Facilities & Events Assistant

Title: Facilities & Events Assistant
Classification: Full-time (40-hour work week), non-exempt 
Department: Facilities & Events
Reports To: Facilities & Maintenance Supervisor and Associate Director of Events
Compensation: $20.00 - $23.00 
Schedule: Generally, Tuesday - Saturday, 8:30am – 5:00pm, with occasional Sundays and evenings.  Flexibility is necessary.  

About Lotusland: 
Ganna Walska Lotusland is a 37-acre botanical garden and historic estate located in Montecito featuring a collection of over 3,000 plant species from around the world as well as historically significant Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Since opening to the public in 1993, Ganna Walska Lotusland has grown to become one of the world’s premier botanical gardens and a center for sustainable garden practices, horticultural education, and plant conservation.  

Mission Statement:  
Our mission is to preserve and enhance the distinctive botanical gardens of Madame Ganna Walska. Lotusland educates and inspires visitors with its collections, sustainable horticulture practices and plant conservation. 

Position Summary:   
The Facilities & Events Assistant supports the Facilities, Events and Garden & Grounds teams. This role requires initiative and the ability to work independently while performing a wide variety of tasks related to preventive and corrective maintenance and repairs, event support, and garden assistance. 

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to assisting with the maintenance of historic buildings; maintaining outdoor garden hardscape, walkways, and decorative features such as ponds and swimming pools; assisting with the setup and breakdown of events and providing labor support in the gardens. 

Most of the time in this role will be dedicated to Facilities work, followed by support for Events and meetings, and lastly Garden and Grounds care and related activities. 

Specific Responsibilities:

• Assists with maintaining the water features of the garden.  
• As assigned, performs preventive and corrective maintenance and repairs of grounds and facilities equipment (including gas and electric powered small engine equipment, tractor, truck, etc.). 
• As assigned, performs maintenance and corrective repairs of structures, utilities and related Lotusland’s facilities.  
• Maintains the historic workshop and storage areas in a clean and orderly manner. Tasks may include; trash & recycling. 
• Informs Facilities and Maintenance Supervisor of supplies needed. 
• Follows safety precautions and wears Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when required. 
• Monitors and helps trap rodents in buildings and uses preventative measures to remove rodents from buildings.   
• Keeps detailed reports of all maintenance performed. 
• Collaborates with Events staff on the set-up, support, and breakdown of tables, chairs, supplies, etc. for meetings and events. 
• Able to work independently with facilities, garden and events staff. 
• On occasion, assist with labor within the garden, under the direction of the garden staff. 
• Demonstrates reliability, punctuality, and accountability in assigned duties – RJ 
• Maintains professional conduct and positive communication with staff, vendors, and event clients. 

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Proficient in use and safe practices of various hand tools and power equipment. 
• Properly maintains and stores tools and supplies. 
• Follow provided “best practice” in the treatment of artifacts throughout the property. 
• Must be able to lift heavy objects repeatedly, (50 lb. minimum lifting requirement). Such as tables, chairs, umbrellas, bases, furniture, pop-up tents, and misc. items. 
• Must possess a valid California driver’s license. 
• Comfortable with email, work ticket tools, and scheduling tools. 
• Flexible with working between multiple departments. 
• Demonstrates reliability, punctuality, and accountability in assigned duties. 

Everyday Safety Practices: 

Your health and safety are our top priorities when working at Lotusland. Here is what you must do to always be safe and compliant: 

• Always use appropriate PPE. More information and training will be provided to the selected candidate. 
• Safely operate powered and unpowered tools and equipment. Follow instructions and warning labels on chemicals and equipment.  
• This role is exposed to the different elements of each season, therefore, dress appropriate to the temperature of the day and keep yourself hydrated at all times. 
• Inform/notify a manager or supervisor if you are required to take medication that may cause dizziness or impair your judgement and reaction time. DO NOT operate machinery, climb ladders or perform activities that may increase your risk of injury.   

• Lotusland’s administrative offices are on a historic 2-story estate in a 37-acre garden.     
• Will need to drive a cart.  
• Frequent walking, kneeling, bending, lifting (50 lbs.).  
• 90% of the day will be spent outside on the grounds.                                      

The responsibilities and deliverables listed above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed by the individual in the position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and/or skills. Other tasks will be assigned as needed.

Benefits  

• Health, dental and vision. 
• Voluntary life insurance, 403(b) Retirement plans, with a match after 2-years and up to 5%. 
• Paid vacation and sick leave.    
• 11 paid holidays.   

 Additional Information  

• Employment background/criminal check is required. 

Lotusland Core Values: 
Accountability: We take ownership of the commitments we make, holding ourselves accountable for our actions and decisions, both to ourselves and those we lead. 
Teamwork and Collaboration: Our roles are interdependent, requiring intentional collaboration within teams to consistently achieve our mission. 
Communication: Effective communication is crucial for building trust among our staff, board, and the larger community. We strive to share information clearly, consistently, and in a timely manner to foster understanding and commitment across our organization. 
Trust: We aim to cultivate mutual respect and open communication throughout the organization. Employees are encouraged to openly share their perspectives and feel secure in taking risks to enhance our effectiveness.
Integrity: Aligned with our guiding principles of honesty, fairness, and decency, we promote a strong ethic of integrity among individuals and leaders. 

Lotusland is an equal opportunity employer. We acknowledge that equal employment opportunity for all persons is a fundamental human value. Each employee will be considered based on individual ability and merit, without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, or marital status.  

For more information visit www.lotusland.org
 

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