Location: Barley Court, Highgrove Estate
Department: Highgrove Traditional Crafts
Reports to: Furniture School Manager (Highgrove)
Salary: £22,000 - £24,000 pro rata, depending on experience
Contract: Part-time (3 days per week)
What you'll be doing
To support this unique skills-based Furniture School providing technical support, ensuring health and safety in the workshops, helping to prepare teaching materials and ordering resources. The Workshop Assistant will work across the educational programme of short and long courses, helping support the delivery of dynamic modes of study for a range of groups and abilities. They will support the Furniture School Manager and visiting tutors to prepare and deliver an exceptional learning experience for our students.
Our flagship programme Create - Rethinking Wood for Furniture, runs residentially for a 16-week period from September through January. The workshop assistant will be involved in supporting the delivery of this, assisting postgraduate students to realise their design. The Create Programme, with its focus on sustainability, will help students take their next step into employment. A key aspect of this programme is the intensive, inspirational teaching, which is led by a different guest tutor each year, together with a range of visiting furniture makers and designers, sharing their expertise.
We are looking for a proactive person with excellent practical and interpersonal skills to ensure our workshops operate smoothly and to the highest health and safety standards. The ideal candidate will enjoy practical work, have a background or skillset in furniture or woodworking, be well organised, personable and confident. Candidates may also be asked , on occasion, to work with other team members and help maintain other areas of the site.
Main areas of responsibility
- Responsible for the general housekeeping of the Furniture School workshops.
- Oversee and maintain workshop machinery, materials, and tools.
- Maintain and implement risk assessments supporting colleagues within the school to meet health and safety requirements
- Assist students as directed by the Furniture School Manager and visiting tutors.
- Assist in the ordering of teaching materials and equipment, maintaining stock levels of consumables.
- Checking deliveries and ensuring effective storage.
- Liaise with staff to prepare teaching sessions and support the tutors during workshops.
- Attend relevant team, course or CPD meetings, training sessions or courses as required.
- Service and maintain fixed machinery and work with external contractors to respond promptly to repair requirements.
- Ensure relevant checks are made and documentation in place for tools, equipment and materials used accordance with Health and Safety and Welfare requirements (PAT testing, COSHH, risk assessments etc.).
- To ensure all records and documentation associated with the role is stored in a secure and organised format.
What you'll need
The essential skills, knowledge and experience required are:
- Relevant furniture/woodworking skills and have good practical ability and willingness to develop that knowledge.
- A passion and interest in the development of furniture making skills championing the use of UK grown timber and sustainable approach.
- IT skills including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and database management.
- Have a positive outlook and ability to embrace change and achieve quality in all aspects of the role.
- Have a desire to see all learners succeed and progress.
- Be confident in enforcing workshop health and safety.
- Demonstrate a genuine understanding and commitment to Equality and Diversity in practise ad be sensitive to student, staff and stakeholder needs.
- GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or higher, or an equivalent Level 2 qualification.
Hours of work
- 3 days a week
- 9:00am - 5:30pm (or equivalent hours)
- Weekend and evening work will be required
The King's Foundation
The King’s Foundation provides holistic solutions to challenges facing the world today. We champion a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our communities, we run a diverse programme of education and training for all ages and backgrounds, and we regenerate and care for places where communities thrive and that visitors enjoy.
We work nationally and internationally but at the heart of our organisation is the heritage-led regeneration of the Dumfries House estate and its wider community, where our principles and philosophies are explored and put into practice.
The work of The King’s Foundation is inspired by our Founder and President, His Majesty The King, and his philosophy of harmony: that by understanding the balance, the order and the relationships between ourselves and the natural world we can create a more sustainable future.
We have a diverse and inclusive workplace, creating a welcoming, safe space for everyone. This means that every member of our team can bring their whole self to work.
We encourage qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply to and join The King’s Foundation and bring their valuable skills and experiences.
The Foundation is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees, including the provision of workplace adjustments.
We do not tolerate discrimination based on protected characteristics (age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership) or other differences such as socio-economic background or social origin.
Other requirements
A satisfactory disclosure check will be required.
Closing date for applications: 12:00pm, Friday, 16th February 2024
Interviews at Highgrove: Tuesday, 27th February 2024
Start date: Tuesday, 2nd April 2024 (or earlier)
View full Job Description
Download Application Form
If you would like to apply, select 'Apply Now' above and send your CV (stating 'Workshop Technician, The Snowdon School of Furniture' as the subject line) together with your covering letter and completed Application Form as soon as possible. Please note one A4 page maximum each for the CV and cover letter.
