Construction Fellow

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville (“Habitat”) is a cutting-edge non-profit housing and community development organization creating simple, decent, affordable homes in partnership with low-income families, volunteers, and the communities of the Greater Charlottesville region. We are advocates, promoting innovations and policy solutions designed to increase the affordable housing supply across the communities we serve. Home construction capacity is multiplied by a volunteer labor force including homeowner families, corporate, civics, and faith groups. Habitat is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International (“HFHI”), a global ministry working to end housing poverty worldwide.

In 2013, Habitat completed construction at Sunrise, the first trailer park transformation in the nation without resident displacement. Currently, Habitat is redeveloping the Southwood Mobile Home Park with similar objectives. Southwood is the area’s largest single concentration of affordable housing and its greatest remaining redevelopment opportunity. When complete, the redeveloped Southwood will be unprecedented in scale nationally. Habitat has also partnered with the Piedmont Housing Alliance and the City of Charlottesville to purchase the Carlton Mobile Home Park. In the short term, our plan is to manage the park responsibly while helping residents develop the collective capacity to be leaders in the eventual redevelopment of the property into a mixed-income community without resident displacement.

Habitat is a national pioneer in mixed-income community development. To date, Habitat has contributed to 12 mixed-income neighborhoods and built and sold almost 400 homes.

Success as a Construction Fellow (CF) means bringing energy, professionalism, and pride in craftsmanship to residential home construction projects while fostering meaningful relationships with Habitat’s Partner Families and Volunteers.

CFs work closely with each other, as well as Volunteers, Crew Leads, Project Leads, and Project Managers, to contribute directly to affordable housing projects that strengthen our local community. Through this collaborative work, CFs gain training and hands-on experience in key residential construction areas, including framing, siding, drywall hanging, painting, trim carpentry, and flooring.

Beyond the build site, CFs will have opportunities throughout the year to connect with Habitat staff and stakeholders across the affiliate. These touchpoints offer insight into the many facets of affordable housing, including volunteer coordination, family support, fundraising, community engagement, and project management, giving Fellows a deeper understanding of how all parts of Habitat’s mission work together to make safe, decent, affordable housing possible.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Daily Responsibilities:

• Assist teammates with executing the morning safety plan with teammates to maintain a safe jobsite.
• Assist teammates with keeping jobsites clean, organized, and hazard-free.
• Assist teammates in completing daily logs (via Procore)
• Communicate with teammates to ensure materials, tools, and PPE are available when needed and
• secured appropriately at the end of each day.
• Perform construction tasks confidently and safely under guidance.

Professional Development Opportunities:

• Engage in discussions related to residential home construction to strengthen teamwork, leadership,
• and problem-solving skills.
• Participate in activities that provide insight into Habitat’s program and operations, such as:
• Volunteer engagement
• Family support
• Community outreach
• Resident-led design

The Construction Fellows will be primarily in the field day in and day out with our volunteers and Partner Families. While prior construction experience is a plus, no construction experience is required. What we are looking for:

• Positive, “can do” attitude that creates positive first for volunteers and Partner Families
• Enthusiastic approach to learning from, and participation with, a broader team of staff and
• volunteers
• An ability to learn quickly and teach tasks effectively
• A core interest in affordable housing and Habitat’s mission
• A desire to work with others and contribute to a team atmosphere
• Previous experience working alongside volunteers in various capacities
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Experience with Google Calendar

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Prolonged periods of talking and being on your feet
• Must be able to lift up to 20-50 pounds at times.

In addition to the above, all staff members are expected to exhibit the following on a consistent basis:

• A dedication to an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to work
• Passion for supporting the organization’s mission and for maintaining programmatic excellence
• Proven success working with individuals of diverse backgrounds
• Ability to manage multiple projects and assignments simultaneously, often with competing deadlines
• Communication skills that allow for productive sharing, debate, and exchange of information and ideas, whether verbally or in writing