Fair Isle Bird Observatory
Job Description
Position: Domestic Assistant
Term of contract:4thApril 2018 (arriving on Fair Isle on 3rdApril) until 1stNovember 2018 (departing Fair Isle on 2ndNovember).
NOTE: thiscontract could also be available as two shorter contracts (4thApril – 31st July and 9thAugust to 1stNovember) for suitable candidates.
Salary: £224per week
.
Additional benefits: Board and lodging(including laundry facilities and internet) provided free of charge, reasonable travel expenses paid to and from Fair Isle (travel by cheapest possible means, to be arranged in advance with Administrator).
Hours of work: 07.30 – 14.00 and 18.80 – 19.30 approximately on a six days on two days off shift pattern. In addition, there may be some preparation required at the end of the evening shift for ‘boat breakfasts’ and ‘log drinks’ (see below).
Occupancy of the Observatory and thus levels of work fluctuate throughout the season. Staff are therefore expected to work to the job, rather than set hours, though we aim to keep as closely as we can to the hours outlined above. The hours set are largely based on the time required to prepare and clear away meals at set times, thus during busy periods it is generally the work rate that increases, rather than the hours worked. Conversely this is offset by a lower work rate out of peak season, though hours on duty may also be reduced.
Holiday: Those on short-term contracts will be entitled to either 6.5 or 9.5 days holiday, depending on the period worked, to be taken at the end of the contract. Staff working the full term will be entitled to 16.5 days holiday. The Observatory will be closed from 2nd-8th August to facilitate staff holidays, with the remaining 9.5 days to be taken at the end of the contract though other dates may be discussed with the Administrator.
Management: Domestic assistants are directly answerable to the Administrator, who runs the Observatory along with the Warden.
Responsibilities:
The domestic assistants are responsible for housekeeping tasks including:
- Cleaning guest bedrooms on changeover days
- Mid-stay towel and bedding changes in guest rooms
- Cleaning shared bathrooms on guest corridor
- Cleaning upstairs corridors
- Processing laundry
- Compiling weekly housekeeping supplies order
The domestic assistants are also responsible for assisting the cook and/or assistant cook in the kitchen by:
- Washing, sterilising and tidying away cutlery and crockery after meals
- Complying with House Rules regarding health and safety and food hygiene in the kitchen
- Undertaking kitchen cleaning tasks
- Fulfilling the role of assistant cook on the cook’s day off (not relevant to the advertised position)
- Helping to ensure efficient use of the generator
Meal provision:
When operating at full capacity, the kitchen is expected to provide meals for up to 36 guests, researchers and volunteers, and a further twelve staff. In reality total numbers catered for tend to fluctuate between a total of 25 to 35 people for much of the season.
Breakfast is served at 08.30 and consists of juice, cereals, porridge, fruit and yoghurt, a five item cooked breakfast, toast, tea and coffee (freshly percolated). On Sundays a continental breakfast will be served.
Lunch is served at 13:00 and consists of soup and homemade bread, light lunch option e.g. pizza, pasta, quiche etc and salad andhomebakes. On Sunday a full Sunday lunch is served. Staff and guests may also request a packed lunch. Packed lunches are usually ordered the night before, but may sometimes need to be prepared at short notice.
Dinner is served at 18.30 and consists of a main course with vegetables and dessert. On Sunday evening a High Tea, consisting of a range of salads and light dishes and cakes/homebakes is served. In addition to these set meals, on occasion breakfast must be provided at 06:45 for those leaving on the morning boat at 07:30, or earlier on Lerwick boat days. Staff are therefore required to set up breakfast (cereals and breakfast pastries in dining room, milk and juice in lounge fridge) the evening before as needed, but are not expected to get up early to do so. Hot chocolate and homebakes are also routinely served during Log and staff are expected, also on a rota basis, to lay these out in the kitchen at the end of the evening shift for those on bar duty to serve.
On some occasions kitchen staff may be asked to cater for specific functions e.g. Observatory parties, weddings, but these are not regular events. Some of these can be prepared in advance by the kitchen staff and brought out by other staff.
Staff management:
All domestic staff and domestic volunteers are directly managed by the Administrator. On a day to day basis the cook, or assistant cook where relevant, is responsible for assigning tasks within the kitchen according to the job descriptions of the various staff, and for overseeing compliance with health and safety and food hygiene House Rules. Although directly answerable to the Administrator, kitchen staff are expected to comply with requests made by the cook, or assistant cook where relevant, within the remit of their job descriptions, particularly with regards to the maintenance of health and safety and food hygiene standards.
It is expected that there will be some flexibility in the working hours of all domestic staff and on some days the cook, or assistant cook where relevant, may need to ask staff to return early for the afternoon shift. Domestic assistants normally return at 18.00, but can be asked by the cook, or assistant cook where relevant, to return earlier if required. It is not within the remit of the cook or assistant cook to give staff time off without consultation with the Administrator.
Ordering supplies:
Food supplies are ordered on a Thursday from Stackhoull Stores and usually arrive, weather permitting, on the following Tuesday. These are picked up from the shop by the wardening staff and unloaded, under the direction of the cook, by as many staff as are around to help. Some supplies, notably those ordered by Stackhoull Stores from the WholeFood shop in Lerwick, are likely to arrive a few days after. Weather can prevent the boat bringing food supplies in on a Tuesday, but the boat will then travel at the first subsequent opportunity. It is therefore important to ensure sufficient stock and adopt a flexible approach to cooking, particularly in the autumn, when stormy weather is more frequent.
Housekeeping and cleaning supplies are ordered from a variety of sources, including Stackhoull Stores. The domestic assistants are therefore expected to compile a list of laundry and other housekeeping requirements each week, with the cook responsible for drawing up a list for kitchen supplies, which are submitted to the Administrator, who can then add them to the Stackhoull order, or order them separately as required.
Power supplies to the kitchen:
The cooker runs off gas, supplied by gas canisters located outside the building. It is the responsibility of the kitchen staff to notify the warden when gas canisters are emptied.
All other appliances in the kitchen require electricity, with the toasters, heated trolley and steriliser requiring the generators to be on in order to operate. Fuel for the generator represents one of the largest single operating costs in the Observatory and efficient use of the generators is therefore a priority. The generators are turned on at 07.30, 12.30 and 18.00 by the domestic assistants and switched off at the latest 2 hours later. Given the limited running time it is important that all kitchen staff facilitate the smooth running of the laundry by the domestic assistant responsible on the day. This is particularly important in relation to the assistant cook, whose role is to assist the domestic assistant in the washing and tidying of cutlery and crockery after meals, thus enabling the domestic assistant to process the laundry and commence the upstairs cleaning by around 09.30.
Cleaning:
Guest rooms are fully cleaned in the morning on changeover days, with guests asked to vacate their rooms by 10.00 to facilitate this. If guests stay for five nights or longer their towels are changed and the en-suite bathroom cleaned mid-stay. If guests stay for seven nights or more their bedding is also changed mid-stay. The guest corridors and shared bathrooms also require cleaning, although on a less regular basis. On busy days the Administrator will often ask the domestic volunteer to help clean rooms in the morning to enable the domestic assistants to carry out all their tasks.
Laundry can only be done when the generator is running, requiring the domestic assistant on housekeeping duty to process the washing and drying of kitchen cloths, bedding and towels in as efficient manner as possible. Normally two washes can be carried out in the morning, with one wash completed during lunchtime and one during the evening shift.
Living and working at the Observatory
Fair Isle Guest House and Bird Observatory has been established for over 60 years, is a registered charity, and is administered by a board of Trustees. It is located on the small, remote island of Fair Isle, 24 miles south of Shetland. The establishment is both an operating Bird Observatory and a Guest House which caters for a maximum of 36people on a full board basis from the end of April to the end of October. Money paid by visitors has to cover all aspects of observatory finance, from ringing equipment to washing machines.
- Teamwork
Running the Observatory is very much a team effort. It is important to get on well with all staff, and every employee needs to be flexible in their approach. At certain times we may all have to turn our hands to tasks that are not part of our normal job, this could include covering shifts in the bar, helping in the kitchen with dishes, laying and clearing tables, clearing up spillages, assisting guests and unloading vehicles.
- Visitor relations
The Observatory is funded totally by its paying guests, and visitor relations are therefore possibly the most important aspect of any job at the observatory. It is essential to be friendly and helpful to all visitors, even under the most trying circumstances. At all times, we try to maintain a family-like atmosphere at the Observatory.
- Relations with islanders
To carry out its work effectively, the Observatory is dependent on the goodwill of the islanders. They are friendly and easy to get to know, and it is absolutely crucial that all staff should continue to foster the existing goodwill.
All staff are given their own room in the Observatory. This contains a bed, sink, hanging space for clothes and chest of drawers. Bathroom facilities are shared with other staff. Bedding is provided, but staff are responsible for their own laundry and cleaning and maintaining the cleanliness of the shared bathrooms. Meals and accommodation are provided free of charge. A washing machine, drying space and washing powder are available for staff to use free of charge. Internet access is also provided free of charge. There is phone in the Assistant Warden’s office, which may be used for limited free calls outside of work hours. It should be noted that only Vodafone provides reliable reception on the island, with O2 also giving some coverage, although reception within the building itself can be patchy. There is no television at the Observatory and internet speeds are not fast enough for live streaming. Staff may have visitors to share their room for a short spell during the season by prior arrangement with the Warden and Administrator. Relatives and friends may also be able to stay in a guest room at a reduced rate at certain times of year, subject to availability and by prior arrangement with the Warden and Administrator.
Given the charitable status of the Observatory, travel expenses will be reimbursed on the assumption that staff travel by the cheapest means possibleand are dependent on completion of the agreed contract. This will vary depending on where staff are travelling from in the UK, but travel from the mainland to Shetland and onwards to Fair Isle will be reimbursed according to the current price of a foot passenger travelling from Aberdeen to Lerwick on the Northlink ferry and the cost of the Good Shepherd ferry crossing to Fair Isle, irrespective of the means of transport actually chosen.
Please note: The Observatory endorses a no-smoking policy throughout the building, including the use of e-cigarettes.
For more information on the Observatory and island you may want to look at the following websites: and