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Djerassi Resident Artists Program, the largest artist residency in the western United States, is seeking its next Director of Operations. The Program awards month-long residencies to dozens of artists each year and a number of winter residencies for alumni on its 583-acre property in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Open Positions

Facilities and Maintenance Associate

This position can be either part-time or full-time with housing.

About the Role:

Djerassi is looking to hire a new Facilities and Maintenance Associate this summer. The person would be a key member of our facilities team, helping to ensure Program buildings, facilities, vehicles, and grounds are in good and safe condition. The Facilities and Maintenance Associate role requires a person to be capable and resourceful as duties can vary widely day to day and season to season. The role is available as a part-time or full-time position with housing on-site in detached 1-bedroom cottage as a condition of accepting the full-time role.

 

How to Apply:

Send an email with the Subject line “Facilities and Maintenance Role” to info@djerassi.org, including your resume that explains your relevant experience and a statement of interest.

 

Primary Functions:

  • Helps to maintain Program buildings and facilities. Scope of maintenance includes but is not limited to carpentry, electrical, plumbing, masonry, painting, basic IT troubleshooting.
  • Maintains grounds, culverts, roads, landscaping, artwork, and trails as directed or necessary.
  • Responsible for maintaining hiking trail bathrooms between regular cleaning by cleaning service.
  • Helps to maintain a fleet of vehicles with general maintenance procedures. Knowledge of farm implements, chainsaws, or heavy equipment is a plus. 

 

Additional functions and details:

  • Responsible for food waste management and recycling from several buildings.
  • Respond in a timely manner to service calls,  resident artist requests, and college requests performing minor repairs in a timely manner.
  • Ensures that buildings around the ranch are patched, caulked, and painted as necessary.
  • Performs any other maintenance tasks that are required by the Executive Director, Ranch Manager, Facilities Manager,  Federal, State, County, or Local Government authority that is required or deemed as necessary.
  • Assists Facilities Director with monitoring and maintaining the Fire/Life safety systems.
  • Responds to all emergencies to level of competence within the Djerassi community of resident artists.
  • Assists the Facilities Director to ensure all documents and facilities equipment documentation, operations procedures, blue prints and preventative maintenance schedules are updated and kept current.
  • Assists the Facilities Director in contacting vendors for regularly scheduled equipment maintenance.
  • Timely interaction and communication response to email, walkie talkie, or ranch message machine in a professional manner to staff or resident artists.
  • Expected to carry 2-way radio  during work hours. Must communicate to Facilities Director if leaving property out of radio range.
  • Occasional assistance to resident artists upon arrival and departure to the Djerassi program which may include carrying luggage, setting up meeting rooms, or other “special” facilities requests.
  • Clear and concise daily plan worked out with the Facilities Director including work hours and priorities.
  • Ability to differentiate between Diesel, Gasoline, and two stroke oil and take lead on maintaining fuel levels in various machinery.
  • Keeping records of expenditures, receipts, work hours, and project schedules, task performance, and inventory controls for all projects and materials. 
  • Perform weekly inspections of 9 wood stoves cleaning when needed. Also stocking with wood at the beginning of each session and possible assistance guiding new resident artists in how to light a fire. Occasional chimney sweeping could be required.
  • Assist head Chef with garden tasks when needed.

 

Qualifications:

  • Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds.
  • Must be comfortable with being on rooftops.
  • Must be physically able to perform any maintenance task. This includes, but isn’t limited to, climbing ladders, bending, stretching, grasping, pulling, or pushing.
  • Must possess a valid California driver’s license.
  • Must be able to safely work a chainsaw, log splitter, weed wacker, blower, brush hog and various other machinery.
  • Although not essential, the ability to run a tractor for mowing is a huge plus. 
  • Must possess basic computer skills.
  • Ability to work effectively with individuals of diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, abilities, motivations, or diverse backgrounds.

 

Education Required:

  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Proficiency in google suite, Macintosh system, Asana (or a willingness to learn).

 

Working Conditions:

  • Job requires moderate mental concentration to execute moderately complex tasks.
  • Must wear appropriate safety equipment.
  • Acknowledgement that exposure to dust, fumes, heat, poison oak, ticks, rattlesnakes, and other other outdoor environmental factors is part of the job.

Director

Job Title: Director 

Classification: Exempt

How to Apply: Email cover letter and resume/cv to join@djerassi.org

Application Deadline October 25, 2022

 

Summary

About the Djerassi Resident Artists Program: 

The mission of the internationally renowned Djerassi Resident Artists Program is to support and enhance the creativity of artists by providing uninterrupted time for work, reflection, and collegial interaction in a setting of great natural beauty, and to preserve the land on which the Program is situated.

 

Djerassi is the largest artist residency program in the western United States, regularly awarding month-long, fee-free residencies to approximately 60 artists per year, as well as other residencies. The 583-acre ranch in Northern California rises to the crest of the Santa Cruz Mountains with views west over the Pacific Ocean. Artists of all disciplines, from all over the world, and at different stages of their careers apply and are selected through a highly competitive jury process. Djerassi alumni now number more than 2,500. Founded in 1979 in memory of artist Pamela Djerassi, the Program has been an independent non-profit since 1994 and operates with an annual budget of approximately $1M.

 

About the Opportunity and the Successful Candidate:

The Djerassi Resident Artists Program is seeking a dynamic and experienced candidate to serve as Director to advance the mission and lead the organization. 

 

The Director serves as the organizational leader and chief operating officer of Djerassi, working closely with and reporting to the Board of Trustees. The Director directs and administers all organization programs, operations, and policies, including the organization’s goals of greater diversity, equity, and inclusivity, in addition to leading a small and dedicated team of approximately 10 professional staff. The Director is expected to reside in the on-site Director’s House, provided as a condition of employment (see details below). Primary areas of responsibility include:

  • Equitable and ethical leadership; a solution-maker; always direct, transparent, and open
  • Culture-building, staff leadership, management and oversight
  • Quarterly and annual planning for programs, environmental stewardship, and ranch maintenance, in coordination with Programs Director, Ranch Director, and development staff
  • Budgeting and fiscal management, working with the Program’s chief financial officer, other staff, and board
  • Partnering with development staff and board on fundraising and grant oversight
  • Community relations, representing the Program with artists, alumni, partner organizations, supporters, and the general public

 

Qualities and qualifications of successful candidates:

Operating an international artists residency in the rugged Santa Cruz Mountains is no mean feat. The ability to wrangle important details while simultaneously cultivating productive personal relationships and developing a compelling, long-term vision is key. A passion for the arts, artists, and new ideas, as well as for nature and the environment will be key.

  • At least 5 years management experience, preferably in a nonprofit organization, with significant experience in the arts or a related area; prior experience as President or Executive Director is strongly preferred
  • Excellent temperament; ability to handle exigencies while also maintaining strategic focus 
  • A roll-up-your-sleeves, get-the-job-done kind of attitude, comfortable in a casual outdoor setting
  • Ability to positively motivate and develop staff, board, and volunteers.
  • Visionary, innovative, and resourceful thinker
  • Understanding of and commitment to the organization’s diversity, equity, access, and inclusion goals
  • Ability to create positive and productive relationships with all sectors of the community, staff, and board of trustees
  • Readiness to live on the Program’s beautiful property in rural Woodside, CA
  • Valid driver’s license

 

Housing details:

  • Director’s House is a large 2-bedroom, 2 ½ bath open-plan ranch house with decks facing the Pacific Ocean. Additional space includes a downstairs area with another bedroom, sitting room, and two large storage closets
  • An adjacent 1,000 square-foot wing/studio serves as an administration office

 

Compensation:

  • Salary: ~$110k-$140k DOE
  • Generous benefits package, including full health, dental, and vision coverage

 

Physical requirements:

The physical requirements listed are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • Regular and consistent attendance and the ability to sit and work with hands and arms for at least eight (8) hours per day and five (5) days per week.
  • Physical ability to stand, reach, lift, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, walk, crawl, push and pull items weighing up to 20 pounds.
  • Stand and move throughout the office.
  • Add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percentage.
  • Have consistent and reliable onsite attendance at the office.
  • Proficient interpersonal relations and communicative skills in English;
  • Interpret and follow a variety of instructions and procedures furnished in English – written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
  • Write routine reports and correspondence.
  • Meet daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly and other deadlines consistently.
  • Work under pressure with changing, dynamic priorities.
  • Communicate effectively and promptly to constituents, vendors or employees of the organization.
  • High level of manual dexterity to adeptly type and use computer equipment.
  • Auditory and visual skills – Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

 

How to apply:

Please email a cover letter and resume/cv to join@djerassi.org by October 25, 2022.

Statement of Equal Employment Opportunity

Djerassi Resident Artists Program is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons. Djerassi Resident Artists Program will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment with respect to their hire, tenure, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, or any matter directly or indirectly related to employment, because of their race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, or ancestry. Djerassi Resident Artists Program relies upon the accuracy of information contained in your employment application, as well as the accuracy of other data presented throughout the hiring process or obtained during employment. Any misrepresentations, falsifications, or material omissions in any of this information or data may result in disqualification from further consideration for employment or, if you have been hired, termination of employment.

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2325 Bear Gulch Road
Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 747-0691
  • Artists
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