The scope of this role includes but is not limited to the following:

Administrative Support:

Monitor and and respond to general inquiries (email and voicemail) about artist residencies, public tours, private visits, overnight accommodations, and press and interview requests.

Maintain a detailed calendar and schedule of events for visitors and facilities.

Assist with scheduling meetings, appointments, and events for Executive Director, staff and Board members.

Maintain clean and orderly work areas, specifically the office and studio store.

Manage physical and digital archives and organize folders with important documents and protocols and provide regular updates to staff.

Communications and Outreach:

Greet and welcome visitors upon their arrival and orient them to HDTS, including public, artist-in-residence, overnight guests, and program attendees.

Provide professional, efficient, and approachable support and excellent service to visitors and staff alike.

Lead public tours of the grounds.

Provide support for social media and newsletter content creation on Mailchimp.

Represent HDTS at partner events in the community in order to seed mutually beneficial relationships and collaborations.

HDTS Office, Studio, and Facility Management:

Engage with the public by greeting and orienting visitors to the sites, and ringing up visitors to the Studio Store.

Assist Caretaker by coordinating maintenance of 80-acre property and prioritizing tasks of the Work-Trade residents.

With Caretaker, assist in management of short-term rentals/overnight accommodations (using Airbnb and website bookings).

Assist Ceramics Studio Manager and Weaving Studio Manager by tracking inventory, sales of A-Z West Works, and purchasing supplies when necessary.

Program Administration:

Assist with coordinating activities and providing facilitation for ongoing and new engagement initiatives.

Provide information and monitor visitors and adherence to site rules.

Monitor and control visitor flow at entry and exit points. Report any issues.

Maintain project-oriented deadlines and communicate regularly with HDTS staff regarding calendar updates and tasks.

Oversee Work-Trade and Self-Structured residency application, review and acceptance process.

Assist Executive Director in activities of annual Fellowship and other artist programming hosted at A-Z West.

Schedule day-to-day activities for program staff, residents, and community volunteers.

Identify opportunities for program improvement or new outreach program development.

Financial Administration:

Assist with finances by inputting monthly income and expenses into the budget for Executive Director and Board review

Aggregate revenues and information across multiple platforms including but not limited to Squarespace, Square, Stripe, and Quickbooks Online.

Process invoices, expense reports, and reimbursements for all contractors.

Process and track donors and donations (using Airtable) and assist the Executive Director in donor recognition.

Oversee all online website orders, in-person purchases, and third party sales for A-Z West Works and tour tickets sales. Update website store as necessary.

Oversee and run payroll and benefit acquisition for all employees.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This is an on-site, in-person position located in Joshua Tree, California, a rural town two hours east of Los Angeles. Joshua Tree is part of the Morongo Basin, a sprawling, economically diverse, and culturally and artistically rich area in the Mojave Desert. Applicants seeking remote work will not be considered.

WORK HOURS AND PAY

This position is part-time (75%) with hours up to 32 hours per week with hourly pay at a minimum of $25 per hour, commensurate with experience. Anticipated work schedule will include Mondays, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Flexibility to work extended hours if required for special events is essential.

QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates with a blend of administrative prowess, strong interpersonal skills, organizational management experience, and adaptability to the unique context of High Desert Test Sites would be well-suited for this role.

Administrative Proficiency:

Demonstrated experience in handling office management and administrative tasks with minimal direction, including email and phone inquiries, scheduling, maintaining calendars, and organizing documents.

Experience with software used in business settings: MS Office including Word and Excel; Google Drive and Google Docs; HTML web backends; MailChimp; Airtable.

Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain clean and orderly work areas.

Ability to apply critical thinking and analysis towards problem identification and resolution and to exercise sound judgment.

Communication and Customer Service Skills:

Excellent interpersonal skills to greet and welcome visitors professionally and provide support with a friendly and approachable demeanor.

Ability to collaborate with a team, including effectively organizing and communicating using excellent written, verbal and active listening skills required.

Ability to lead public tours and represent the organization positively at community events.

Organizational Management:

Past experience managing facilities or properties, including coordinating maintenance tasks and overseeing short-term rentals.

Ability to track inventory, sales, and purchasing supplies for operational needs.

Program Coordination:

Proven ability to coordinate activities, manage deadlines, and facilitate engagement initiatives.

Experience with program administration, including application processes and scheduling activities for staff, residents, and volunteers.

Financial Administration:

Familiarity with financial processes such as budgeting, invoicing, expense tracking, and payroll management.

Proficiency in utilizing software platforms like Quickbooks Online, Squarespace, Square, and Stripe for financial tasks.

Flexibility and Adaptability:

Ability to coordinate, prioritize, balance, and follow through on multiple, simultaneous projects and responsibilities with strong attention to meeting deadlines; must be flexible and able to deal calmly and effectively with shifting priorities.

Willingness to work in a dynamic, ever-evolving environment with fluid schedules and occasional extended hours for special events.

Ability to work independently with considerable discretion while also collaborating closely with the Executive Director and other team members.

Possess a high degree of tact, initiative, and the ability to interact with various personality traits and maintain a professional demeanor with both staff and visitors alike. A positive attitude; is responsible, flexible, punctual, and able to work well under pressure.

Location Requirement:

Must be comfortable with rural, desert working and living.

Must be located in or willing to relocate to Joshua Tree, California, as the position is on-site and applicants seeking remote work will not be considered.

Additional Preferred Skills:

Bachelor’s degree in arts administration, business, communications, or related field is a plus.

Experience working professionally with artist residency programs, nonprofit boards, cultural organizations, experimental environments, and/or with artists is a plus.

Experience in public relations, social media management, and newsletter content creation.

Fluency in a language other than English is a plus.

Knowledge of ceramics and/or weaving is a plus.