Job: Residential Host (The Bishop's Ranch, California)

Overall Description:

The Bishop's Ranch is a self-supporting institution of the Episcopal Diocese of California.

The mission of the Ranch is to serve God by providing for people of all walks of life a place where lives are changed; a place of hospitality amidst the beauty of God’s creation where renewal of spirit, mind and body is nourished, leading to spiritual growth and closer relationships with God and one another.

We fulfill the mission of the Ranch by providing hospitality for retreats, conferences and other gatherings to groups and individuals from the Diocese of California, other churches, and non-profit groups. Our goal is to provide these services in a personal and relaxed but efficient way that enables guests to reach their goals for spiritual, personal, and organizational growth.

Working at The Bishop’s Ranch is service-oriented, and doing our jobs successfully is based on teamwork. Because of the wide-ranging nature of the tasks involved in caring for our guests and facilities, it may be necessary to perform tasks outside our usual line of work. For example: when on duty in the kitchen a guest may come in and ask where sports equipment is found; an office worker may be called to help when a guest finds a broken water valve; a maintenance worker may need to help in the kitchen when a group suddenly has increased in numbers, or a cook must leave due to illness. The flexibility to help in such a situation in order to support our guests and the overall goals of the Ranch is a requirement of working at The Bishop’s Ranch.

About the Position: The Residential Host is part of our residential staff community and provides gracious hospitality to all our guests, volunteers, residents and staff. The Resident Host is responsible for assuring that facilities are prepared for guest arrival and guest use while groups are in residence. The Residential Host assists the host on duty when groups are in residence, supports other hosts, acts as host when scheduled, provides support to other staff and departments and responds to off-hour maintenance or safety needs.

Job Description:

Prepare for group arrivals:

• Conduct thorough walk through prior to guests’ arrival making sure meeting and lodging rooms are safe, ready and welcoming for groups

• Make sure exterior lighting is operating correctly at dusk and that welcoming interior lights are on if guests are arriving after dark

• Check heating/cooling systems settings so that rooms are comfortable for group arrival

• Tables and chairs set up as requested by group (through reservations process)

• Equipment setup and tested prior to use by guests, including any needed audio-visual equipment

• Fireplace and/or fire circle areas clean and have firewood, starters and matches available for guest use (firewood stocked by Facilities staff)

• Check/clean pool area before and after groups.

• Blow leaves, skim pool as needed, reset chairs, pool toys etc… (Facilities staff performs water tests)

• See that linen receptacles and trash areas are ready for use

Lodging and Meeting facilities readiness:

• Conduct regular walkarounds, as appropriate to respect guests’ space, of all facilities to ensure that everything is neat and in working order.

• Report maintenance and repair issues to Facilities and Land department using the Request Form. If the issue has an immediate impact on guests (e.g. malfunctioning toilet, shower, heating or cooling systems, property damage, etc…) text or call Assistant Executive Director for immediate support.

• Raking leaves and other cleanup of Ranch House Courtyard and Pavillion as needed and time permits.

• Maintaining Pavilion Ornamental Landscaping (Facilities and Land to maintain border edging and prevent weed encroachment from lawns and natural areas.

• Remove trash along Westside Road and entrance monthly as time permits

Host Groups in Residence

• Remain on the Ranch premises while host on duty Host groups as scheduled

• Greet and welcome arriving groups

• Attend meals to act as liaison between groups and kitchen

• Make announcements

• Be on-call and available to respond to group needs

• Follow guidelines in hosting manual, know emergency response procedures including fire alarm system

• Respond to urgent maintenance or safety issues at night and on weekends when Facilities and Land staff is not on duty and keep Facilities staff informed of action items.

• Keep FLD Request form link on phone to report maintenance and repair issues.

• Keep Sheriff, Fire Department, PG&E, Residents and Staff phone numbers in phone.

• Walk campus in the morning and evening to check that pathways are illuminated and areas are safe and ready for guest use.

• As requested and scheduled in advance, be able to offer additional services to groups (e.g. guided hikes and tours, campfires, social hours, etc…)

• Pick up linens, garbage and recycling as needed during retreats, camps and other events.

Follow-up after guest departure

• Monitor energy usage; confirm that heat, cooling and lights have been turned off

• Do linen, garbage and recycling pickup.

• Conduct a walk-through of all rooms and facilities and check for needed repairs.

• Use Facilities and Land Request Form to report needed maintenance and repairs.

Housekeeping Support

• Communicate needs and work with Housekeeping Manager and staff to ensure building readiness and that building entryways and walkways are clear of cobwebs, dust and debris, including cleaning light fixtures, trash receptacles, porches, and outdoor furniture. Assist when needed.

• Support Facilities and Land Manager in monitoring and replacing lightbulbs in guest rooms with proper model bulbs as needed; bulb models set by Facilities and Land department.

• Set and Monitor Chapel and Swing Pavilion HVAC systems with weekly schedule depending on group usage.

• Keep time clocks for exterior lights set to proper time including seasonal changes.

• Keep electric scooters charged, clean and ready for guest use

Kitchen Support

• Provide serving and cleanup support at Refectory when needed, in addition to hosting

• When hosting, check in at Refectory 15 minutes prior to each meal to provide support.

Program Support

• Lead hikes as requested and scheduled.

• Give Ranch tours as requested and scheduled.

• Greet and orient arriving Prayer Residents when needed.

• Additional Duties as assigned

Job Qualifications:

• Knowledge of basic emergency response skills: contacts, CPR, AED

• With initial direction, able to complete tasks alone

• Excellent communication skills

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Basic knowledge of plumbing and other maintenance skills

• Good attention to detail

• Able to lift and carry tools and objects while walking over the property

• Knowledge of safe practices when using hand and power tools

• Able to lift 40 pounds unassisted and 60 pounds with assistance

• Environmental and religious sensitivity

• Able to adapt to flexible scheduling, including weekends

• Comfort working with ladders and heights helpful.

Salary Range: $26,000 - $34,000 with housing and generous benefits.

To apply: Send application, resume, references, questions to john@bishopsranch.org.