Work Title: General Manager* (part-time, self-employed)

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? DOWNLOAD THE JOB DESCRIPTION PDF HERE

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Hours: 2 days/week, based on 9 hour days, including 1 hour lunch break

Duration: 6 months (with the aim of extending subject to funding)

Location: Company Drinks Pavilion in Barking Park (IG11 8TA)
                Fridays on site and 1 day/week flexible and/or from home

Work Description: Administration and Operational Management Lead

Pay**:  £ 7,020 gross salary for first 6 months, self-employed (£31,200 pro rata), holiday allowance. 

Start date: 11th April or earlier

Closing Date for applications: 5pm Monday 21st Feb 2022

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* We suggest job titles and you are welcome to adapt it to your own preferred title

** Company Drinks has a flat payment structure with all workers paid at the same rate, this is calculated at £15 / hour

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Short description of Company Drinks

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Company Drinks is a community space and social enterprise based in the Greater London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.  The former Outdoor Bowling Pavilion in Barking Park is home to Company Drinks activities, and a free-of-charge resource for the local community. Company Drinks started out in 2014 to bring people back together through the act of picking and reconnecting with local green spaces and nature. 

Company Drinks is intergenerational and cross-disciplinary. We exist as an expanding network of users, collaborators and partners, who come together to pick, grow, make, learn, unlock and share the resources and knowledge we have access to.

Like the seasons, Company Drinks changes and adapts, and is shaped by those who are involved. We collaborate and champion the ideas of those around us, encourage each other to re-imagine new ways of working, trading and existing together, through conversation, care and good company.

Over the coming two years we want to expand local accessibility to our site and activities, secure the long-term existence of the organisation and core funding, and organise our governance structure and policies accordingly.

We consider ourselves a Community Economy Organisation and value all monetary and non-monetary contributions that sustain our existence. Current financial income comes from charitable and local authority funding, and sales.

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For more information visit our web page, which contains the job description, about us, and how to apply (link) or download our organisational portfolio (link).

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How we work at Company Drinks

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Company Drinks is registered as a Community Interest Company, and we try to organise in as cooperative a manner as possible. We are a small-scale independent organisation with a focus on local interest groups and communities who make use of our programmes and facilities. Our team is made up of a mix of part time and occasional staff, with each member being part of a ‘mini-team’ that oversees one of our programme strands, including:

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• Growing, Herbalism and Well-Being

• Picking and small batch Drinks Production

• Young People 

• Local Food Initiatives

• Heritage and Social History

• Community Economies and Culture

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Not all programmes are ongoing. Some are occasional dependent on funding/team capacity. 

Company Drinks is currently not a PAYE employer, but we try to create as fair and supportive a working environment as is possible with the resources we have. 

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Role overview and job description

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We’re looking for someone to take a lead in managing and administering the day to day running of Company Drinks, which will support the team in delivering our different programmes. We are looking for a person with a passion for, and experience in, running creative and community-led projects which support the interests of those involved. 

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This is a supportive hands-on role in a small, collaborative team, for someone who enjoys organising and looking after the practical and administrative aspects of cultural, educational, well-being and social programmes. 

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A good understanding of how small organisations work is essential; what requirements and policies they need to fulfil; and how to manage the day-to-day handling of administrative tasks. 

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This is a new role. Since 2014 Company Drinks team has relied on team members delivering programmes to also lead on general management. 

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We welcome your experience and knowledge in helping shape the role around the organisational needs and your particular skills and enthusiasms. Responsibilities and outputs will span both the administrative and operational management of Company Drinks, but you’ll never be asked to do anything you don’t feel trained in / comfortable doing.

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Examples of specific responsibilities and outputs of this role 

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Responsibilities for Team Care will include:

–   Overseeing the team operations, such as coordinating monthly / weekly meetings (online and in person), updating the organisational calendar, identifying and coordinating training days

–   Implementing informal ‘HR’ processes such as occasional recruitment, keeping records

–   Policies – updating and implementing of essential policies such as Safeguarding and Equalities, in line with Local Authority guidelines

–   Policies – supporting the team in creation and implementation of new policies to nurture a caring, collaborative, inclusive environment at our home in Barking Park

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Responsibilities for Community Venue Care will include:

–   Supporting the team in managing our recently refurbished base in Barking Park; from updating insurance and policies; to general maintenance and communication with ‘Keyholders’ (community groups using the space on a weekly basis)

–   Supporting in management of the venue calendar and managing / signposting new enquiries for space use / hire

– Bringing health and safety knowledge 

– You will become a keyholder to the site

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Responsibilities for Social Enterprise Care will include:

–   Supporting the team in occasional project management of delivering workshops, events and bars

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Responsibilities for Board of Directors:

–   Overseeing the administration and facilitation of Company Drinks quarterly board meetings, including coordinating dates, facilitation and minute taking

–   Supporting in the targeted recruitment of new board members

–   Logging all board changes with Companies House

–   Invitation to join the Board of Directors as an active member

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Responsibilities for Finance include:

–   Supporting on the monthly paying of staff (using online banking) and logging all payments by Xero

–   Supporting on accounting and bookkeeping using Xero online accounting and coordinating the collation of receipts and records from team members

–   Producing, monitoring and sending of invoices (using Xero Accounting software)

–   Occasionally supporting on fundraising. Including identification of suitable funding, and supporting the team on applications and reporting

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General responsibilities

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–   Attending weekly team meetings online; this is when team members are updated on what is happening across CD programmes

–   Attending monthly Team Steering Group meetings

–   Taking an active role in organisational development activities such as the on-going work around Anti-Racism and Power Sharing practices

–   Representing Company Drinks at local meetings – for example meeting potential new ‘Keyholders’, showing interested partners round the site, or attending Local Authority Steering Groups and panels

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Requirements

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Before starting work on site, which is shared with vulnerable adults and young people/children, we will require evidence of a valid DBS check [we can arrange one if you don’t have this] and you will need to complete basic online safeguarding training [please identify any training you have already carried out].

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Please note that we have been continuing with meetings and community activities throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe that continued access to green spaces and community activities is essential for the groups we work with, with Covid-safety measures and risk assessments in place. If you aren’t able to safely access our site in Barking Park on a semi-regular basis, please indicate this in your cover letter.

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We request one of the two working days to be on site, with Friday being our preferred day. Please indicate in your application if this is possible, and if not which other day you would prefer.

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The current Company Drinks team 

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You will initially be working closest with our Food Programmes and current Operational Lead Cam Jarvis, with additional support from Kathrin Böhm. The current core team members, their roles and days per week are:

 

Cam Jarvis (3days/week)
Lead: Local Food Projects, PLUS: communications, partnerships, programme coordination and admin

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Shaun Tuck (3days/week)
Lead: Grow Club, Herbalism Network, Drinks Production, PLUS: communication and outreach

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Kathrin Böhm (1day/week)
Lead: Community Economy and Art, PLUS: admin, partnerships, governance, coordination and directorial sign off.

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Team members who run, and work on, seasonal and occasional programmes are:

Grace Duggan: Coordination Holiday Youth Programmes 

Martin Osman: Well and Wild Weekend and Holiday Activities for carers and children

Alice Masson-Taylor: Community Gardener (currently on parental leave)

Pip Field: Happy Hoppers and Thursday Group activities

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How to apply

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? Download our Organisational Info Pack
? Download the Job Description PDF

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Send max. 2 pages written cover letter or max 5 minutes audio/video. Briefly describing:

• Tell us about your experience and skills in managing administration and operations (you could respond to our listed responsibilities and outputs above, if this is helpful)
• Tell us a bit about what you’ll bring to the team: you could tell us about yourself; what motivates you?; what are your passions?
• Which part of this role do you think you would find the most challenging?
• Can you tell us why you’re interested in working for Company Drinks?
• Please indicate if you can work on site on Fridays.

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Also attach a short CV (max 2 pages), as above, this can be written or an audio or video

file. Please include the contact details of two people we can approach for references, if required.

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Please let us know in your letter, or by email, if there are any physical / language / wellbeing access considerations we could make ahead of contacting you, or ahead of arranging in-person or online interviews. We will do our best to be as accommodating as possible. 

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Send your application with ‘Subject: General Manager’ to  contact@companydrinks.info

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We will respond to all applicants as soon as possible. However, as we are a small, part-time team, if you have not heard from us by 29th February 2022, please assume that, unfortunately, you have not been selected for an interview this time. 

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If you have any questions, or would like to discuss any aspect of this role in advance of applying, please contact Cam (she/her) or Kathrin (she/her) no later than 14th February by e-mail contact@companydrinks.info. 

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Interviews will take place in the week commencing 7th March. Daytime interviews take place on Thursday 11th March and evening interviews on Tuesday 8th March. We might schedule a 2nd interview if necessary.

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Company Drinks welcomes all applicants and wants the team to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with. We recognise that Company Drinks and the growing/craft food industry does not currently represent the population of the UK, and more specifically, that of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, and we are committed to addressing this in our recruitment process. We would like to encourage applications from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, disabled and LGBTQ+ background as they are underrepresented in the team. 

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How to apply

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? Download our Organisational Info Pack
? Download the Job Description PDF

 

 

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