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Staff Vacancies

Join the team

Sunseed is run by voluntary staff members. Coordinators' contracts last for a year, while assistants come for 3 or 6 months (both can be extended). You will find the upcoming vacancies and the general work conditions below.
If you are interested in a certain position, please do apply as eventually it will be open.

Now recruiting:

Operations Coordinator

Sunseed is a non-formal education project for the transition towards sustainability that has been existing for more than 30 years and is now in the process of adopting a more inclusive structure inspired by sociocracy.
In this context, the goal of the Operations Coordinator is to have an oversight on the legal requirements, the finances and recruitment procedures of the project. The Operations Coordinator cooperates at the same time with other members of the Office Team to enhance inclusive decision-making, take care of people’s well-being and general project management.
Core Responsibilities
  • Devise and keep up-to-date a system of financial control, monthly reporting of expenses and income to staff and trustees.
  • Predict income and examine expenditure to identify areas where more resources are required.
  • Induct new staff, making sure everyone has the necessary information about how Sunseed works and their role in it.
  • Supervise bookings, arrivals, volunteer experiences and  general requests  together with the Office Assistant.
  • Manage legal documents including insurances, taxes, deeds, local facilities, contracts and agreements, etc.
Shared Responsibilities:
  • Liaise with the rest of the Office Team to manage the office, ensure the production of written reports and the high level of learning for all at Sunseed.
  • Have an overview of the operation of the project and departmental activities to inform staff in order to enhance collective decision making and short-term and long-term planning.
  • Monitor project well-being, and look to ways to enhance the Sunseed experience, supervising and supporting smooth running of the project, monitoring social sustainability and leading conflict resolution when necessary.
  • Supply regular reports to the Board of Trustees both in written form and verbally at Trustee meetings.
  • Represent Sunseed in the village and outside of Sunseed.
  • Collating all suggestions from the Sunseed community to inform the Annual Strategy.
  • Oversee Health and Safety and risk assessments with other coordinators.
Requirements:
  • Commitment to promoting low-impact living
  • Excellent organisational abilities and financial acumen
  • Good communication skills (including the ability to work as part of a closely-integrated team), confidence, sensitivity, patience and open-mindedness to work with all members of the group
  • Ability to set targets, identify priorities and monitor progress
  • Be highly flexible – willing to work ‘out of hours’ when needs must
  • Ability to delegate and supervise volunteers
  • Ability to live in a basic communal environment with limited resources and the desire to live and work closely with community members
  • Ability to document and evaluate work
Desirable Skills:
  • Previous knowledge of NGO administration
  • An understanding of organisational structures, particularly non-hierarchical organisations and those in the third sector
  • Good spoken Spanish and English (and/or other European Language) 
  • Experience of Health and Safety issues

Ecosystem Restoration Coordinator

Work in the Ecosystem Restoration Department department is very varied and challenging. Historically, the project has focused on the study of both native and exotic plants adapted to semi arid environments. Nowadays, the department´s objectives are focused on environmental education, conservation and regeneration of local vegetal communities through sustainable and respectful methods. We look for techniques that allow and encourage the development of local vegetation and of long-term increases in biodiversity and stability.
The department’s priority is to educate and teach visitors and volunteers about the semi-arid environment, its plants and processes, give environmental education, explain the geography and ecology of the surroundings and teach low-tech methods in Eco system restoration.
Technological limitations means that adaptability and originality are necessary factors when designing experiments and projects of action. The department has basic facilities which include a library of past records, a seed bank and a digital herbarium in development.
Core responsibilities:
  • Implement and monitor a management plan for land restoration while fighting erosion, drought and restoring vegetal cover of the land.
  • Maintain a low-tech tree nursery, ensuring the appropriate production of trees and shrubs for use in the drylands development.
  • Incorporating volunteers into the work and methodology and development of their own projects to satisfactory completion.
  • Writing and supervising the production of reports, documenting larger projects, preparing projects proposals, producing literature.
  • Maintain tools, instruct on their proper use and apply safety rules
Other responsibilities:
  • Maintain and build walls, paths, steps, fences and boundary markers.
  • Use low impact, sustainable methods of composting, safe wastewater management and erosion control.
  • Vegetation management including planting, pruning and harvesting.
  • Keeping clear records of the boundaries of our various parcels of land, of their geology, hydrology and plant cover, and of how they are changing over time.
  • Communicating our aims to a wide audience, online, in the village and elsewhere.
Requirements:
  • Experience and knowledge of drylands management, land resoration, water management and/or any related areas.
  • Tolerance of hard physical work in hot conditions.
  • Ability to lead and motivate volunteers, who range from those with a wealth of experience to those with little or none.
  • Ability to work in co-operation with other departments.

Communication Coordinator

Communication Coordiantor is responsible for developing the public face of the project to volunteers, local schools, potential donors, the media and other organisations. The posision involves ensuring that the information we put out is consistent and attracts new people to visit and fund the project. The work is diverse and wide ranging and includes scope for new ideas and input depending on the skills and knowledge of the coordiantor.
Key tasks
  • Producing Sunseed e-newsletters
  • Maintaining and developing Sunseed’s website, social media profiles and other web presence
  • Producing other publicity materials such as posters, postcards, fliers and information as needed
  • Ensuring all project documentation is up-to-date and consistent in style
  • Ensuring that as much as possible Sunseed literature is in both English and Spanish
  • Approaching both Spanish and English media (magazines, websites, radio, TV etc.) regarding possible features, articles and broadcasts about Sunseed
  • Advertising the project cost-effectively
  • Helping to organise and publicise special events such as courses, guided tours and open days with the Education Coordinator
  • Helping to organise Sunseed events
  • Maintaining and building Sunseed’s relationships with local, national and international networks
  • General office support as needed

Requirements
  • Commitment to promoting low-impact living
  • Good organisational abilities
  • Good communication skills, including ability to work as part of a closely-integrated team; and the confidence, sensitivity, patience and open mindedness
  • Graphic design experience (PS / AI / IN)
  • Own laptop with software installed
  • Proven experience engaging with a diverse audience
  • Ability to set targets, identify priorities and monitor progress
  • Ability to live in a basic communal environment with limited resources and the desire to live and work closely with group members
  • Ability to document and evaluate work
  • Initiative and imagination and a sense of humour!

Desirable skills
  • Knowledge and experience of platforms such as Mailjet and WordPress
  • Social media, copywriting and digital communications experience a strong advantage
  • Media/PR experience
  • Previous knowledge of NGO administration
  • An understanding of organisational structures, particularly non-hierarchical organisations and those in the third sector
  • Previous work experience with volunteers ideally in a support role
  • A strong affinity with Sunseed’s vision and mission
  • Good spoken Spanish and English
  • Clean driving license if over 26 years of age

Eco Maintenance Coordinator

In line with our philosophy, we recycle and reuse materials wherever possible and make as much use from locally available materials such as river stones and caña (a locally growing cane). We are increasingly trying to incorporate more ecological building materials into the traditional method of building.
The responsibilities of the Maintenance Coordinator include supervision of the volunteers who are keen to help with the building work, often having more enthusiasm than skills, as well as the application of clear Health and Safety standards. There are also many opportunities to offer new ideas to improve the running of the project and working with other departments.

Core Responsibilities
  • Assisting and supervising volunteers in carrying out tasks
  • Building maintenance and improvements
  • General repairs to roofs, floors, doors, etc and basic plumbing installations    Plastering, painting and finishing with a lime wash
  • Tools and materials supervision
  • Applying Safety rules
  • Instructing on proper tool use
  • Ensuring unsafe tools are not used
  • Maintaining and repairing tools
  • Safe storage
  • Coordinating materials use

Requirements
  • Experience and knowledge of building skills including plumbing repairs, plastering, painting, carpentry, masonry, joinery, etc.
  • Tolerance of hard physical work in hot conditions
  • Ability to organise work schedules
  • Ability to lead and motivate volunteers, who range from those with a wealth of experience to those with little or none.
Desirable Skills
  • Experience of Ecological building
APPLY NOW

Upcoming vacancies:

Organic Gardens Assistant (Jul '19)

Specific techniques in horticulture are required to work the terrace system, irrigated by an irrigation channel that dates back to the Moorish era. The project currently cares for twelve gardens which produce a wide range of food crops such as tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, garlic, broad beans etc as well as herbs and fruit.
The role of the gardens are:
  1. To provide food for the project
  2. Education and research
  3. To improve environmental integration by maximizing the cycling of our waste materials.
Our gardens are run according to strict organic principles. Careful soil management is especially important because of the type of soil (alkaline) and the effects of flood irrigation. Our soil is maintained using compost made on site and local manures. No artificial chemicals are used, neither to increase fertility nor combat pests.

Working in the gardens is always popular with volunteers (therefore the Organic Gardens Assistant needs to be able to work and communicate effectively with a wide range of people) and simultaneously learn from our current Gardens Coordinator. The period of appointment in this role is for 6 months.

Core Responsibilities
  • Planning and production of vegetables and fruit
  • Using a mixture of methods such as crop rotation, companion planting, intercropping
  • Planning sowing and transplanting times
  • Plant propagation
  • Preparing beds
  • Fruit tree care
  • Soil Management
    • starting and maintaining compost heaps
    • crop selection
    • mulching
    • irrigation techniques
  • Nutrient Cycling
    • managing humanure
    • storing and using urine
    • preparing liquid feeds from local plants
  • Pest Control
    • using and developing organic methods for prevention and treatment of pests and diseases
Requirements
  • Good working knowledge of different horticultural practices based either upon academic study, practical experience, or a mixture of both
  • Ability and drive to do physical work in a wide variety of weather conditions including heat in summer, and rain/cold in winter
  • Ability to self-organise and motivate others

Appropriate Technology Coordinator (Aug '19)

The Appropriate Technology department coordinates the maintenance and improvement of community infrastructure, technologies and services at Sunseed. The two key areas are sun and water: renewable electricity generation and consumption, solar water heating, and solar cookers, water service provision, maintenance of the ram pump and
overseeing of the water distribution system.
The coordinator supervises volunteers in choosing and carrying out project work and may run courses. The coordinator also oversees the appropriate technology workshop, using recycled and found materials to solve problems in a low tech and innovative way. Consultation with other departments on issues of materials, new and existing technology and applications is a vital part that AT plays in the project as a whole.

Core responsibilities:
  • Improvement and maintenance of community technologies and services
  • Electricity generation and consumption
  • Water service provision and consumption
  • Maintenance of ram pump and distribution system
  • Overseeing the water sharing scheme
  • Solar water heating
  • Space heating and fuel production and consumption
  • Maintaining and encouraging the use of the solar cookers at Sunseed
  • Overseeing the appropriate technology workshop
  • Instructing volunteers and staff
  • Maintaining tools and equipment
  • Sorting and acquiring and storing materials
  • Ensuring safety
  • General departmental responsibilities
  • Running a department in a busy project
  • Advising and working with other department coordinators
  • Planning and monitoring a departmental budget
  • Assisting and supervising volunteers in choosing and carrying out project work
  • Documenting completed work
  • Planning work to fit in and around other departments and the projects general activities
  • Contributing to courses run at Sunseed
  • Conducting tours of the department, the project and the local area
  • Overseeing volunteers in the department
  • Maintaining up to date information in the library and department files
  • Production of written materials in the form of reports, leaflets, web pages, articles etc.
  • Maintenance of existing exhibits and displays, and the production of new ones

Requirements:
  • General background in engineering, mechanics and technology
  • Design skills of low technology solutions
  • Experience in some of the following: plumbing systems, pumping, heating, storage, electronics and electricity, woodworking with manual and power tools, metalworking, welding, foundry, photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, water turbines, biofuels, solar heating.
  • Teaching and demonstrative skills
  • Planning and direction of projects
  • Ability and interest in working with recycled materials
  • Interest in Appropriate Technology, its importance in the world and its role in the development of a sustainable lifestyle
  • Ability to work with others, encouraging contributions from people with less experience or knowledge
  • Ability to accept advice from people with more knowledge, experience or abilities

Education Coordinator (Mar ’20)

The Education Coordinator is responsible for developing the overall educational aspect of Sunseed Desert Technology for volunteers and staff, as well as connecting to networks, potential funding sources, other organisations and educational institutions and individuals on a local, national and international level. This position involves close collaboration within the Office Team and all other Coordinators to ensure that Sunseed’s development as an educational center of experiential/informal learning, through the delivery of successful educational experiences, both internally and externally, is met. The work is diverse and wide-ranging, depending on the skills and knowledge of the successful candidate.
Responsibilities:
  • Support the successful completion of the European Voluntary Service programme
  • Facilitation of paperwork and other aspects of internship programs e.g. Erasmus+
  • Researching educational strategies, activities and programmes
  • Networking with local education institutions and projects
  • Making and maintaining relationships with Universities, student associations and other educational groups, etc.
  • Represent Sunseed in public events, such as talks and conferences
  • Organize educational activities such as courses, workshops, open days, external visits, school visits, group visits, guided tours, seminars
  • Develop and oversee a working mentoring system for volunteers and staff at Sunseed
  • Encourage the development of monitoring and evaluation of activities and learning processes
  • Encourage the participation of staff members in courses and seminars for their further skill development

Other responsibilities:
  • Maintaining and improving signs around the project
  • Conducting tours and giving information to visitors
  • Organising activities for volunteers within the education department 
  • Monitoring and recording internships and feedback forms
  • Maintaining files of important contact information on different organisations/networks, materials etc. and ensuring they are properly archived
  • Writing blogs and articles related to the educational activity at Sunseed
  • Researching and writing grant applications to funding sources
  • Organising fundraising events
  • Ensuring that all interns and long term volunteers receive Sunseed certificates

Requirements:
  • Commitment to promoting low-impact living and environmental education.
  • Confident in public speaking, workshop delivery and facilitation with young people.
  • Initiative and creativity to explore new opportunities, networks and ideas.
  • Excellent communication skills, including ability to work as part of a closely-integrated team; patience and open mindedness to work with all members of the Sunseed community in a non-hierarchical organisational method
  • Excellent spoken English and Spanish

Sustainable Living Coordinator (Apr ’20)

The Sustainable Living department coordinates the smooth running of Sunseed’s low-impact lifestyle. The department ensures that all visitors contribute to it through shared cooking and household duties. The department is central to educating all volunteers in everyday low-impact, sustainable living and bringing awareness to the no chemical policy. The Sustainable Living Coordinator implements the Sunseed Food Policy to ensure an ethical, healthy, vegetarian diet. It is a very broad role involving many different tasks and getting to the core of community life, keeping the focus on the importance of an integrated and environmentally-aware lifestyle.
Core responsibilities:
  • Household
    • Overseeing the smooth running of Sunseed’s low-impact household
    • Orientating the volunteers on their arrival and educating them in low-impact living
    • Organizing the accommodation and the communal area
    • Supervising hygiene, health and safety, cleanliness, tidiness
    • Publishing and updating rotas, notices and routines
    • Implementing and encouraging no-chemical policy
    • Making organic soap and toothpaste
  • Food Management
    • Overseeing the implementation of the Sunseed Food Policy
    • Promoting solar and energy-efficient cooking
    • Overseeing the SL assistant in the smooth running of the kitchen and food storage
    • Preserving excess produce from the gardens
    • Foraging wild plants and promote their use
    • Processing olives and almonds
    • Baking bread
Other responsibilities:
  • Organizing Sunseed’s presence at local markets and festivals
  • Documenting and evaluating work undertaken

Organic Gardens Coordinator (May ’20)

Specific techniques in horticulture are required to work the terrace system, irrigated by an irrigation channel that dates back to the Moorish era. The project currently cares for twelve gardens which produce a wide range of food crops such as tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, garlic, broad beans etc as well as herbs and fruit.
The role of the gardens are:
  1. To provide food for the project
  2. Education and research
  3. To improve environmental integration by maximizing the cycling of our waste materials.
Our gardens are run strictly according to organic principles. Careful soil management is especially important because of the type of soil (alkaline) and the effects of flood irrigation. Our soil is maintained using compost made on site and manures. No artificial chemicals are used, neither to increase fertility nor combat pests.

Working in the gardens is always popular with volunteers (therefore the Gardens Coordinator needs to be able to work and communicate effectively with a wide range of people).

Core Responsibilities
  • Running a department, advising and working with other departments in a busy project
  • Planning and monitoring a departmental budget
  • Assisting and supervising volunteers
  • Documenting work done
  • Monitoring crop yield
  • Planning work to fit in the projects general activities
  • Tool safety, instructing on proper tool use, ensuring unsafe tools are not used
  • Liaising with staff and trustees as required, including regular written reports
  • Liaising with other organic growers and organisations
  • Planning and production of vegetables and fruit on irrigated terraces
  • Using a mixture of methods such as crop rotation, companion planting, inter-cropping
  • Planning sowing and transplanting times
  • Preparing beds and some tree care
  • Greenhouse Management
    • Propagating plants under cover etc
  • Soil Management
    • starting and maintaining compost heaps
    • crop selection
    • mulching
    • proper irrigation techniques
  • Nutrient Cycling
    • managing humanure
    • storing and using urine
    • preparing liquid feeds from local plants
  • Pest Control
    • using organic methods for prevention and treatment
  • Innovation and Research
    • Trialling and developing effective gardening techniques to meet local conditions
    • co-operating with other departments to trial research projects
    • supervising innovative volunteer projects
  • Education and Documentation
    • Running and contributing to Sunseed courses
    • Conducting tours of the department
    • Overseeing volunteers projects
    • Maintaining up to date information
    • Production of written materials in the form of reports, leaflets, web pages, articles etc
    • Supervision of placement students and working visitors
    • Incorporating volunteers into the work and methodology and development of their own projects to satisfactory completion
  • Administration
    • Writing and supervising the production of reports, documenting larger projects, preparing projects proposals, producing literature
    • Inter-departmental co-operation
    • Work as a team to ensure the smooth running of Sunseed
Requirements
  • Experience and knowledge of all aspects of organic growing
  • Tolerance of hard physical work in hot conditions
  • Ability to lead and motivate volunteers, who range from those with a wealth of experience to those with little or none
  • Ability to work in co-operation with other departments

Required skills:

  1. Commitment to Sunseed’s vision, mission and goals

  2. Commitment to environmental stewardship and social change

  3. Willingness to share knowledge and ideas and encourage learning, teaching and community integration

  4. Ability to give short talks and guided tours

  5. Ability to be flexible, co-operative and welcoming to all visitors

  6. Ability to provide mentoring for visitors and supervise their projects

  7. Good communication skills, good spoken and written English

Desirable skills:

  1. Some knowledge of Spanish and willingness to improve language skills

  2. If over 25, a full driving license valid for driving in Spain

  3. Non-violent communication, sociocracy and facilitation knowledge

Benefits

Vegeterian food

Locally sourced mostly organic food included

Paid holidays

12 days of paid bank holidays per year

Amenities

Internet, cosmetics, detergents, library, etc. provided

Scenic landscape

Unique location within a natural reserve with a natural pool

Coordinator
€ 210

Monthly

APPLY
  • Contract of 12-36 months
  • Accommodation: basic single room
  • 2 paid days off a month
  • 150€ travel assistance at the end of each contract year
All staff are responsible for their own insurance and up-to-date tetanus jabs.
Assistant
€ 15 / 30*

Monthly

APPLY
  • Contract of 3-6 months
  • Accommodation: basic shared room
  • 40€ travel assistance at the end
  • 2 days paid holidays per month
*15€/month for the first 3 months, 30€/month afterwards. 

Committing to Sunseed 

Living at Sunseed as a community member means more than simply doing your job well. You will be expected to put your environment first and personal needs second.

You will be expected to take part fully in community life, relevant meetings and to assist in duties that are outside of your post like sharing communal duties such as cooking and cleaning, as well as setting a good example in areas such as enthusiasm, safe practices, punctuality and socialising.

All staff participate in the planning and implementation of tasks in their department and contribute to the overall longer-term strategic development of the project.

All staff are responsible for supervising volunteers and implementing the Health and Safety guidelines in all activities. This is of the utmost importance for staff involved in supervising unskilled volunteers in potentially hazardous situations.

All staff are expected to follow and oversee Sunseed’s mission and policies (vegetarian, no-chemical, no-drug), procedures (grievance) and agreements (communal).

Do you think you would fit in with the Sunseed team?