Reporting to the Executive Director, the position leads the recruitment of Canadian healthcare professionals to volunteer and serve with the Christian faith-based charity Mercy Ships.

We seek a dedicated and proactive recruiter to attract, screen, and vet new candidates and assist with the candidate's selection and pre-boarding staffing functions for medical roles, emphasizing surgical and ward-based and related volunteer roles, including alums who have previously served with the organization. The individual will also assist with medical programs, education and training and other types of volunteers. 

The ideal candidate will have experience in talent acquisition, particularly in the healthcare or nonprofit sectors, and a passion for humanitarian work. This role is crucial in maintaining a robust and skilled volunteer workforce to support expanding our global surgery, education, training and advocacy initiatives.

You will work closely with Mercy Ships Canada staff and colleagues in the other national offices. The position requires high-level cross-channel communication between various Mercy Ships International Support Centre departments and our hospital ships.

Volunteer Crew Recruiting

• Help establish Canadian volunteer recruitment targets aligned with Mercy Ships’ organizational priorities and the strengths of the Canadian market.

• Develop and implement effective recruitment strategies to attract qualified surgical and ward-based volunteers, including surgeons, nurses, anesthetists, and other medical professionals.

• Identify, investigate, and propose candidate attraction and recruiting channels with a high potential ROI for the organization.

• Contribute to and advise on the effectiveness of volunteer recruiting channels and budgets. This could include organizing, participating in, and promoting webinars and other recruitment functions/activities.

• Identify potential volunteers and utilize various sourcing channels, including job boards, social media, professional networks, and partnerships with healthcare institutions.

• Collaborate with internal teams to understand workforce needs and align recruitment efforts with operational goals.

• Build relationships with potential volunteers, keeping them engaged and informed about opportunities.

• Manage volunteer databases and ensure accurate record-keeping of candidate profiles and recruitment activities.

• Assist in developing promotional materials and recruitment campaigns to enhance outreach efforts.

• Conduct initial screening and vetting of candidates and credentials to help ensure candidates understand the volunteer role and comply with organizational standards.

• Support onboarding and orientation processes for newly recruited volunteers.

•  Monitor and evaluate recruitment effectiveness, providing regular reports and recommendations for process improvements.

• Collaborate with the Mercy Ships global recruitment/sourcing team, including the recruitment community of practice; share best practices and networks.

• Staying abreast with human resource recruiting and relevant industry advancements by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and/or participating in professional organizations, understanding the trends and issues pertinent to the industry, volunteerism, etc.

Mercy Ships Canada Volunteer Crew Staffing and Administrative Services

• Maintain knowledge of Mercy Ships Canada's volunteer crew staffing regarding Mercy Ships' departments, policies, and procedures regarding minimum commitments, volunteering requirements, and position requirements.

• Ensure volunteer candidates are informed during the process, where applicable.

• Update, refine, and provide input into volunteer policy, procedures, and business processes, including the Canadian volunteer crew guidebooks, forms, and documents.

• Assist Canadian volunteers in developing their service budget and coordinate and confirm travel arrangements and insurance requirements.

• Work closely and collaboratively with staff to help monitor the overall volunteer crew fundraising efforts on behalf of Mercy Ships Canada and to be the "voice" of the volunteers regarding fundraising needs and strategies within the organization.

• Complete various 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 MSO related to the volunteer crew program or reimbursable expenses to Canadian volunteers.

• Contribute to completing MSCA's reporting requirements related to the status of the "manpower" recruitment goals and perform data-driven analysis of recruitment and volunteer crew staffing efforts.

• A bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, marketing, or a related field is required. Alternatively, a combination of education and relevant work experience may be considered.

• Proven experience (minimum three years preferred) in recruitment, talent acquisition, or volunteer coordination, ideally within the healthcare or nonprofit sectors.

• Strong understanding of healthcare roles, particularly in surgical and ward settings, to effectively recruit and place qualified candidates.

• Experience in human resources, recruiting, administration, or volunteer management, with a demonstrated ability to match candidates to the right roles.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage, inspire, and build relationships with potential volunteers and candidates.

• Familiarity with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and recruitment databases for effective hiring and candidate management.

• Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, prioritize tasks, and meet recruitment targets.

• Strong networking skills, including experience building partnerships with healthcare organizations and educational institutions to expand recruitment channels.

• Passion for global health and humanitarian work, aligning with the organization’s mission.

• Core human resource competencies, including workforce planning and mobility, HR technology and analytics, and organizational change and development.

Personal Attributes

• Proactive and solution-oriented, intensely wanting to invest in people and improve recruitment processes.

• High relational skills, including having difficult conversations, particularly during the vetting process, to help applicants make informed decisions.

• English proficiency is required, and the ability to communicate in French (verbal and written) is a strong asset.

• Comfortable working within a faith-based organization and aligned with its values.

• Experience managing employees and/or volunteers, providing leadership and guidance.

• Ability to work remotely or in a hybrid environment, collaborating across different regions and time zones while maintaining focus and self-direction.

• This role requires a well-rounded professional who is strategic, people-focused, and capable of working in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.

• Able and willing to work in a Christian-faith-based charity to proactively promote and support the mission and the Mercy Ships and volunteer crew program.

• Acts in a way that exhibits an understanding and respect for people from all cultures and faith perspectives while also honouring a commitment to following Mercy Ships values. https://mercyships.ca/en/about-us/our-mission/

• Satisfactory criminal record check (required upon hire).

• Legally able to work in Canada.

• The position offers to work remotely anywhere in Greater Toronto or Southern Ontario for someone with experience working remotely. The role reports to the Executive Director based in Victoria, British Columbia.

• Virtual Team meetings and connections with the volunteer HR community, recruitment groups at the International Support Center in Texas and members of other national offices.

• Travel: Some overnight travel will be required.

•  40-hour workweek: 8-hour shifts Monday to Friday with some flexibility to organize the work schedule around the office hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm (in the time zone where the person is located) after completing a probationary period.

• Mercy Ships Canada's working conditions are aligned with the relevant provincial Employment Standards Acts.

Mercy Ships Canada (MSCA) is a registered Christian faith-based charity. It is one of 16 National Offices of the international NGO Mercy Ships. We follow the 2000-year-old model of Jesus and serve people in low-resource settings who do not have access to affordable, safe surgical care. Mercy Ships has worked in more than 60 nations, providing services and treatment to more than 2.8 million individuals. About 1,600 volunteers worldwide join Mercy Ships each year to donate their time and expertise.

MSCA raises awareness and funds, recruits volunteers, screens, and implements projects for the international development work of Mercy Ships. By joining us, you will become a key team member that Circle Act recognized as one of the Top 99.5% of charities in Canada that demonstrate impact-centric and transparency in their charitable operations.

Mercy Ships has operated the world's largest civilian hospital ship fleet for over forty-five years, addressed inequity impacts, and provided humanitarian assistance, including free life-transforming surgeries and education and training of local healthcare professionals. We aim to serve African people by efficiently using our hospital ships to provide direct surgical care and partnering with the African healthcare community to build best-in-class medical capacity. The resiliency and spirit of our patients, volunteers and local healthcare providers are remarkable and moving. If you are touched by work, you will be excited by the opportunity to engage Canadians naturally and effectively.