Office Manager Position opening at Aprovecho (posted 3/1/13)
Job Summary
Aprovecho is seeking an individual to fill a part time (20 hour/week) position. This is a year-round position that begins June 15th (with 2 weeks of required training scheduled sometime beforehand). Housing and shared / subsidized utilities are available on-site (see Benefits below for details).
The office manager is responsible for maintaining Aprovecho’s office, bookkeeping & banking records, payroll, and other organizational tasks. The office manager is also responsible for work on Aprovecho’s website, annual newsletter, photo archive, and mailings. Applicants with experience in bookkeeping, management, web/graphic design, and community living are given priority consideration.
Aprovecho is a non-profit education center located on a 40-acre piece of rural property in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Aprovecho organizes, teaches, and hosts residential hands-on education programs that include Permaculture Design, Natural Building, and Sustainable Living Skills. Aprovecho’s organizational mission is: “Living, learning, organizing, and educating to Inspire a Sustainable Culture”. Please see Aprovecho’s web site www.aprovecho.net to get a better understanding of our organization.
Key Requirements
Applicants MUST have:
- At least two years of experience with general office management / clerical work
- A working proficiency (intermediate to advanced) of the following computer programs:
○ Quickbooks (including Quickbooks Payroll)
○ Word, Excel, Powerpoint
○ Adobe InDesign (or similar professional publication design program)
○ Adobe Photoshop (or similar professional image editing program)
○ WordPress (including use of widgets and plugins)
○ Google applications (gmail, drive, checkout)
○ Paypal
- At least one year of experience with general bookkeeping (Quickbooks)
- The skills and confidence to layout and publish a magazine style annual newsletter (examples of previous work showing your proficiency will be required on application)
- The skills and confidence to maintain and build on Aprovecho’s website using WordPress (widgets, plugins, basic HTML, Paypal and Google Checkout integration) (examples of previous work showing your proficiency will be required on application)
- A commitment to open and honest communication with Aprovecho staff, students, and supervisors.
- Two job related references, and two personal references.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience living communally (co-housing, etc.)
- Experience with database management (donations, contacts, etc)
- An intermediate to advanced proficiency in photography and graphic design
- An understanding in the use of non-violent communication
Aprovecho’s Expectations
Aprovecho expects the following of the Office Manager:
- To independently manage Aprovecho’s recordkeeping in an organized and accessible way.
- To respond in a timely manner to all requests for information and action by other staff members, steering committee members, and board members.
- To understand that Aprovecho’s is run by the consensus of a Steering Committee made up of employees that have worked at Aprovecho for more than two years and have met the qualifications necessary to sit on the Steering Committee. The Office Manager will participate in monthly staff meetings but will not participate in decision making outside of the purview of the office.
- To represent Aprovecho in a positive light to all clientele as an ambassador of a Aprovecho.
Duties
- Paying Bills
- Payroll and Tax Reporting
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Banking
- Stocking Office Supplies
- Office Cleaning
- Filing & Copying
- Mail, Emails & Phones
- Prepare Monthly Finance reports for staff
- Prepare Quarterly Reports for Steering Committee & Board meetings
- Office Miscellany
- Annual Newsletter Publishing and Mailing
- Website Upkeep
- Other occasional Graphic Design and Printing Work
- Archival Photography / Videography
- Database entry / management
- Annual Fundraising Mailing
- Thank You Letters and Receipts
- Attend Monthly Staff Meetings
- Attend Committee Meetings
Aprovecho resources available to the Office Manager
- A shared office with desk.
- Use of the office computer (iMac). It is recommended to have your own computer /laptop as the iMac is shared by all staff.
- Wi-Fi in the office and other locations on campus
- A canon laser printer / copier / fax
- An expense budget for computer equipment & software, office supplies, postage, printing, etc.
- One month of vacation time (unpaid).
- Access to Aprovecho’s non-profit purchasing account at Tech Soup (an amazing non-profit that provides software and hardware and insane discounts to other non-profits www.techsoup.org )
Benefits and Compensation
Aprovecho offers a unique experience to live and work with with other highly effective, skilled, and dedicated individuals and families. There are many benefits intrinsic to living and working for a functioning sustainability education center on a 30 year-old, 40-acre, million dollar campus.
We will provide:
- A total contract payment of $12,480 divided over 12 monthly payments of $1,040 per month.
- Access to all buildings and facilities at Aprovecho including our wood/metal shop; Community Meeting Hall classrooms, library and lounge; Strawbale dormitory lounge; bathrooms and showers;
- A 680 square foot, two-story house on campus. The house is one of three similar staff houses and includes a kitchen, dining room / living room, electric hot water, patio, master bedroom, ½ bedroom (open to stairwell), and composting toilet. This house (as well as access to all of the other facilities mentioned above) is provided to you at a cost of $768 / month (entire household, regardless of how many occupants). NOTE: We are open to you bringing a partner / significant other / spouse /children to live in the house with you. We cannot currently offer any paid positions to them, but depending on their skill-sets there may be hourly work available to them during our programs.
- Subsidized food and utilities at a fixed cost to you of $100 / month per adult. This includes hot water, electricity, propane, firewood, high-speed internet / wi-fi, shared telephone line, kitchen supplies (sponges, dish soap, etc.) and access to the collectively bought stores of food (includes a huge selection of organic oils, vinegars, grains, preserves, raisins, etc.).
How you will be evaluated
Applicants will be evaluated based on length and breadth of related experience, portfolio submissions, eagerness and commitment to abiding by the terms of this contract, and their references.
Specifically, Applicants with strong references and experience related to communication skills, technical skills, and management prowess will be given preferred status in the application process.
We will arrange a phone interview with you if your application meets our requirements. If you move on to the next phase of the application process, you will be asked to come to Aprovecho for an in person interview.
We intend to have this position filled by May 1, 2012 and will conduct interviews throughout the winter and spring
Once hired, you will be evaluated at one month and then every other month by your Steering Committee Liaisons. Aprovecho is an at-will employer and unsatisfactory evaluations can result in the termination of your contract at any time.
How to Apply
Please answer the following questions and submit them in writing or via email (preferred) to
Chris Foraker at chris_foraker@yahoo.com or mail them to Aprovecho, 80574 Hazelton Rd.
Cottage Grove, OR 97424. We will get back to you within a few weeks of receiving your information.
Name:
Age:
Email:
Phone #:
Please tell us a little about yourself (your personal narrative):
Please tell us, in detail, about your professional experiences that you feel have prepared you to take on this job at Aprovecho.
How well developed are your communication skills (both inter-personal / social and work /
management related)? Please give examples.
Please go through each bullet point in the “Key Requirements” section and detail your experience with each (the last bullet, your work and personal references can be submitted below). Please submit /attach any materials or include web links to show examples of your work and experience.
Have you thoroughly read over the rest of the information in this job description and
checked out our website at Aprovecho.net? (Yes or No)
Why should we hire you for this position?
Any other pertinent info you would like to provide?
Where did you hear about Aprovecho and/or this Job posting?
Please list two job related references including place or work, contact name, and contact
email and/or phone number:
Please list two personal references including contact name and contact email and/or phone
number:
Any questions, please contact Chris Foraker at chris_foraker@yahoo.com
