Person of All Trades

unCommon Construction is a nonprofit that uses the build process to empower youth to lead the workforce after high school or college. Through our apprenticeship program, students from different high schools join a diverse team to earn hourly pay, school credit, and “Equity Award” scholarships for building a house from start to finish. Over the course of 100 hours after school and on weekends in a real-world learning environment, apprentices develop skills and relationships that last as long as the house they use to build them.

unCommon Construction is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to diversifying the construction industry and inspiring it to be more equitable, inclusive, and welcoming for the next generation of skilled leaders in it. People who have been historically underrepresented or excluded from leadership and other positions in the construction industry, such as women and people of color, are strongly encouraged to apply.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Person of All Trades position with unCommon Construction (“uCC”) is an exciting opportunity for a skilled, team- and goal-oriented professional to use their experience to empower the next generation of leaders in our industry and community. The application for this role is open on a rolling basis for opportunities in New Orleans and Minneapolis.

The Person of All Trades is just that - a person who can do many different types of work. At unCommon, this position may require the technical knowledge, experience, and skill of a “journeyman” carpenter and the tact and emotional constancy of a seasoned educator - even better - a combination of both! People of All Trades are uniquely qualified to facilitate unCommon’s model for work-based learning and have an ability to excel and improvise in a rigorous, changing environment. They are a team-oriented, proactive and creative individual who is passionate about building a bridge from education to employment for high school students.

This is a part-time position with the potential to become full-time as the needs of the organization evolve and the employee demonstrates capabilities that lead themselves, our apprentices, and organization to thrive. We intend to hire multiple people for this role as we build a roster of “People of All Trades” with the ability to rotate in and out of our current and growing programmatic and organizational needs.

As a member of the Program Team, this position will report to the Program Director and may also work under the guidance of the Construction Manager to simultaneously support the delivery of uCC’s unique model for youth and workforce development and the day-to-day construction of uCC houses or other projects. The most important part of this job involves completing construction tasks that help meet time-sensitive benchmarks in order to subsequently facilitate the learning experience and technical training of uCC’s high school apprentices.

Successful candidates for this position are experienced builders and facilitators who are independently motivated to produce high quality work and derive true satisfaction from working on tangible projects on a team. They have significant work experience with the tools, materials, and methods involved in residential construction, the ability to break down complex problems into manageable parts, and have an ability to relate and collaborate with others across lines of difference.

The Person of All Trades will spend 90% of their time in the field actively building on-site and/or supporting in person program sessions. Their responsibilities will primarily involve preparing or completing construction projects and/or actively facilitating program activities such as Apprentice Build Days, field trips, and the like. The other 10% may be spent across a range of other activities, such as attending team meetings and events, completing remote assignments, or performing other duties to support the organization’s mission.

The regular schedule for unCommon Construction is Monday-Saturday from 7:45-4:15. The regular schedule for this position will involve scheduled shifts spanning from Wednesday-Saturday from 7:45am-4:15pm. This position will involve regularly working on Saturdays, when most of unCommon’s programs are in session, and will require schedule flexibility to accommodate the candidate’s availability, critical program and/or project needs, and other community events.

PREFERRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

unCommon Construction is committed to cultivating a workplace environment built on a culture of growth, feedback, and continuous improvement. We believe that some or all of these skills and experiences would be helpful in this role, but are not 100% necessary from the beginning. This team member will receive additional training and professional development as is relevant and necessary to fulfill their responsibilities.

• A minimum of 3-years and preferably more than 5-years experience in construction, with a significant portion spent as a Lead Carpenter or similar position.

• 2-5 years experience working with nonprofits, education, or community organizations, preferably direct experience working with youth in a school, camp, outdoor education program or other comparable setting.

• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of construction techniques, building codes and materials, tool use and maintenance, and best practices for safety, durability, and quality.

• Ability to thrive by working toward a goal and prioritizing a project’s needs in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Excellent communication skills, capable of explaining complex procedures, tasks, and ideas in ways that are easy to understand.

DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES

In many ways, unCommon Construction operates like a traditional residential construction company, involving daily and varying needs related to each project’s planning and execution in order to best realize our organization’s mission and outcomes. We believe that the below responsibilities and workflow are an accurate representation of what it will be like for this team member to fulfill this role.

• Support the construction of 1-2 houses per school year as well as multiple small-scale home improvement projects for clients.

• Perform carpentry, general labor, and other construction tasks on-site to maintain quality work and achieve timely construction benchmarks.

• Occasionally supervise and delegate construction tasks to coworkers, apprentices, helpers, and/or uCC’s “Krewe” in preparation for successful program build events.

• Regularly communicate construction progress to multiple levels of management to meet the construction schedule and program outcome goals.

• Play a role in the delivery of uCC’s Apprenticeship Program through strategic planning, on-site leadership, and direct engagement in program sessions.

• Collaborate with the Program Team leadership and other coworkers to prepare appropriate construction tasks for program sessions, enhancing the overall experience and outcomes for youth participants.

• Provide on-the-job training and quality control oversight for apprentices and others, in real-time.

• Promote a culture of safety and learning for all by sharing content and knowledge at meetings and other events.

• Facilitate & participate in uCC’s “Framing Character” programs, which are non-construction program activities such as field trips, team building or reflection activities, and the like.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

unCommon Construction currently maintains a small office for team meetings, independent work, storage, vehicle parking, and space for limited pre-fabrication. This position involves regularly reporting in person to either uCC’s office or a designated job site for each scheduled shift, as directed by the Construction Manager.

• This job requires spending significant time in low- and high-temperature, wet, noisy, or otherwise uncomfortable situations.

• While performing the duties of this job the employee may be required to sit, walk, stand, talk, and hear.

• The employee may be asked to lift heavy loads, work over-head, climb ladders, and traverse uneven surfaces.

• This job involves the need to adapt to and change location between multiple work environments, each with unique safety, attire, and other expectations.

SALARY AND COMPENSATION

unCommon Construction values people who, in turn, create value for our community. As a nonprofit relying in-part on the financial support of our donors and funders, we strive to live our values as a company that cares for its employees by compensating them fairly and generously.

The compensation range for this position is budgeted at $20-50 per hour, and will be determined by the Hiring Team with consideration given to each candidate's prior experience and qualifications. As a part-time staff position, this role will be eligible to receive performance-based incentives and will have opportunities to enroll in employer-subsidized health benefits and IRA/401k retirement benefits.

HIRING PROCESS

The hiring process for this position is designed to help us get to know each candidate, understand and assess their various skills and experiences, and provide them with an opportunity to learn more about unCommon Construction as an organization. It’s our hope that the activities are representative of the type of work involved in this position and capable of being easily completed by qualified applicants within the suggested timeframe. We expect this process to take between 4-6 weeks for candidates who are offered a position.

1. Online Application

1. Submit full applications online HERE or via email to [email protected] or in person at 1120 Freret Street, New Orleans, LA 70113.

2. Phone Interview

1. A 45-minute conversation with the Hiring Team, including the Site/Program Director, involving a verbal technical skill assessment and scenario-based questions.

3. Reference Checks (2)

4. Invitation to Build

1. 6 hours building on site with members of the Program Team

2. All Candidates who are invited to build will be compensated $150 for the day and lunch will be provided.

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION AND COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

unCommon Construction is committed to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

Furthermore, we are committed to diversifying the construction industry and inspiring it to be more equitable, inclusive, and welcoming for the next generation of skilled leaders in it. People who have been historically underrepresented or excluded from leadership and other positions in the construction industry, such as women and people of color, are strongly encouraged to apply.

To learn more about unCommon Construction, apply for this position, and download the complete PDF of the application, please visit https://www.uncommonconstruction.org/careers. Applications may be submitted online, via e-mail, or dropped off in person at 1120 Freret Street, New Orleans, LA 70113.

Read about unCommon Construction’s Mission, Values, and Hirability Skills

UNCOMMON CONSTRUCTION IS A NONPROFIT THAT USES THE BUILD PROCESS TO EMPOWER YOUTH WITH THE SKILLS, NETWORK, EXPERIENCE, AND RESOURCES TO LEAD THE WORKFORCE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE.

Through unCommon’s apprenticeship program, students from different schools apply to join a diverse team to earn hourly pay and school credit for building a house together. The revenue from each project is used to match apprentice earnings with an “Equity Award” scholarship for further education, industry certifications, or the tools needed for a full-time job. With more than 100 hours of work-based learning experience per semester, apprentices develop skills and relationships that last as long as the house they use to do so.

Our VALUES create the framework of our organization and are central to how we achieve our mission. They are:

Safety: Being protected from or unlikely to cause danger or injury. We believe that a safe job site is a more productive and happier place to work and that the feelings of trust and inclusion within the team are central to making that possible.

Grit: Showing courage and resolve; unyielding in the face of hardship; strength of character. We believe in youth’s inherent ability to confront and overcome challenges, whether they be bent nails or in their lives off-site.

Integrity: Being honest and reliable; the state of being complete or whole. We believe that personal virtue and morality will guide us to do the right thing, and we work to build structures and relationships that are reflective of a strong moral character.

Equity: Being fair and impartial; interest or ownership right in property. We believe that more equitable access to opportunity means rebuilding a more level foundation from which everyone has a fair start, and that youth deserve to benefit financially from the value of their hard work.

We live our values by relying on and demonstrating SKILLS for success in work and life. Derived from MHA Labs’ research-based Hirability Framework, unCommon’s Hirability Badges reflect four key professional and life skills. At unCommon, these skills also form the foundation for apprentice and employee performance evaluation. They are:

Time Management

- Arrives on time and is rarely absent without cause

- Gets work done on time

- Manages time and does not procrastinate

Team Work Ethic

- Takes responsibility for their actions and does not blame others

- Actively looks for additional tasks when own work is done

- Actively looks for ways to help other people

Professional Attitude

- Graciously accepts criticism

- Stays calm, clear-headed, and unflappable under stress

- Brings energy and enthusiasm to work

Problem Solving

- Identifies new and more effective ways to solve problems

- Generates multiple potential solutions to problems

- Unpacks problems into manageable parts