GA Position with Housing, Utilities, and Stipend

The East Carolina University Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies (RCLS), in partnership with Oakmont Baptist Church (OBC) of Greenville, NC is pleased to announce a twelve (12) month Graduate Assistantship position for the 2018-19 academic year.

Graduate Assistant (GA) Job Description:
The GA will work under the supervision of the OBC Senior Pastor and/or Director of Missions in a Community Center Coordinator position for Oakmont Square Apartments. The OBC owns Oakmont Square and operates the 112-unit community with two primary objectives:

1) Provide safe, affordable housing to working-class citizens and families, and

2) Use the apartments as a hub of ministry by attending to the spiritual, educational, vocational, and medical needs of this community.

To achieve these, the Community Center Coordinator lives on site as a resident of the community, develops neighborly relationships with the residents, and assists with the coordination and delivery of activities.

Specifically, the Community Center Coordinator will:
• Model and invite persons to engage in spiritual formation that is compatible with the mission of OBC;
• Build relationships with the residents served in the surrounding community, OBC members, and community resource partners;
• Provide a compassionate and servant-leadership presence, recognizing the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the community;
• Assist the Oakmont Community Center (OCC) Visioning Team and the OBC Missions Team with developing strategic and operational plans for delivering support and services;
• Assist with raising awareness of community needs to the appropriate community resource partners and church membership;
• Plan and implement summer camp activities for 2-4 hours Monday through Thursday each day for 3-4 days per week;
• Assist in the mentoring of children, middle schoolers, and teens living in the Oakmont Square community;
• Assist with compilation and organization of OCC activity records; and
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The GA will also be expected to communicate and coordinate with programs and individuals, including parents, volunteers, OBC members, and OBC staff. The GA will represent the collaborative relationship between Oakmont Baptist Church and the ECU Department of RCLS. Thus, the ideal candidate will regularly exhibit professional behavior and positive contribution to Oakmont Square residents and OCC participants.

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have:
• Demonstrated experience in organizing tasks, projects, resources, volunteers, or events.
• Demonstrated skill in building relationships with various populations and organizations.
• Strong Excellent communication skills in written and oral format.
• Work or volunteer experience in a non-profit or faith-based environment with a background in ministry, social work, counseling, or education.
• 1st year graduate students are preferred to provide continuity for a potential 2nd year appointment upon recommendation by the OBC Director of Missions following a superior year one performance evaluation.

The candidate is preferred to be admitted and enrolled in the Recreation Services & Interventions Masters Degree Program (or other related masters program in the College of Health & Human Performance) at East Carolina University. Candidates with other degrees will be considered.

The ideal candidate should have personal and spiritual maturity, moral integrity, and be able to articulate a specific call, passion, and ability to work directly with poor and socio-economically marginalized persons in a setting that is compatible with the mission of OBC.
Prior to employment, the GA must be approved through the OBC Working with Minors Policy and a criminal background check. The GA is expected to work approximately 20 hours per week and may include some late evenings. The agency will be flexible with regard to the GA’s class schedule and will be agreed upon between the GA and the OBC Senior Pastor and/or Director of Missions. The GA should work with their Graduate Program Director to attempt to avoid critical OBC times of Monday and Tuesday afternoons.

Compensation:
The GA salary is $7,500.00, fringe benefits, and a partially furnished apartment at Oakmont Square with utilities ($8,040.00 value). The apartment unit is provided to individual hired for the duration of the 12- month contract. The 900 sq. ft. 2-bedroom apartment includes: 1 ½ baths, central heating and air conditioning; all electric appliances including dishwasher and garbage disposal; free water, sewer and basic cable services (DSL service is available from Suddenlink); wall to wall carpet, window mini blinds and covered concrete patios; outdoor swimming pool; centrally located laundry facility; partially furnished with furniture (kitchen table and chairs; sofa, 2 small tables, bookshelves in den; queen bed, dresser, chest of drawers, and night stand in master bedroom; twin bed and dresser in second bedroom; and basic kitchen dishes, pans and
utensils). For more information about the Oakmont Square Apartments and the Oakmont Community Center, visit http://atthesquare.org/.

The work period is August 16, 2018-August 15, 2019. The GA is able to exercise some of the ECU holiday breaks, with the exception of breaks that conflict with critical service periods for the Oakmont Community Center and Oakmont Square. The GA will be required to receive approval for time off from the OBC Senior Pastor/OBC Director of Missions.

Application Procedures:
Interested candidates should email an attached letter of interest (which includes a rationale for your interest in the position, the OBC partnership, and the Oakmont Community Center), resume, and contact information (name, address, phone, and email) for three references to Dr. David Loy, loyd@ecu.edu, and Ms. Jimmie Hughes, jimmie@oakmontchurch.com .

For questions, please contact Dr. David Loy, 252-328-2718. Screening of applications will begin July 1st, however the position is open until filled.

About the Partnership:
For more information about the OBC, visit http://oakmontchurch.com/. The Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies at ECU is comprised of 17 faculty in the disciplines of Recreational Therapy and Recreation & Park Management. For more information about the Master of Science Degree in Recreation Services & Interventions, visit http://www.ecu.edu/cs-hhp/rcls/graduate.cfm.

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