Seeking Ranch/Guest Services Manager for Housing Trade​

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Overview:  The Three Points Ranch (TPR) is seeking both a Ranch Hand and Guest Services Manager in exchange for on-site housing in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. TPR is a family-owned 540 acre ranch in Round Mountain, TX (15 miles from Johnson City / 8 miles from Marble Falls) that also serves as a vacation rental and wellness destination.  The ranch maintains a wildlife exemption valuation instead of an agricultural valuation, so does not currently graze cattle or other livestock on the property except two horses.  

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Roles: TPR is seeking to fill this position with an individual (or a couple) living on-site who can serve the following two primary roles: 

• Role 1 - Ranch Manager: perform ranch work duties needed on a weekly basis, which generally include grounds and facilities maintenance.

• Role 2 - Guest Services Manager: perform short-term rental guest communications and make-ready duties on a weekly basis, which generally include liaising with guests in-person and online, coordinating cleaners and other repair contractors, and generally serving as the on-site point of contact for guests and contractors.

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Timelines & Housing:  Currently (as of September 2024), there are three scenarios for filling this position in terms of the timelines and on-site housing that TPR can offer:

• Scenario 1 - Bringing your own RV / Camper:  For an applicant who already has their own RV or camper, we can offer a secluded spot on the ranch that includes existing hook-ups for power, water and septic.  This arrangement is available immediately, and can be offered on a short-term (minimum three months) or long-term basis – and can include transitioning to one of the alternate housing arrangements below.

• Scenario 2 - Housing in a TPR-owned RV: For an applicant without their own mobile housing, we can offer a secluded spot on the ranch in a compact travel trailer (e.g. an Airstream) that includes power, water and septic (or composting toilet).  This arrangement is available immediately, and can be offered on a short-term or longer-term basis – but would require transitioning to one of the alternate housing arrangements.

• Scenario 3 - Housing in a TPR-owned Mobile Home:  For an applicant interested in more traditional housing, the ranch will be able to offer a two-bedroom, 1.5 bath home (1,000 square feet) in the coming months.  This arrangement is estimated to become available by January 2025, and we expect this will be the best housing trade for this position over the longer term.  This housing option is centrally located and close to but separated from the guest rental facilities area.  

 

This is a unique opportunity for an individual or couple with both land/facilities management and guest services skills who have a love for nature, wildlife and the outdoors – and who have separate income stream(s) and/or part-time occupation(s) (e.g., part-time remote workers or students, artists, etc.).  While the expectation should be that this will be for a set amount of regular work in exchange for housing, TPR is in a position to compensate for hours above the monthly trade hours at a negotiated rate as needed.

 

Requirements (non negotiable): 

• Must be able to work a set number of hours per month with relative weekly consistency–i.e., spreading monthly hours over the weeks of the month.

• Must be able to lift at least 70 pounds

• Must have a valid driver’s license and US work authorization.

• Must live on the premises in order to care for the two horses and be available as an emergency contact when guests are on the premises. Please note: the ranch is usually rented on weekends.  

• Must feel comfortable feeding horses and like working outdoors.

• Experience with general landscaping (e.g. raking, weed-eating, mowing, trimming, pruning)

• Good people skills, judgment and general trouble-shooting abilities. For example, someone comfortable responding to wildlife issues (like a snake sighting) or handling/escalating a maintenance issue when guests are on the premises.

• Good written skills and computer skills in order to navigate our website software and reply to questions about reservations.

• Must be available to respond to guests via phone on weekends when they are on the premises to answer any questions and troubleshoot issues with owners.

• Must maintain an overall calendar of upcoming reservations and schedule housekeeping accordingly.

• Good working knowledge of fire safety and other hazard safety (e.g. ability to be proactive in minimizing risks of fire and other electrical and weather-related hazards that might arise).

• Ability to operate a full-size pickup (the ranch vehicle for trash hauling, etc.) and tow an average size flatbed trailer if needed.

 

Recurring Weekly Duties (8 hours per week):

• Hauling trash in ranch pickup to the dumpster weekly (~30 min per week)

• Checking in guests (usually Fridays), guest communications, and performing make-ready duties (~2-5 hours per week)

• Feeding and monitoring 2 retired horses when owners are gone (30 minutes per day/average of 4 days a week or more)

• Landscaping depending on season (chopping and stacking wood, mowing [Zero-Turn or push mower], raking leaves, trimming/weed-eating, watering tree/shrub plantings) (~2-4 hours per week)

• Checking & maintaining troughs/tanks for needed algaecide treatments, filter cleaning, tank cleaning, etc. (~30 min per week)

• Bicycle maintenance (checking/airing tires, lubing/greasing, replacing damages tire tube, etc.) (~30 min per week)

• Recurring weekly/biweekly/monthly tasks like Airstream maintenance (airing tires, door greasing, screening, etc.) for rental area, changing HVAC air filters, filling water softeners, etc. (~1-2 hours per month)

• Troubleshooting issues with guest spaces that involve performing or escalating urgent repairs with contractors (the most frequently arising issues involve blown fuses or circuit breakers, and door handles/locks sticking)  (~30 min per week)

• General road and gate maintenance; ensuring visibility and positioning of reflectors and signage; ensuring gates are operable; ensuring sides of roads and passing areas are mowed (~1 hour per month)

• Maintaining log/photos of qualifying wildlife management activities as needed  (~1 hour per month)

 

Preferred skills:

In addition to meeting the non-negotiable requirements above, the ideal person will also have experience with some of our preferred skills (below), but these are not required. More paid hours may be available should the applicant have any of the additional skills below:

• Experience in social media outreach and/or marketing

• Basic carpentry, plumbing, and/or electrical knowledge

• Fence repair and/or basic ironworking and welding

• Basic small equipment maintenance and repair (e.g., maintaining mowers and trimmers, power tools, and generators; ability to replace filters/carburetors, etc.)

• Basic vehicle maintenance (e.g., batteries, tires, and fluids on ranch truck, Polaris, tractor, golf cart)

• Experience with brush clearing and chainsawing (hand clearing)

• Basic bicycle maintenance and repair (e.g. ensuring tires are inflated to correct range; cleaning and lubricating chains; repairing/replacing bike tires or inner tubes, etc.)

• Tractor work (shredding/mowing, disking, grating roads)

 

Salary/Trade Offer:  

• The final offer of trade will depend on the housing scenario, starting with roughly  8 hours per week of work in trade in the scenario of bringing / providing your own RV and only needing the space and utilities hook-up.  Up to $100 per month in electricity is included, and there are no charges for water or trash.

• Additional (paid) hours over the monthly trade will also likely be available and negotiated and paid hourly based on experience.

• A full-size 4WD ranch pickup is available when necessary for ranch work (hauling brush, moving equipment, etc.), or mileage can be tracked and reimbursed for ranch errands should you wish to use your own vehicle.

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How to Apply:

• Email us at handy@threepointsranch.com, including a short resume summarizing your most relevant skills and experience, along with a brief note describing your interest in this arrangement (essentially, how and why this could work well for you and anything else we should know).

 

Diversity Statement:

All are welcome at the Three Points Ranch, and on our team.  We strive to make people of all walks of life feel welcome here throughout our work culture, values, hospitality, and learning.  And expect anyone we partner with to do the same.  

 

Timeline: We will accept resumes and notes of interest on an ongoing basis until the right person is identified.  The start date is negotiable, but ideally we’d love to have someone start no later than November 1, 2024 (or sooner).

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