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Monday, 20th December 2010

MAINTENANCE PLUS GENERAL ASSISTANT

Where will you be working?

The Eagle’s Nest Field Study Centre was originally a ‘Colonie de Vacances’ for French children from the town of Ales. After being closed it was acquired by Discover Ltd. in 1986 to use as a base in France. It is located at 1314 metres above sea level and is the last building as you travel up the south facing Souteyran valley before reaching the Col de Finiels (1514 m) and the summit of Mont Lozere (1699 m). Whilst the building is not the most attractive in the valley, its proximity to the core zone of the ‘Parc National des Cevennes’ gives it unrivalled fieldwork opportunities.

The centre operates from March to October each year, catering to fieldwork groups visiting from both the UK and mainland Europe. We normally expect to receive between 1000 and 1300 customers during this time period, the centre having a maximum capacity of 110. At certain times we also make use of a local ski station, which offers better winter accommodation and can increase our capacity by another 100 beds.

The Job – Maintenance plus general assistant

We tend not to use formal job descriptions within the organisation. We prefer that people will bring and develop their own skills and experiences within a broad framework. This can be a novel and daunting experience but is hopefully perfect for the right person. We do not attempt to drive square pegs into round holes, the job will either be right for you or not. As such we have a number of options that may suit different candidates.

The options on offer are:

Seasonal Position – Employed for the full season, April until October.
Part-time Position – Employed for several weeks in the year when we are very busy (mainly June and July). This could be a block of several weeks or a number of individual weeks. This position may suit someone with other commitments.

All positions are subject to a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure Check.

The Successful Applicant would be expected to:

  • Be able to carry out basic domestic repairs and assist with other more major building projects
  • Be responsible for the daily collection of bread from the local bakery (driving required)
  • Assist with the daily and weekly cleaning duties at the centre
  • Be involved in the kitchen during meal times, duties include washing up, making sandwiches, serving food and occasionally to assist in food preparation
  • Liaise with other Centre staff, Coach Drivers and the Course Director to ensure that all groups have a successful course
  • Assist with the running of the centre bar in the evening (normally 21.30h to 23.00h). Usually this is one evening per week
  • Assist with the setting up of the centre and closing down at the beginning and end of the season
  • Be involved in centre maintenance and building work during non-holiday weeks (‘project’) when groups are not in residence
  • Meeting and saying farewell to groups on arrival and departure

There is always the opportunity to bring your own skills and ideas into what will essentially be an open ended job. Your role will to a large extent be shaped by your own talents and interests.

Essential skills

  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • Ability to work successfully on own or in small team
  • Able to build a good relationship with visiting staff and students
  • Willing to work unsocial hours at some times
  • Common sense and ability to work safely and to ensure the safety of others

Desirable Skills

  • Experience of working with young people
  • Ability to speak some French
  • Full driving licence (not required by the post, but useful due to the isolated position of the centre)

What’s in it for you?

The positions are not for somebody who is interested solely in financial gain. The wage for 2011 will be £120 to £140 per week depending on experience, plus a discretionary bonus at the end of the season, normally in the region of three weeks wages. Accommodation, travel, electricity/heating, travel insurance are all included in the package. Although the wage may be a significant reduction in your present (or expected) salary, most people find they have sufficient money and can live well in France. Wages are paid through the UK office so are subject to UK tax and National Insurance contributions.

Accommodation will either be in the shared staff house (the lodge) or in a caravan, depending upon preferences and availability.

Holidays are organised usually when groups are not in residence. A minimum of three weeks are taking off during the season (typically 1 week in May, 2 weeks in August). A travel insurance policy is taken out to cover emergency treatment/travel in France and Europe.

We try and organise a number of staff social trips. These have included caving, canyoning, canoeing and a considerable number of meals out.

We believe the job offers a great deal to the right person, with a lifestyle that is hard to beat in the UK. We are also normally able to offer employment to partners either on the academic or domestic side of the business. This can be discussed at interview.

For more information, please read Life at the Eagle’s Nest and the Seasonal Job Description linked to below. To apply, please download the application form, the criminal records declaration and send with a copy of your CV to:

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