DPW Commissary Assistant Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissary Assistant Manager will help manage the construction and operations of the Black Rock City (BRC) Staff Commissary facilities for the Burning Man event production season. They will assist the Commissary Manager in supervising the Commissary Staff and will be responsible for creating daily crew schedules and tracking meal counts.

This temporary, ineligible or benefits role is:

• From August - September: Full-Time, Non-Exempt, based Black Rock City, Nevada.

The deadline to apply for this role is 5:00 pm Pacific on March 31st, 2025.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Operations (60%)

• Survey the Commissary site on playa to help plan for and facilitate the layout and infrastructure build of the Commissary.
• Coordinate crew for setup and breakdown by assigning teams, monitoring workflow, overseeing the safe unloading of Commissary storage and being a source of knowledge and empowerment for staff.
• Interface with infrastructure resource departments such as Fuel, Power, and Plumbing for the setup and maintenance of Commissary needs.
• Liaise with other Burning Man Operations departments to coordinate meal access, including but not limited to BMID Tech Team.
• Ensure that the Commissary is prepped prior to each meal so it can open as scheduled; be prepared to arrive ready to work as early as 6am.
• Manage and maintain the Front-of-House space by keeping it tidy, staff-lines unobstructed, an attentive staff and hazard-free, including a well-stocked hand-washing station and dish sink area.
• Monitor and manage facilities and diner behavior; proactively take action when necessary to prevent disorderly, inappropriate conduct or property damage while maintaining a professional demeanor, respectful boundaries and a positive attitude.
• Keep all areas of the Commissary clean and free of spills, trash, and safety hazards, ensuring that best health, sanitation practices and cleanliness standards are being exercised by all staff and guests.
• Monitor and be readily available by radio communications during primary working hours, on-call shifts, and respond during weather events and other emergencies when possible.

Personnel Support (20%)

• Provide team orientation to rules and process of the Commissary Operations, outlining clear responsibilities of roles, protocols and timeline goals.
• Monitor the well-being of staff and self, setting clear, manageable work expectations, and proactively addressing any concerns with management.
• Consistent communication with the DPW Commissary Manager about crew dynamics, morale, and performance observations.
• Help to plan for the Commissary Staff Camp layout and setup by gathering crew contact details and organizing any additional necessary information.

Documentation and Tracking (15%)

• Create and actively manage work schedules for the crew ensuring adequate coverage for all shifts and setting manageable, equitable work expectations.
• Manage the collection and submission of staff working hours for bi-weekly payroll, ensuring that paychecks are distributed to paid crew in a timely manner.
• Implement the tracking of and report-out of FOH and To Go meal counts at the end of every shift to the Vendor.
• Prepare written feedback for DPW Management describing the successes of the season, areas in need of improvement and suggestions with the purpose of improved overall efficiency for the next year; Submit an end-of-season EMBER Report.

Other Functions and Responsibilities (5%)

• Work with the Team to plan and execute LNT and Waste disposal plans for all relevant operations.
• Adjust workflow to support changing safety protocols as directed.
• Participate in (Manager) Meetings when requested and maintain related correspondence.
• Be familiar with, understand and act in accordance with Burning Man’s staff policies, protocols and behavioral standards.
• Monitor personal well-being by setting realistic goals and managing self-care while proactively addressing any concerns with management.
• Perform other duties as directed.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

• Documentation - Drives the creation, publishing, and maintenance of process documentation related to assigned duties.
• Teaching – Takes a leadership role in the acculturation and training of staff. Teaches live or e-learning classes, as requested. Promotes a culture of teaching and learning throughout the community.
• Mentoring - Mentors subordinates in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and experience that will allow them to advance in the organization. Aids, encourages, and inspires their team.
• Training development - Collaborates with the education team to develop training materials in their area of expertise, as requested.
• Learning – Pursues ongoing learning in their area of expertise, working to stay current on emergent knowledge, skills, and processes. Participates in conferences, forums, and networking events, where appropriate.
• Speaking – Represents Burning Man as a subject matter expert and culture-bearer, as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Clear, service-oriented and respectful communication, verbally and written; Able to evaluate, tailor style and patiently respond to needs for support. Experience with using 2 way radios.
• Working knowledge of Google products (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive), Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Operates with behavioral integrity and discretion of sensitive information; maintains tidiness in work ethics and the work environment; remains calm and focused under pressure.
• Able to receive and integrate feedback into action and maintain a professional demeanor that leads by example; Inspires, motivates and encourages a collaborative work environment.
• Able to proactively create ease for a crowd with preventative signage and public speaking skills; Confident to lead a team in emergency situations.
• Understands basic-needs-psychology around food; Able to help identify and provide a safe space for a wide variety of people.
• Experience managing volunteers with a willingness to promote their strengths and respect their limitations. Ability to tactfully manage, reassign and redirect workflow using education, empowerment, and delegation when appropriate or necessary.
• Capable of working in an extreme environment including drastic temperature changes, high winds, poor air quality and low to no visibility at times.
• Ability to temporarily relocate for work at the Burning Man event held in Gerlach, Nevada.

Preferred

• It is helpful if the candidate has previously been to Burning Man and/or is familiar with its culture.
• Experience working in service industry management or property manager.

Note: If you have gained the necessary experience to succeed in this role and have acquired this experience in other ways, we encourage you to apply and share all relevant experience in your application.

REQUIRED LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

• Valid driver’s license and a good driving record

COMPENSATION

Individual compensation decisions are dependent on a variety of factors, including prior experience and geographical location. The anticipated rate for this position:

• From August - September is $17.00 to $19.00 per hour.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• On-playa: This position requires periods of heavy lifting, bending, kneeling, squatting, and climbing. This position will be physically demanding, and requires individuals with good physical health, and endurance. Work will include the need to find and meet with department representatives who may not be in the vicinity therefore this could include walking or using some form of transportation. Much of the work will be in outside weather conditions and will be exposed to fumes or airborne particles as well as possible extremes in temperature.

NOTICE FOR ALL APPLICANTS:

• Burning Man Project celebrates the importance of creating a diverse environment and enthusiastically encourages Black, Indigenous, Peoples of Color, LGBTQIA , Immigrant, women, and people with disabilities, of all ages, to apply.
• Burning Man Project provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
• Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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