Full-time Position - Sexton/Caretaker

Parish Caretaker (Sexton) Position Starting Immediately

St. Paul’s Anglican Church, downtown in The Grand Parade is looking to hire a Parish Sexton to service both the church building (1749 Argyle St.) and the Parish House (1706 Argyle St.) across the street, (both interior and exterior).

The successful applicant will be able to work independently, be adaptable, have a positive attitude, and have some physical agility to effectively carry out necessary duties (i.e. climbing up steep stairs to the Bell Tower to ring the bell occasionally, receive shipments of supplies, take full garbage bags across the street, etc.). They will be meticulous with their cleaning skills, take pride in their work, and have no issue following directions. Finding pleasure in the art of cleaning comes naturally to them, and a willingness to follow instructions is understood to be a healthy part of teamwork. The Sexton reports to the onsite Rector and Parish Administrator for day-to-day operation issues and questions and reports to the Parish Executive for administrative and contract issues. The Sexton will receive training.

DUTIES

Duties will include but are not limited to:
i) vacuuming, sweeping, spot removal, dusting, polishing, washing some dishes occasionally, keeping the washrooms clean, interior washing of windows on the main level only in the church as well as interior of 1st/2nd floors of Parish House (across the street).
ii) ensuring that the pew books are tidy and resting in an organized fashion (ready for Wednesday 11am Eucharists and Sunday 10am Eucharists)
iii) assisting with preparing for services under the guidance of the Rector and the Chancel Guild
iv) doing outside clean-up of garbage and pulling of unsightly weeds around both properties weekly as well as lawn-mowing.
v) noting any repairs required of both properties and reporting them immediately to the Parish Office; who in turn contacts the Property Assistant for further instructions.
vi) minor maintenance (not requiring an outside contractor) such as replacing light bulbs, tightening screws on railings and other “small jobs”
vii) be prepared to do extra shovelling and salting of the front steps when necessary because of snow and/or ice occurring later in the day. (An outside contractor does this only once in early morning.)
viii) removing garbage from both buildings and ensuring that the bags are in the proper location (across the street) every week for pickup by outside contractor
ix) opening/closing of buildings and arming/disarming alarms when necessary
x) adjusting thermostats and lighting when necessary
xi) setting up/taking down folding tables/chairs for scheduled church functions/meetings and spot-checking those items when the function/meeting is over before putting them all away
xii) providing necessary services related to weddings, funerals, memorials, and other events
xiii) occasional ringing of the church bell. Preferences will be given to candidates who can be available for Wednesday Eucharist services as well as climb up the steep/narrow stairs to ring the bell for church services and special events when required.

xiv) assisting the Rector’s Lunch Team with directing guests in/out (Wednesdays noon – 1pm)
xv) carrying out such other duties as may be assigned from time to time such as purchasing cleaning/repair supplies for reimbursement by St. Paul’s.
xvi) preference will be given to applicants with WHMIS certification, or to those willing to obtain WHMIS certification (https://safeandcertified.com). St. Paul’s will pay the fee for the general certification if the applicant doesn’t already have it. St. Paul’s will also pay for St. John’s Ambulance First Aid/CPR course if the applicant does not have already.

HOURS
This position pays for 35 hours/week (5 days/week: 1 hr per shift unpaid for breaks = 30 minutes lunch and two 15-minute breaks), Tues-Sat. (Sunday and Monday are days off) St. Paul’s priority is having a clean/tidy/prepared Chancel and Nave for 11am Wednesday Eucharists (Communion Services) and 10am Sunday Eucharists. St. Paul’s also has community events occasionally. Shifting hours to accommodate special events is also appreciated.

WAGE
The position pays $21/hr with a yearly review on the anniversary date of hiring. At this time, cost-of-living raise may be implemented, pending a work review by the hiring committee.

AVAILABILITY and ATTITUDE
The Sexton must have a cell phone for efficient communication with the Parish Office, Property Manager and Parish Executive. The Sexton should display a friendly manner towards other staff, visitors, tourists, guests, parishioners, and the general public. Gossip is not tolerated. Besides being an active house of worship, St. Paul’s is a National, Provincial and Municipal Historic site which attracts thousands of visitors yearly, mostly during Halifax’s Cruise Ship Season (Apr.-Nov.). Preference will be given to a candidate that has access to a vehicle since occasional errands may be needed (mileage would be compensated in these infrequent cases). Promptness and reliability are valued. A Chart of Weekly Duties is available to assist with time management.

VACATION
After one year of employment, the Sexton receives 2 weeks paid vacation and every year thereafter in lieu of vacation pay.

SICK LEAVE
There is no sick leave benefit for this position.

TERM
This is a one-year contract. Renewal will be at the discretion of the Rector and Parish Council. The first six months of the contract is a probationary period. The Sexton may terminate the contract at any time by giving the Parish one month written notice of termination. The Parish may end the contract under the same terms.

Please send your resume with relevant experiences along with a
Cover Letter stating your reasons for wanting this position to office@stpaulshalifax.org.
Non-family references will be required and checked.
A Criminal Records/Vulnerable Sector check will be paid
for by the parish upon hiring.

Thank you for your interest.

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