We are currently looking to recruit:

A Facilities Co-ordinator (as soon as possible from Feb 2010)

A Short term core member (to serve from Spring 2010)

Facilities Co-ordinator

As Facilities Co-ordinator you'll be a vital member of the long-term salaried team. Your overall aim will be to provide an environment for visitors and core members that is welcoming, clean, comfortable and safe. This involves co-ordinating the work in two key areas – maintenance (of buildings, services and equipment) and (to a lesser extent) housekeeping. You will carry out some of the work yourself, supervise the work of colleagues and volunteers, and liaise with and manage contractors. Your responsibility extends to all of our built environment – including Community House, the Lodge, the warden's new house (when completed), Art Room, huts, sheds, gazebos, polytunnel and greenhouse, as well as terraces, walls and drives.

To enjoy this important role and thrive in it, you'll need fairly good DIY or trade skills in some one or more of plumbing, electrics, carpentry, and general repairs. You won't mind problem-solving and coping with the quirks of an old building and the limitations of a tight budget. You'll be able, not only to respond to day-to-day occurences, but also to plan strategically for longer term works. And you'll be nourished by the 'people dimension', the fact that you're doing all this in the context of community: often unpredictable, sometimes frustrating, ultimately very rewarding. This is all 'unpacked' at more length below.

Key responsibilities

1.        Co-ordinate both preventive and reactive maintenance and implement agreed improvements to buildings.

2.        Ensure safe and effective functioning of systems, services and equipment, including plumbing, electrics, fire detection, sewage, furniture, house and garden tools, car and other vehicles.

3.        Co-ordinate routine of ‘everyday' and ‘spring' cleaning of rooms, linens and soft furnishings. 

4.        Oversee laundry activities, both in-house and off-site.

5.        Manage purchasing and safe storage of building materials, cleaning materials and other household consumables.

6.        Maintain environmental sustainability according to agreed policies.

7.        Manage the budget for this area. 

8.        Encourage and co-ordinate the safe and enjoyable participation of visitors, core colleagues and volunteers in maintenance and housekeeping activities.

N.B. Responsibilities 3 and 4 above are in practice mainly devolved to others, although you may carry the continuity knowledge when shorter term colleagues leave or swap roles.

Maintenance Skills

You will be someone who takes pleasure in effecting repairs and in generating enthusiasm among those who work with you. You will be able to demonstrate an intelligent practical approach to troubleshooting and problem solving.

You may already have professional skills and experience in one or more areas of maintenance – electrical, plumbing, decorating etc. If not you will have practical home DIY experience in at least one such area and be keen to enhance and extend your skills. Othona may sponsor you in some basic training e.g. in plumbing or electrics so as to equip you to carry out simple repairs safely.

Managing Health and Safety  

As Facilities Co-ordinator you will

• understand the principles of Health and Safety and hygiene as they apply to Maintenance and Housekeeping
• be careful and systematic in adhering to legal and safety requirements
• maintain an orderly, safe, hygienic environment
• be able to train others in appropriate maintenance and housekeeping skills and safe systems of work

Planning and organising 

You will be responsible for planning and organising the work, equipment and systems for maintenance and housekeeping, and ensuring the work gets done on time and with good use of resources. This involves managing activities carried out by others: colleagues, volunteers and professional contractors. The way you work will inevitably influence the atmosphere around the house. You must be able to    

• identify key tasks, decide priorities and organise your workload
• manage the work carried out by others, by motivating, giving clear direction, monitoring progress, dealing with difficulties and monitoring outcomes
• create and maintain records to provide accurate information easily accessible to yourself and colleagues, using basic IT skills and acquiring new ones where appropriate
• purchase equipment and services to achieve the budgeted cost
• stay calm and positive

Resilience

As Facilities Co-ordinator in a community setting you will need to be comfortable taking responsibility, with an appropriate level of supervision and guidance. Sharing your life with colleagues and visitors as well as carrying out the work needs physical, mental and emotional resilience. Even when under stress, you should aim to take a positive view and keep a sense of perspective. See also the Common Competences for All Core Members section below.

Short Term Core Member

As a short term core member you assist colleagues in a wide range of tasks, which may change over time. So your motivation and flexibility are likely to be more important than a particular skill set. Your overall aim will be to help create the accepting and efficient setting within which visitors can best experience an authentic taste of community.

You will probably find you are given specific jobs on a regular basis relating to the responsibilities of the Caterer and/or the Facilities Co-ordinator. For instance, you may be asked to be a regular kitchen assistant, or to operate our laundry.

Those who have enjoyed serving as short term core members include gap year students and early retired people, newcomers to Othona and long-established regular visitors, UK citizens and people from as far away as New Zealand and South Africa.

Short term core members usually stay with us between 3 and 11 months. They receive full board and lodging (and council tax paid) and £33 a week, often rising to £55 after some months' experience.

Common Tasks and Competences

The following are all essential to the running of the centre and will be carried out by a combination of long and short term core members and local volunteers. They offer variety and sometimes the opportunity to use (or develop) special skills or pursue a personal interest.

Common Tasks
The following tasks are shared between core members, often on a rota basis:
• cooking
• worship leading (with support/training as appropriate)
• cleaning
• hosting (event liaison with facilitators and visitors)
• rubbish and recycling

Additional Tasks
The following tasks are usually allotted to core members for a period of time and then sometimes swapped. They allow you to pursue an area of interest in addition to your lead role:
• garden oversight
• librarian
• art room oversight
• verger (care of chapel and worship resources)

Common Competences for All Core Members

Commitment to the Work and Ethos of Othona BB
The core members are at the heart of this Othona centre. They need to be committed to the work of the community, its ethos and values. Core members work actively to live these out in their everyday life, and to further them. The competences below provide good examples of what this means in practice. The programme explains what Othona is about. Our policy statements show how Othona seeks to realise these values in the way it manages people, its policies of equal opportunities and the green policies for house and grounds, and in its open Christianity.

Interest in and Skill with People
The heart of Othona is people – core colleagues, visitors and all those who we interact with. People come because they know they will be welcomed, accepted and valued for who they are. Our role is not to be therapists or counsellors, but we do need to be interested in people and willing to listen and share. We also need to be aware of our own responses and feelings, and especially of the impact of our own behaviour on other people.

Flexibility
Othona core members live and work together, and are hosts to an ever-changing number of visitors. Core members have to be flexible, able to adapt to varied and changing circumstances and people.

Responsible Teamwork
The main purpose of Othona is to provide visitors with a taste of life in community. The core members need to be able to live and work together co-operatively, and provide support (and challenge). This is important not only to carry out our work but equally so we can enjoy our life together, relax and have fun.

Spiritual Practice
Othona is a Christian community of a very open sort – based in our Christian heritage, open to a widening future. It is an approach to spirituality where you may experience the fellowship of the spirit in everyday life. Although core members do not have to be Christian, and may be of any faith tradition or none, we expect that they will respect the importance of Christian tradition and the values that are at the heart of Othona. They adopt a 'Rule of Life' as a framework for shared life, and participate actively in the spiritual aspects of community life including leading and joining in chapel services.