NVO Gerlach Residence Assistant Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The Gerlach Residence Assistant Manager facilitates staff check-ins, assigning beds to incoming personnel, and coordinates the placement of staff RVs and travel trailers throughout the Burning Man Event Cycle. This role assists housing dispatch with the intake, coordination, tracking, and real-time monitoring of all incoming communications to ensure smooth operations.
 

This is a temporary, full-time, non-exempt role, based in Gerlach, NV running from July to October, 2026.

The deadline to apply for this role is 5:00 pm Pacific on Friday March 13, 2026.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Logistics (55%)

• Assist in facilitating the overview of the trailer fleet.
• Assist with the check-out and check-in of serviceable trailers to ensure that no problems are overlooked for post-season.
• Maintain clear communication with the Housing Dispatch Lead to ensure schedules are up to date and obligations are met.
• Oversee the Dispatch crew in conjunction with the Gerlach Residence Manager.
• Assist in positioning trailers in Gerlach according to existing layout, power grid, and emergency response plans.
• Ready Burning Man owned trailers for safe and reliable travel between Burning Man properties, and to and from Black Rock City.
• Arrange for the streamlined handling of staff trailers and placement of portable living units once on site in Black Rock City.
• Communicate with the DPW Power Team to ensure that all power infrastructure is placed and ready for use, and obtain clear instruction on safe methods for properly commissioning power service to housing units both in Gerlach and on playa.

Maintenance (20%)

• Evaluate the condition of each housing unit and create written documentation of all required repairs.
• Assess, troubleshoot and rectify a variety of problems associated with trailer living including, but not limited to: basic plumbing, propane, and electrical systems.
• Ensure general maintenance and repair of staff RVs and trailers (e.g. filter replacements, door knob replacements, key loss, window replacements/fixes, air conditioner troubleshooting).
• Oversee the procurement of specialized parts and equipment needed to perform repairs and upkeep to staff trailers.
• Anticipate, stay current of, and track the use of materials and cleaning supplies; place pre-season requests and orders for replenishment as necessary.
• Ensure the safe living condition of housing units at all times by monitoring for harmful substances including mold, animal waste, and water impurities, and verify the presence of effective carbon monoxide detection and fire prevention equipment.
• Anticipate repair needs; submit MaintainX request to the maintenance team for the assessment and remedy of issues relating to electrical, structural, and mechanical components of staff trailers.
• Oversee end of year processes to adequately prepare all mobile housing units for winter storage; capture details of any repairs that will be needed in the spring.

Team Management and Support (20%)

• Assist in assembling a team and the hiring process of the crew. 
• Maintain clear communication regarding hours with crew members; ensure that hours are reported by weekly deadline.
• Create and actively manage daily and weekly work schedules for the Housing team. 
• Coordinate and plan for daily department meetings ensuring that times and locations are shared in advance. 
• Be aware of the atmosphere within the crew. Communicate any concerns regarding social climate and /or protocol to the Gerlach Residence Manager.
• Know, share, and use the proper pathways of communication for escalating personnel issues. Learn how to and, as needed, create proper supporting documentation regarding such matters.

Documentation and Tracking (5%)

• Learn and effectively use and update existing online systems and documents (e.g. inventory and maintenance spreadsheets, time tracking logs etc.).
• Keep a basic inventory of all parts, tools, shop equipment, and other necessary maintenance items.
• Provide written feedback to the leadership describing the successes of the season and areas in need of improvement to improve overall efficiency and suggestions.  
• Submit receipts and any expense reports, ensuring forms are complete and submitted on time.

Other Functions and Responsibilities (5%)

• Attend required staff meetings.
• Familiarize yourself with, and act in accordance with, Burning Man’s staff policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the NVO Housing Manager or the Gerlach Residence Manager.

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

• Clearly and concisely communicates verbally and through written correspondence. Experienced and comfortable with using 2 way radios.
• Honest and ethical with a dedication to the Burning Man principles and behavioral standards.
• Reliable, fulfills obligations
• Open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in daily tasks.
• Able to accept feedback and remain calm and focused under pressure.
• Maintains a respectful and polite demeanor, providing services with care, and offering thoughtful acknowledgment and accommodation of requests. 
• Sensitive to others' needs and feelings, understanding and helpful.
• Inspires, motivates and encourages a collaborative work environment.
• Strongly analyzes and takes a creative approach to new thinking on old work.
• Effectively manages own time, the time of individual team members, and the efforts of the team as a whole.
• Instills and applies order and cleanliness to the work environment and pays careful attention to detail in the handling of important information.
• Working knowledge of Google products (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive) and Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Must be physically fit and able to lift heavy objects (minimum 50 pounds) safely and willing to get dirty.
• Must be able to follow directions through to task completion.
• Easy-going, able to switch from project to project quickly and easily.
• Able to work in an extreme environment including drastic temperature changes, high winds, and low to no visibility at times.
• Willing to live in Gerlach full time.

Preferred

• It is helpful if the candidate has previously been to Burning Man and/or is familiar with its culture.
• Experience in working as a caretaker 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 pay rate for this position is $1100 per week.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Off-playa:  Work is primarily sedentary but will also 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.  Some 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.
• On-playa:  This role has no playa responsibilities.

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.