On the one hand, this is a typical, obligatory 40 hour a week *job* with benefits, without housing, paying in the low 30K's in the SE U.S.
One the other hand, your potential new boss (me) has a
PDC and a Master's degree in soil microbiology. I understand your long term SKIP goal and we are willing to have you do some
PEP building on the job while you earn a salary, pay down debt or stash savings and move toward owning your own homestead.
This is an entry level position for someone who already has a moderate skillset. We understand that people want to rise beyond it after a while. We are hoping you can commit to 3 years und we expect to build your resume in consistent ways that makes you want to hang around and to then become unstoppable when you leave. There is also some space for you to do small research projects and I'm interested in co-authoring a paper or two with you. If hired, you will have an opportunity to influence many people in the ways of
permaculture who might otherwise go through life unexposed to it's wonders.
This position includes a lot of crew-leading and mentoring. The student vegetable growing crew changes each year and is mostly eager, but also mostly unskilled, so you need to already have
enough practical
experience that you can lead them with some confidence and prevent injuries. If you have
led a session or two at a
permaculture boot camp and you liked that, you will love this. Sometimes you have to pull the crew uphill, so this is not a good job for people who have low
energy or like to moan about whatever is wrong that day. Nor is it appropriate for raw beginners even though they might be "fast learners." Nor is this for people who are totally experienced and ready to run their own place. Labor laws do not allow us to pay people below their experience level and our budget is limited. Previous people in the job who were mostly satisfied with it were steady, sunny, funny, mildly irreverent and had high energy. Check out our instagram
feed @universityfarm and be aware that it is all true, but highly curated and romantic. Actual conditions on the ground are rough, with poor infrastructure (hence your opportunity for acquiring PEP and for building a reputation for being able to pull uphill.) The southeast U.S. is incredibly humid in the summer and there is little air conditioning. We work outside most of the day. This is a poor fit for anyone who overheats easily. We have a herd of goats, but they are quite self sufficient. Animal care is only about 5% of the job.
Please do not reply here. Check out the attached poster and send a photo or two as instructed of a garden you grew or a food forest you planted and a few sentences (half page or less!) about yourself to the email on the poster. There is also a link on the attachment where you can apply for the position. I have no interest in your
politics or religion and hope you have little interest in mine. Dress might be a little more formal (collared shirt and belt is appreciated, no political tshirts) than is typical at
permaculture gatherings. Most of our students are over 18, but we have some younger tour groups come through in the summer, so even though you will never be alone with a student, there is a drug screen and an FBI background and driving record check. You will be expected to show up on time, sober and ready to work. You will need 3 work/volunteering references to be in the preferred pool of candidates. You'll need a valid driver's license.
6
![[Download Assistant-Manager-poster.pdf]](https://permies.com/templates/default/betaview/images/download-attachment.gif)
