Shop Area Leads Program

Shop Area Leads are the primary point of accountability for the condition, maintenance, and member experience of their designated shop area. Leads are expected to be present, responsive, and follow through on commitments. This is a memberfacing role; maintaining a presence in the workspace and for members is key.  It is unreasonable that a shop lead can personally do every task, and so the Shop Lead must engage with the community to accomplish tasks and support Asmbly’s mission.

Time Commitment

General volunteers earn a free month of membership for twelve hours of volunteer work. Being a shop lead is an active role that requires consistent, meaningful contribution. Leads are expected to contribute considerably more than 12 hours per month, benefiting your space on an ongoing basis. As a shop lead, you'll be responsible for shaping both the physical shop area and the policies surrounding it. Without the "ear to the ground" that comes from consistent volunteer effort, it's hard to get a real sense of what's actually best for the space and the members who use it.

Teaching classes is not required and does not count toward lead duties. Leads are not on-call and are not expected to be in the space every day.

If you anticipate an extended absence or a period where you cannot meaningfully contribute, communicate that to the Facilities Manager proactively. A month without involvement and without explanation is a signal that this role may no longer be the right fit.

Responsibilities

Required

Presence & Maintenance

• Maintain a regular, active presence in your designated shop area, both physically and digitally
• Use your assigned Asmbly email address for all official shop area communications
• Lead or coordinate at least one public volunteer maintenance workday or office hours per month, promoted in advance via Slack, Discourse, and in-person. These must be scheduled at least one month in advance on the events calendar in coordination with the Membership & Volunteer Coordinator.
• Following each workday, post a brief recap to Discourse — what was worked on, who showed up, a photo if you have one
• You are not responsible for personally repairing all equipment. It is your responsibility to coordinate equipment repairs using the following escalation order: self, volunteers present in the space, Asmbly-wide volunteers, Facilities support
• Report all equipment problems through asmbly.org/problem and monitor the resulting ticket through to resolution as able

Safety & Hazard Control

• Ensure all areas of the shop are free of tripping hazards, materials, and debris
• Correct or escalate safety hazards when observed; do not leave known hazards unaddressed
• Conduct a visual safety walk of your shop area on each visit and address any hazards before leaving
• Report all safety incidents to the Facilities Manager the same day they occur, regardless of severity

Member Experience, Engagement & Shop Awareness

• Stay attuned to how your shop area is being used — persistent equipment issues, access constraints, layout friction, and member feedback are all worth noting and surfacing.
• Engage with members often. Encourage volunteership, community events, and camaraderie.
• When you observe members using equipment they do not appear to be authorized for, address it the same way you would want to be addressed — as a knowledgeable peer, not an enforcer. Leads are not expected to monitor every interaction in the space, but are expected to model and uphold Asmbly's standards; Lead by example.
• Monitor the Slack channel and Discourse category for your shop area and respond to or route member questions as appropriate
• Ensure Wiki pages for your shop area are current, particularly when equipment changes, authorization requirements shift, or policies are updated.

Purchasing & Budget

• Use an Asmbly Ramp card for shop purchases within your defined budget
• Obtain Facilities Manager approval before making any purchase outside your defined budget
• Bring high-value needs — tool upgrades, equipment replacement, space improvements — to the Facilities Manager with a clear recommendation and estimated cost. Flagged items remain the lead's responsibility until resolved or formally handed off.

Communication & Follow-Through

• Attend a majority of monthly leads meetings. If you will be absent, ensure your talking points are in the minutes document prior to the meeting and provide advance notice of any absences.
• Make every effort to respond to communications from staff, fellow leads, members, and non-members in a timely manner — silence is not an acceptable response
• Provide a status update on any open task or request within two weeks; communicate proactively if more time is needed
• Route interpersonal conflicts and formal member complaints to people@asmbly.org

Nice to Have - As Able

• Identify and recruit skilled members as potential stewards for your shop area
• Regularly onboard and train new stewards in tool maintenance; sign off on their first independent tasks before they work unsupervised - This would be a great thing to have happen at a workday or office hours (already captured as required above).

External Commitments, Tenure, Turnover and Rolling Off

Shop Area Leads are not required to serve indefinitely. This is a demanding role and it is expected that the Lead will communicate relevant external commitments that may hinder the responsibilities required. A lead may choose to step down at any time. Additionally, this role may be rescinded if expectations are not being met.

When stepping down from this role, provide adequate notice to the Facilities Manager and a brief written summary of the current state of your shop area such as open issues, pending needs, successor recommendations, and anything a successor would need to know. Return your Ramp card and Asmbly email credentials promptly. Leave the role in a better state than you found it. Whenever possible, hand-off the position directly to the next in line. This will set that person up for success.

Benefits

• Free base membership — No need to log hours like the Volunteer Program
• Free Ceramics Access with a shared shelf. Personal shelf space may be available at the normal rate discounted by base membership.
• Free classes — Take as many classes as you want for free
• Free loft storage