FACILITIES SPECIALIST JOB POSTING
JOB TITLE: Facilities Specialist
REPORTS TO: Executive Director
DEADLINE: March 8, 2022 at 5 pm
The Workers Arts and Heritage Centre’s mandate is to preserve, honour, and promote the culture and history of all working people. WAHC is located just off Hamilton’s creative hub, James Street North, in a designated heritage building, the Custom House. WAHC is a community museum and multi-disciplinary arts centre – we program contemporary exhibitions, arts events and permanent exhibits as they relate to our mandate. We support contemporary artists with a focus on social practice and community engagement, and foster and promote arts that can be accessed by a diverse range of audiences. WAHC also works very closely with, and is heavily supported by Canada’s union movement.
We are currently seeking a Facilities Specialist to form part of the core staff team for a one year contract to cover a leave. The primary role is to ensure a safe and accessible physical environment for the public and all users; administer and oversee the facility rentals program; ensure the maintenance and security of WAHC’s physical plant; assess and oversee minor and major repairs to the building; maintain exhibits; ensure the delivery of the tenant rental program; and install and ship artwork.
This position is a critical part of a small staff team, driving and supporting the work of the organization, in a shared office environment. As with most small arts organizations, this position will also be expected to contribute to shared responsibilities.
WAHC offers a compensation package that includes comprehensive health benefits, holiday time, sick time and lieu time and flexible/hybrid work hours. This position is full-time and pays $21/hour.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The key duties and responsibilities include building management, facility rentals, gallery and exhibition support and administration.
- implementation of physical plant standards and policy, troubleshoot and coordinate minor building repairs, develop list of all repairs needed, coordination of building trades for repairs, maintenance of grounds
- monitor weekly clean up and janitorial services, distribution and control of keys and training of alarm code, tenant communications
- manage facility rentals program
- installation of artwork in galleries, including setting schedule for installation and take down of exhibits, shipping, planning and receiving, and communication of schedule in the shared staff calendar
- for the Community Gallery, oversee the development (in consultation with other staff and appropriate committee), scheduling, installation and delivery of community gallery programming
- assist to maintain temporary and permanent exhibits
- provide progress updates; ensure adequate reporting is met; look after maintenance of office systems and equipment; shared responsibilities for admin support; possible attendance at appropriate committee meetings
- assist Executive Director with job assignments to volunteers, summer and cooperative students in the area of building, rentals, and exhibit installation
The following are the minimum qualifications needed:
- minimum of 3 years of building management experience and a thorough working knowledge of building systems
- basic carpentry and woodworking skills, knowledge of basic repair methods, materials and technology
- a willingness and interest to learn
- material knowledge of workplace health and safety
- ability to multi-task
- excellent organizational and ability to prioritize and handle stress in an extremely busy environment
- excellent judgment, diplomacy, and professionalism, energetic, self-motivated, flexible and adaptable
- some knowledge of landscaping and grounds maintenance
- the ability to lift and move heavy objects and work at heights
The following qualifications would be considered an asset:
- WHMIS certification and a working knowledge of the Fire Code and Occupational Health and Safety Act
- solid interpersonal skills, and ability to deal with the public, some knowledge of event production and planning
- proven experience and knowledge of the various methods for installing artwork of different media, including the handling of artwork, proper care for artwork and the packing and crating of artwork in all media
- knowledge of Ontario Heritage Act, as well as maintenance of a heritage building
This position requires frequent weekend hours, evenings, and late nights. This position requires frequent heavy lifting up to 45 lbs., and the handling of hazardous materials.
We are looking for someone who is a progressive, outside-the-box thinker, and has an appreciation for what WAHC does, and our mission/vision.
Please send a resume and cover letter, as one document, no later than March 8 by 5 pm to info@wahc-museum.ca.
No phone calls or email inquiries please. Interviews may be done virtually. We regret that we can only respond to those selected for an interview.
WAHC promotes employment equity, and as such encourages those who have experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, class, gender, ability and other systemic forms of oppression to apply and self-identify if they wish to do so.
