The Preceptors’ College is recruiting…
We are looking for an Order Member to join us some time between December – February to replace Akasajoti who has been the College Assistant for the last five years. This first role we are recruiting is full-time and will hold primary responsibility for the Preceptors’ College and play a supporting role with the International Council.
We’re also keen to hear from anyone who might be interested in joining the team in the future. We intend to recruit a second executive assistant with primary responsibility for the International Council at the end of this year, to take up the post early 2025 when Arthavadin will step down.
If you’re interested in one of these roles, or contributing to this team into the future then you can read a bit more about the context below and get in touch with Akasajoti at triratnapreceptorscollege@gmail.com to start a conversation. Please express any interest in the role of Executive Assistant to the Preceptors College before 17 October.
…for an Executive Assistant…
The role of executive assistant involves a very enjoyable interplay of service and initiative: this requires a high-level of receptivity and listening to the vision, thought and leadership of the College and IC Members, combined with a capacity to intuitively and intelligently digest and synthesise the information. This informs the strategic visioning of agenda-forming and programme planning, includes the secretarial support of scheduling and minute-taking, and carries forward into the creative work of communications, reporting, proposal-writing, and other outputs. We’re envisioning that each of these Executive Assistants will take primary responsibility for one project, and play a supporting role in the other.
It could be a possibility for either or both of them to live at Adhisthana, which we would encourage, as they will benefit from the supportive conditions of a shared project and more immediate contact with each other, as well as other key responsibility holders with whom their work overlaps. This would be a boon to these internationally-oriented roles where so much of the work is conducted remotely.
Each member of the team will be financially supported to live simply and give themselves fully to the altruistic project of serving our spiritual community and making the Dharma available in the world. This will also include eight weeks of annual leave and a retreat allowance, as well as national insurance, pension contributions, and order dana.
…creating a team of vital importance to Triratna.
In 2024 after 10 years of existing within the charity structure of Adhisthana, a new charitable organisation (CIO) has been established for the Preceptors’ College and the International Council, recognising that Adhisthana has evolved to the point where it makes sense for these projects to function as independent entities. The Preceptors’ College and International Council will continue to hold their key meetings at Adhisthana and we will maintain a close and mutually supportive relationship.
The intention for the new CIO is to create a clear organisational structure for the Preceptors’ College and the International Council in order that they are able to fulfil their distinctive but related purposes in effective and harmonious relationship with one another.
The Chair of the Preceptors’ College is also the Chair of the International Council and its Steering Group, though has historically delegated this role to a Convenor. We’re moving to integrate the staff of both bodies in order to create a team who can share resources, information and expertise and work more efficiently and effectively to fulfil their common purpose.
The structure of this new team reflects more accurately the flow of responsibility, replacing the roles of College Secretary and International Council Convenor with a pair of full-time Executive Assistants, who will support the membership of the Preceptors’ College and International Council, and their core and ancillary meetings - including fulfilling the role of convening the International Council, delegated by the College Chair. These roles carry much more responsibility, creativity and influence than standard secretarial support and we hope the change in structure will reflect this. They will be further supported by an administrator and book-keeper (part-time), and work closely with Mahamati as incoming College Chair, his Deputies, and the other members of the International Council Steering Group.
It is of vital importance to Triratna that we have a well-resourced team serving these central institutions enabling them to offer leadership and support unity across our international Sangha. Over the next five years we would love to be able to take more creative initiative and be of greater benefit in responding efficiently to the needs of our Order and community and the wider world. If you are an Order Member or training for Ordination and can imagine contributing your skills to our shared project – in the areas of communications, facilitation, fundraising, governance, database and systems development, and more… – on a short-term or long-term basis, voluntarily or otherwise, please be in touch.