Reuse Program Coordinator: Build

Job description created January 2010

Job Description

The Reuse Program Coordinator position is a combination of volunteer management, program coordination and hands-on technology reuse. The position focuses around the Build Program. The Build Program is one of Free Geek's very popular volunteer programs. Build volunteers are given a hands-on education to acquaint themselves with computer technology, which they use to build the computers that Free Geek gives back to the community. Volunteers in the Build Program arrive at Free Geek with varying levels of past computer experience, from no experience to years of hobby computer building.

As the Reuse Program Coordinator, you will train Build Program volunteers and coordinate volunteer Build Instructors. You will also target Build volunteers with specific skill-sets for other reuse programs at Free Geek.

As the Reuse Program Coordinator, you will be the primary staff member responsible for the Build Program. You will also work with the Production Committee to ensure other reuse programs are operating smoothly. In addition, you will participate in general Free Geek operations, substituting for other collective members and filling in where needed. You will cross train other collective members so they will be able to cover gaps in the Build program.

This is a job in a worker collective. Your first six months will be as a provisional member of the collective. At the end of that time Free Geek's decision whether or not to bring you on as a permanent collective member will be made through a peer review process.

Note: You may be a great candidate and not know it. It's more important for us to find someone who has a strong hands-on volunteer management background and an aptitude to learn nerdy stuff than for us to find a someone that speaks binary. Free Geek is an organization that teaches everyone who wants to learn about computers more than they ever wanted to know. We can teach you too.

Responsibilities:
 * Teach and recruit volunteer instructors for Build Workshops
 * Work floor shifts coordinating volunteers
 * Teach Build Workshops when volunteer instructors are absent
 * Refine build and quality control procedures
 * Recruit quality volunteers for Advanced Testing, Laptops Build, Mac build, and Enterprise Build
 * Keep the Build area orderly and stocked with needed computer components.
 * Ensure a steady supply of completed systems for Free Geek programs
 * Keep Build related documentation up to date as the build processes change
 * Raise Build to version 6.0 (i.e. bring it to the next level)
 * Coordinate with other members of the Production team
 * Be an active member of the Production Committee
 * Participate in collective management structure
 * Take on tasks and committees unrelated to Build Program coordination
 * Attend bi-weekly staff meetings, and other meetings as necessary

Required skills:
 * Experience managing volunteers
 * Excellent written and verbal communication skills
 * Friendly, outgoing personality
 * Enjoys working with people
 * Enjoys the learning process
 * Aptitude for learning technical skills
 * Well versed in troubleshooting techniques
 * Self-motivated
 * Patient and courteous with the public
 * Detail oriented, but able to see (and understand) the big picture
 * Good organizational skills
 * Ability to remain professional in an informal, friendly environment with a diverse staff
 * Work well under stress in an unusual setting, maintaining a positive attitude even in the face of adversity
 * Ability to work and communicate well in a collectively-run organization
 * Ability to work in a consensus decision making process related to staff and policy issues
 * Not afraid to ask questions, but able to work on projects almost entirely without supervision
 * Ability to remain flexible as Free Geek grows and changes
 * Must be available all day Saturdays

Desired skills:
 * Some experience with computer hardware
 * Multi-lingual