Community Builder

Job Title: Community Builder at Gteic@Carraig Airt

Working hours: Min 30 hours per week. Flexible working hours.

This role is funded under the CSP of Pobal therefore applicants must be in receipt of a Department Of Social Protection payment.

Comhlacht Forbartaha an Tearmainn is the local rural development group covering the parishes of Termon, Gartan, Kilmacrennan and surrounding areas in northwest Co. Donegal. It is located 9 miles North West of Letterkenny, on the fringes of the Gaeltachta (Irish speaking community). It is a community owned facility which includes a childcare centre, gym, all weather pitch, sauna, ICT centre, meeting rooms, coworking space and Grass Routes bike hire.

Craoibhín, means ‘young branch’ and the motto for the centre is Saol, Saiocht, Spraoi agus Spóirt, meaning; lifelong learning, fun and play.

It is based in a rural enterprise centre known as the Craoibhín. The role of the Craoibhín is a rural centre or hub where information, services and opportunities are provided for the benefit of the whole community.

At our centre we provide many services and training courses to the local community including childcare services and sport and leisure facilities. Our centre also runs a range of adult education classes from First Aid, Child Protection, Irish Language Classes, Social and Educational Classes.

In 2022 we undertook the management and operational management of the Carrigart Digital Hub. This position will primarily be based in this location but may also include being on location at Craoibhin in Termon also.

The role:

• To plan and manage the coworking space, This will include relevant administrative tasks such as obtaining lease agreements & signing of contracts, informing and enforcing the rules and regulations of the space, managing the space and time calendar and ensuring the space meets the needs of all its members.
• To be responsible for the animation of the space and the territory in order to create opportunities for the interaction and development of coworkers through knowledge of their interests. Through this knowledge relevant networking opportunities, talks and otherevents can be developed in order to generate synergies and knowledge among the users of the space itself and between the spaces within the overall networks including Grow Remote, Linkedin, Donegal Digital, Cowork Plus and other similar networks
• To be responsible for all commercial communications in order to create and promote the space and the community within. This will include the promotion of the attractiveness of Donegal as a place to live and work.

Managing the Space:

• Maintain coworkers satisfaction by providing a proactive and warm service that goesabove and beyond.
• Document and review weekly all member concerns as well as conducting weekly quality control walkabouts to identify and address areas of problems and opportunities in order to generate action plans.
• Oversee staffing levels to ensure the service and operations objectives are met to the highest standard.
• Ensure efficient, effective, and excellence in operations management in terms of building, facilities, noise control, cleaning, coffee availability etc. to exceed expectations in terms of quality standards.
• Communicate and oversee member move-in and move-out procedures, contract signing, education on rules and regulations and schedules
• Organise welcome procedures for new coworkers to the area and ensure the coworkers notice board is kept up to date on a regular basis.
• Interact with members daily to help develop relationships. Ensure feedback is received on a regular basis to ensure members satisfaction and to allow the opportunity for the coworkers to make recommendations on events, services levels, needs etc.
• Resolve all complaints in a timely manner and settle disputes, grievances and conflicts that may arise within the community
• Set up content manage the webpages/social media platforms on each individual space to include individual profiles of the coworkers and the coworking team.
• Coordinate with graphic designers to create content and look of relevant promotional literature and gteic brand.
• Supporting accounts department.

Animation of the Space

• Maintain the coworkers’ board and become acquainted with your coworkers’ interests and needs. Ensure regular daily interaction by working within the space itself.
• Plan and execute events that help the coworkers interact with each other and the wider community as well as providing opportunities for professional and personal development - – social events, workshops, training.
• Identify and encourage collaboration of the coworking community on events and projects which involve a number of coworkers.
• Keep up to date with everything that is going on in the world of coworking both at a local, European and worldwide level by research, subscriptions to specialised magazines, and attendance at conferences and networking events.
• Keep up to date with the projects developed by the coworkers within the space by ensuring regular talks, interviews and permanent contact. Encourage the use of coworker’s project boards.
• Disseminate information on training, conferences, events and other events that will be of interest to the coworker Organise events that match the interests of the coworkers
• Organise various team building activities to encourage networking so that coworkers can get to know each other in order to generate synergies and opportunities for collaboration.
• Understand the needs of the coworkers in order to arrange relevant training event including seeking out and finding trainers. Sometimes these trainers can be coworkers within the space.
• Get to know the services and resources of the region and surrounding counties.

Commercial

• Promoting Donegal as a place to work remotely
• Prospecting to new users via specific communication actions for potential users of the spaces.
• Ensure all leads, requests for information are dealt with in a timely manner. Providing welcoming tours of the spaces for potential coworkers.
• Proactively create opportunities to disseminate information for the benefits of coworking to various target groups in order to promote the space throughout the wider community.
• Create local events to spread the benefits of coworking and promote the individual spaces to include testimonials from coworkers. This can include inviting various target groups into the spaces – politicians, potential coworkers, enterprises, students, non- profit associations, tourists, local authorities, investors banks, remote recruiters and so on.

The above list of duties / responsibilities must not be considered comprehensive. They are simply a summary of the main duties / responsibilities that the post holder will be required to undertake.

Personal Specification

Skills &Abilities:

• Social, Interpersonal and Networking Skills - Relational qualities, teamwork and networking. Go above and beyond and proactively establish needs and request feedback.
• Have a passion for working with people and creating initiatives.
• Confident and have the ability to lead and create change.
• Planning, Organising and Communication Skills. Creativity, ability to write analytical reports and summaries. Organisational capacity, rigor and methodology. Ability to prioritise work demands.]
• IT & Promotional Skills – Mastery of communication methods and IT Tools.
• Project management skills.
• Ability to lead a project and coordinate networks of actors (private and public), to develop partnership work.
• Ability to put in place monitoring and evaluation tools. Ability to manage priorities, responsiveness and adaptability.
• Ability to apply administrative and financial procedures and a knowledge of accounting software programs and CRM packages desirable.
• Capacity to organise events and training.
• Possess cultural & community awareness and sensitivity.
• Able to work in conjunction with the Board of Directors at each space, funding organisation, coworkers and the wider community to develop the centre
• Demonstrate sound work ethics.
• Possess a positive attitude and empathetic to needs of others within the group.
• Strong desire to implement the project for the greater good in keeping with the aims of the project and not out of self-interest.

Critical Competencies

• Dynamic

You do what is required to get the job done in a timely manner. You are excited by the project. You pay attention to the small detail, are sociable, a team player and always willing to help. You think outside the box, are creative, innovative and a risk taker. You like working in a fast-paced and dynamic working environment and embrace change. You are a natural leader and a change maker.

Relationship Focused /Networking/Client Orientation/Making use of connections. You make great effort and enjoy building relationships both with your team, coworkers, other stakeholders, partners, enterprise teams and the wider community. You put them first. You take advantages of any opportunity to help promote and develop relationships and networks. You think proactively and create opportunities to please. You go above and beyond. You actively seek out feedback to help improve your team and the community.

Planning and Organisational Competencies

You have the ability to prioritize and establish lines of action, optimizing resources that guarantee the achievement of the expected results through an efficient management of the work itself and of its collaborators

Education

• Diplomas or Degrees in Hr, Accountancy, IT, Business, Management or Economics
• Higher level English at leaving certificate level an advantage.
• Postgraduate qualification in any of the above disciplines an advantage
• A QQI level 6 Training qualification desirable for work as lead on the development of the training kit for the community builder.
• Fluency in Irish.

Other:

• Full clean drivers licence.
• You must be able to work within the individual space but also will be required to attend regional, national and European business trips if required.
• Flexible working including evenings for meetings and events
• Relative autonomy in the work organisation

Salary – Negotiable Depending on experience

This role is part funded under the Community Services Programme and the candidate should currently be on a DSP payment.

Contract for 12 months subject to funding