Events and the FCC officers will develop and implement an objective-setting and appraisal process.

4. Assist the Officers of FCC and the Head of Conferences & Events to ensure the venues meet our requirements and, in particular, all aspects of disability access are considered well ahead of the Conference being held.

5. Responsible for the Stewards' budget through involvement in its preparation and approval, administering it well during the budget year, and delivering it.

Personal attributes

The ideal Chief Steward will be:

1. A team player who will lead by example and build a strong, motivated team capable of working equally well with staff and volunteers.

2. A highly motivated and open-minded individual, keen to generate and embrace new ideas, striving continually to improve the way the conference is run.

3. A good communicator who is at ease with all forms of communication to ensure that volunteer stewards are kept informed, well-briefed, open to new ideas, and motivated to implement them

4. A committed service provider who strives for the best customer service and knows how to provide the disciplined framework, staff encouragement, and training to achieve this for the benefit of our members and to raise the public profile and reputation of the party.

5. A calm, confident, and decisive personality, used to working under pressure and short deadlines to ensure that conferences are delivered in the agreed format.

6. Able to delegate and ensure that new talent is encouraged and developed in the stewards’ team.

7. A committed party member who understands the importance of being accountable to the FCC and its officers and shares their commitment to improving the public reputation and standing of the conference.

8. An individual with experience in running large-scale events and conferences to budget, with a strong commitment to high environmental, health, safety, and security standards, where media scrutiny will be high.

How to apply

Please read the full job description above. For questions and further details, and to apply, please email: recruitment@libdems.org.uk, attaching:

1. A copy of your CV, including relevant work/ volunteer history
2. A Covering Letter: no more than two pages of A4 in length, indicating clearly how your experience and skills meet the criteria stated in the job and person specification. Please also write your name on top of your supporting statement.
3. A completed diversity monitoring form.
4. Please ensure we have the means to contact you by phone and email.
    

We will review applications as they are received and reserve the right to appoint before the closing date. We will not notify applicants if their application has been unsuccessful at the shortlisting stage.

Please note: We will not be able to employ you if you are not eligible to work in the UK. We will not be able to obtain a work permit on your behalf.

Applicants are encouraged to inform us if any reasonable adjustments are needed during any part of the recruitment process.

Please let us have two referees.

The Party believes it is essential to foster equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion within our workforce. We want our employees to thrive in an environment where everyone is welcome and supported in achieving their full potential. It is essential to celebrate what makes us unique and to feel valued, appreciated, and free to be ourselves.