DPW Yellow Bikes Assistant Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The Department of Public Works (DPW) Black Rock City (BRC) Yellow Bike Project Assistant Manager will support the DPW Yellow Bike Project Manager to oversee all aspects of the BRC Yellow Bike Project, including building, maintenance and strike of the Bike Shop and staff camp on-site. Responsibilities will include assisting with crew staffing and daily task management, resource tracking and purchasing, providing a professional interface with all Burning Man Staff and Black Rock City citizens during the event, and scheduling for the department’s needs to ensure smooth operations through the whole event production cycle. This role will support the collaboration with outside organizations to strategize and reallocate abandoned bikes post-season.

This temporary, ineligible for benefits role is: 

• From August - September: Full-Time, Non-Exempt, based in Black Rock City, Nevada. 

 

The deadline to apply for this role is 5:00pm Pacific on March 30th.

 

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Operations (70%)

• Manage the construction, repair schedule and needs for the BRC Yellow Bike Project based upon the parameters set by management. 
• Assist with managing the Bike Shop in Black Rock City, supporting a production schedule that will meet the goals of the current year; help to set and work toward an agreed upon quantity of bikes ready to be distributed by opening day of the Burning Man event.
• Ensure the job site is kept tidy and free from debris throughout, securing tools, materials and assets at the end of every workday, and addressing any potential hazards.
• Proactively offer consistent communication with the DPW Yellow Bikes Manager about crew dynamics, morale, and performance observations. 
• Maintain a professional attitude and effective interactions with all participants, Burning Man departments and staff.
• Proactively maintain positive relationships with vendors and external organizations.
• During the event, help lead the crew to collect Yellow Bikes that are broken, damaged, or locked down for any necessary repairs and redistribution.
• Post-event, help to manage the reclamation of abandoned bikes left on the playa in a service-oriented manner, making good effort attempts to reunite lost bikes with their owners when feasible.
• Help to manage the breakdown and storage of the Bike Shop on playa, as well as the entire Yellow Bike fleet.  Identify what portion of the fleet will be reusable and what will need to be replaced for the following year.

Administrative (25%)

• Support the scheduling, hour-tracking and supervision of shifts within the Yellow Bike Crew.
• Coordinate with Shop Steward to track status & quantity of bikes completed daily, timeline goals and how many bikes need to be repaired or scrapped.
• Assist with comparing needed materials list with current inventory before submitting materials requests to DPW Purchasing.
• Keep reports detailing the parts, tools, and materials needed each year for a successful Bike Shop.
• Coordinate with the Shop Steward to create an inventory list of parts and tools that have been packed and are reusable and also create a materials list that will need to be purchased to allow the Yellow Bike Project to continue the following year. Provide a copy of both lists to DPW Purchasing.
• In collaboration with the Shop Steward, prepare a post-event inventory list of usable parts and tools stored for winter, and a list of items needed for the following year; Submit both reports to DPW Purchasing.
• Prepare written end-of-season feedback for DPW Management describing the successes of the season, areas in need of improvement and suggestions with the purpose of improved overall efficiency for the next year; Submit an end-of-season EMBER Report.

Other Functions and Responsibilities (5%)

• Work with the team to plan and execute LNT and Waste disposal plans for all relevant operations.
• Adjust workflow to support changing safety protocols as directed.
• Participate in manager/ crew meetings when requested and maintain related correspondence.
• Be familiar with, understand and act in accordance with Burning Man’s staff policies, protocols and behavioral standards.
• Monitor personal well-being by setting realistic goals and managing self-care while proactively addressing any concerns with management.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

• Documentation - Drives the creation, publishing, and maintenance of process documentation related to assigned duties.
• Teaching – Takes a leadership role in the acculturation and training of staff. Teaches live or e-learning classes, as requested. Promotes a culture of teaching and learning throughout the community.
• Mentoring - Mentors subordinates in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and experience that will allow them to advance in the organization. Aids, encourages, and inspires their team.
• Learning – Pursues ongoing learning in their area of expertise, working to stay current on emergent knowledge, skills, and processes. Participates in conferences, forums, and networking events, where appropriate.
• Speaking – Represents Burning Man as a subject matter expert and culture-bearer, as requested.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

 Required

• Familiarity with Burning Man and with event-based production work. Understanding of production scheduling, cost control, and large-scale project coordination.
• Basic understanding of bicycle mechanics. 
• Ability to think quickly, problem solve, and apply critical thinking to unexpected situations.
• Working knowledge of Google products (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive), Microsoft Word and Excel. 
• Clear, service-oriented and respectful communication, verbally and written; Able to evaluate, tailor style and patiently respond to needs for support. Experienced with two-way radios.
• Proven management experience. Able to embody present leadership qualities for a diverse team while still maintaining firm personal boundaries and adhering to set standards. 
• Ability to tactfully manage, reassign and redirect workflow using education, empowerment, and delegation when appropriate or necessary.
• Operates with behavioral integrity and discretion of sensitive information; maintains tidiness in work ethics and the work environment; remains calm and focused under pressure or emergency.
• Capable of working in an extreme environment including drastic temperature changes, high winds, poor air quality and low to no visibility at times.
• Ability to temporarily relocate for work at the Burning Man event held in Gerlach, Nevada.

Preferred 

• Public Speaking experience.
• Ability to work with a largely volunteer labor force. 
• It is helpful if the candidate has previously been to Burning Man and/or is familiar with. 

Note: If you have gained the necessary experience to succeed in this role and have acquired this experience in other ways, we encourage you to apply and share all relevant experience in your application.

 

REQUIRED LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

• Valid driver’s license and a good driving record 

 

COMPENSATION

Individual compensation decisions are dependent on a variety of factors, including prior experience and geographical location. The anticipated rate for this position:

• From August - September is $17.00 to $20.00 per hour.

 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• On-playa:  This position requires periods of heavy lifting, bending, kneeling, squatting, and climbing. This position will be physically demanding, and requires individuals with good physical health, and endurance. Work will include the need to find and meet with department representatives who may not be in the vicinity therefore this could include walking or using some form of transportation. Much of the work will be in outside weather conditions and will be exposed to fumes or airborne particles as well as possible extremes in temperature.

 

NOTICE FOR ALL APPLICANTS:

• Burning Man Project celebrates the importance of creating a diverse environment and enthusiastically encourages Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Color, LGBTQIA+, Immigrant, women, and people with disabilities, of all ages, to apply.
• Burning Man Project provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
• Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.