DPW Shade Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The Department of Public Works (DPW) Shade Construction Manager is responsible for recruiting, managing, and monitoring the Shade Construction Team through the planning, build, maintenance, disassembly, and storage of all DPW Shade structures within Black Rock City (BRC). Pre-construction season duties will include interviewing and hiring the crew, reviewing BRC department shade requests to manage the scope of approved structures for the coming season, as well as compiling material orders, coordinating the build schedule, and collecting and organizing data.

  This temporary, ineligible for benefits role is: 

• From April - July: Part-Time ( approximate 6 - 7 Hrs/week), Non-Exempt, based fully remote. 
• From August - September: Full-Time, Exempt, based on-site out of Black Rock City, Nevada. 

 

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

 

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Operations (60%)

• Manage a motivated schedule to complete survey, build goals, and site management for multiple shade construction sites/builds according to the required timeline.
• Interface with infrastructure support departments such as Heavy Equipment and Transportation (HEaT), as well as all of the departmental leads who submit resource requests for shade in BRC. 
• Lead a crew in the survey, construction and strike of over 150 shade structures according to the confirmed design and construction plans.
• Coordinate with other department leads in supporting their operational and construction needs with shade structures 
• Create a schedule for the shade team that meets the needs of the BRC and Operations departments in a timely fashion 
• Maintain safe, clean, and organized work sites; ensure that all team members are provided with and appropriately use the necessary OSHA safety equipment.
• Ensure compliance with BRC’s safety and quality specifications, documenting incidents and ensuring that corrective measures are implemented when needed.
• Ensure that all job site practices for safety are communicated to the crew and upheld. 
• Oversee the safe dismantling, winterizing and storage of all structures, materials and tools.

Personnel (15%)

• Work with Assistant Manager to log and report crew’s work hours. Maintain clear scheduling with crew members; ensure that hours are submitted by weekly deadline, and paychecks are distributed to crew in a timely manner.
• Create and actively manage daily and weekly work schedules for the Shade team, including daily team meetings. Up-to-date schedules should be shared with the crew regularly and often.
• Tactfully manage, reassign and redirect workflow using education, empowerment, and delegation when appropriate or necessary, monitoring team morale and setting manageable work expectations with realistic boundaries.
• Serve as a mentor, positive role model, and team leader guiding people as they work, identifying the best people for the job, instructing and sharing skills as necessary.
• Effectively manage own time, individuals, and the efforts of the team as a whole to create an environment of accountability, collaboration, and flexibility of focus in the crew.
• Attend, host and support crew attendance to relevant Meetings and maintain related correspondence; maintain timely updates, email correspondence and departmental communications.
• Know, share, and use the proper pathways of communication for escalating personnel issues. Learn how to create proper supporting documentation regarding such matters.
• Proactively address concerns with management.

Documentation and Tracking (10%):

• Commit to improving and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for this role, crew operations, and individual crew members as needed throughout the season for accuracy. 
• Proactively engage in learning, teaching, using and effectively updating existing online applications, tools, systems, spreadsheets, and documents, asking clarifying questions to smooth any process or system as needed.
• Document processes along with photo and video content for supporting educational, training and communications purposes; Create supporting documentation for training as required.
• Submit receipts and any expense reports, ensuring forms are complete and submitted on time.
• Maintain consistent organization and tidiness in the work environment and in the handling of important information (ie, tracking inventory tools and materials, crew data, goals and timelines, payroll, etc.)
• Create and maintain a thorough inventory tracking of tools, supplies and materials, structural integrity and condition notes; prepare end-of-season reports of needs for the following year.
• Prepare post-event written feedback for the DPW Project Manager describing the successes of the season and suggestions for necessary improvements; Submit an end-of-season EMBER Report.
• Take responsibility to ensure that all new and updated documentation meets the standards as outlined by management.

Advance Planning (10%): 

• Meet in the pre-season with the DPW Project Manager to plan for infrastructure, logistics, resource, and staffing needs according to the budget goals for the DPW Shade team. Coordinate with the other department leads within BRC and Operations to ensure that the structures will meet needs for the coming season.
• Review and compare current inventory with material and tool needs for the season; submit necessary purchasing requests to the DPW Project Manager.
• Maintain budget awareness: monies spent, current balance, anticipated costs etc. Proactively discuss any potential adjustments or concerns with Management as soon as possible.
• Assemble the DPW Shade crew with the support of the DPW Project Manager; Learn and assist with the hiring/recruiting process using established processes, proactively promoting open roles to parties with a good cultural fit.
• Read and understand the Integrated Plan, other departmental timelines, and objectives for the completion of each phase of BRC city development- set-up, maintenance, and tear down.
• Work to develop a new system in 2026 for resource requests and data tracking with the help of the DPW Project Manager
• Accurately track hours worked; submit personal time-card promptly on a bi-weekly deadline.

Other Functions and Responsibilities (5%)

• Work with the Shade Crew to plan and execute LNT and Waste disposal plans. 
• Attend DPW Managers Meetings, create reports, and maintain electronic correspondence through assigned applications (email, slack, mailing lists, etc.).
• Be familiar with, act in accordance and enforce 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
• Be an example to your crew and all of DPW through responsible and respectful actions.
• Perform other duties as directed. 

Additional On-playa Duties and Responsibilities 

• Exercise discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance within the department.

 

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.
• Training development - Collaborates with the education team to develop training materials in their area of expertise, as requested.
• 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

• Advanced understanding of construction scheduling, event production timelines, cost control; Strong familiarity with Burning Man, working with integrated plans, and event-based production work.
• Knowledge of general construction practices, heavy equipment operation (forklifts) and survey; Experience leading construction or site crews at Burning Man or other festival environments. 
• Proficient at navigating digital and online technology; Skilled user of Google products (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive), Microsoft Word and Excel. 
• Clear and respectful, service-oriented and effective communication, verbally and written. Experienced using 2 way radios and following radio protocol.
• Able to embody proactive, present and responsive leadership qualities for a diverse team while still maintaining firm boundaries and adhering to set standards while keeping the culture of Burning Man alive.  
• Able to receive and integrate feedback into action and maintain a professional demeanor that leads by example; A team player that can follow direction and respectfully interface with collaborators.
• Proven leadership skills and experience managing event staff; Ability to energize and engage while creating a healthy work environment. 
• Effectively manages own time, the time of individual team members, and the efforts of the team as a whole to create a mentality of collaboration, task completion, and flexibility.
• Ability to think quickly, problem solve, apply critical thinking to create solutions in the moment and adapt to changing circumstances, situationally aware and safety-minded.
• 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 

• Experience as a DPW Crew member.
• Experienced in the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.
• OSHA 30 hour Construction & General Industry Certification.
• It is very helpful for this role if the candidate has previously been to Burning Man and/or is familiar with its culture.

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 April - July is $21.00 to $22.00 per hour.
• From August - September is $1200.00 to $1400.00 per week.

 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Off-playa:  Work is primarily sedentary in nature, no special demands are required.
• 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.