Grounds & Maintenance Assistant (Seasonal, Full-Time)

Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency (Ox-Bow) is an artist-built community dedicated to preserving time and space for arts education, research, practice, and connection for artists at every stage of their journey. The Grounds & Maintenance Assistant position supports the upkeep of excellent facilities standards on Ox-Bow’s campus, which comprises over 100 acres of protected forest, a hiking trail, and a lagoon as well as over 40 varied structures. Ox-Bow’s oldest buildings were erected in 1873 and its most recent in 2008; some are insulated and weatherized for year-round use and others are not. Our varied campus facilities boast everything from small rustic cabins to large modern studio buildings. The primary tasks of the person filling this position will encompass care of the grounds and buildings. Working closely with the Facilities Management Team, the Assistant will have the opportunity to offer their ideas on facilities best practices and systems. This position is ideal for candidates within a 40 mile commuting radius. Limited on-site housing may be available for candidates beyond that range. This position will run from mid-April to late-October, and will include evening and weekend hours.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
● General grounds maintenance, including raking, shoveling, wood splitting, and road maintenance
● Responsible removal of recycling and trash, including hazardous materials
● Clean, paint and maintain buildings, both exterior and interior
● Operate manual, electric, and gas-powered tools and equipment
● Perform or assist in performing handyperson repairs
● Assist Facilities Manager and Assistant Facilities Manager with special projects
● Respond to Maintenance Requests on campus as capable
● Assist with event and classroom set-up as assigned
● Assist in turning over classroom and studio spaces as assigned
● Support campus opening and closing tasks
● Move supplies and equipment as assigned
● Other maintenance duties as assigned
● Communicate Maintenance standards to fellows and work study students working in that area; work alongside fellows and students
● Wear appropriate PPE/safety gear for the task at hand
● Other project- and event-based support as determined by the Deputy Director; including but not limited to office, housekeeping, event, and hospitality support

EDUCATION/JOB EXPERIENCE/CERTIFICATION
● Experience in maintenance, groundskeeping or related professional area preferred
● Must have valid driver’s license and be comfortable driving a ¾ ton pickup truck
● Experience in a hospitality, arts, and/or creative field preferred

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND QUALIFICATIONS
● Strong communication and organizational skills
● Express enthusiasm for Ox-Bow’s mission
● Keen sense of professionalism
● Highly organized and reliable

● A savvy multi-tasker, with the ability to “switch gears” and change tasks for urgent reasons or otherwise
● Finds inspiration in the distinctive or idiosyncratic
● Embrace of a DIY ethos
● Comfortable taking creative risks
● Thrives in dynamic environments
● An eye for detail
● Must be a team player, able to work independently as well as in a group
● Must be innovative, reliable, patient, tenacious
● Must be able to travel to and from Ox-Bow Saugatuck campus and/or various vendor locations in the West Michigan region
● Basic experience working with hand tools and power tools
● Woodworking experience a plus
● A passion for the arts preferred

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
Physical Demands:
o While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to stand and walk for extended periods of time and be able to move about in indoor and outdoor environments.
o Operate computer, tools, and vehicles and must have the ability to use hands to move, set up, adjust, assemble, control, operate, or feel objects, tools or controls and reach with hands and arms.
o Must be able to traverse uneven terrain and stairs
o Constantly communicate and exchange information with team members and must be able to effectively communicate correct information
o Read/comprehend, write, communicate orally, reasoning, and analytical abilities, and mental flexibility
o Frequently move objects up to 50 pounds
o The employee will routinely climb, bend, squat, kneel, crouch, and reach above shoulder
o Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus to compare and distinguish administrative data.
o Hearing ability to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking level with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.
Work Environment:
o While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly working in an indoor and outdoor work environment, at times in high heat and humidity.
o Working environments will sometimes involve hazardous materials and loud noise
o Requires wearing common protective and safety equipment
o Position may involve extended work hours, weekends and holidays

Working At Ox-Bow Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, founded in 1910, offers a wide range of opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers. Our campus is nestled on a peninsular interdunal wetland in Saugatuck, MI. With programs that target degree-seeking students, professional artists and those new to the field, Ox-Bow builds a supportive frame in which artists can push their practices in new directions. Ox-Bow’s community is expansive and ever-evolving. Working at Ox-Bow is a unique experience. Our staff consists of both year-round and seasonal positions. Some staff live on campus during their working months, while others commute or work remotely both within the state of Michigan and beyond.

Working at Ox-Bow is working at the intersection of education, hospitality and culture. Together we seek to create a welcoming environment that nurtures the creative process while building community across generations, career stages, disciplines and identities. With over 100 years of arts education behind us, we have a vast community of alumni, including staff, students, resident artists, faculty, and community supporters, who love and care for Ox-Bow. Working at Ox-Bow is to become part of that community, and help sustain a historic non-profit arts organization for current and future generations of artists and art lovers. At Ox-Bow we have a vision to be a place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, lend their creativity, and work in support of an evolving, yet historic, art school. We pride ourselves on thinking and acting creatively, and recognize that part of what makes us a unique place for both our staff and students, is the talent and dedication of our employees. Ox-Bow is committed to diversity and inclusion, we believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and national origin and work to reflect that in our classrooms, programming, faculty, staff and board.

Equal Opportunity Employment
Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for its students, visitors, faculty, and staff, and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications. Ox-Bow does not tolerate unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or former military status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law, in its programs and activities, public accommodations or employment practices.