Kingdom Job Opening - Kingdom Seneschal
Seneschal Atlantia
Kingdom of Atlantia – Job Opening – Kingdom Seneschal
My warrant as Kingdom Seneschal of Atlantia is coming to an end this May at Crown Tournament. It has been a rewarding 4 years in this job, despite the ups and downs inherent with it. I’ve heard it said that Kingdom Seneschal is the hardest job you’ll ever love. And it’s true. But as much as I have loved being such an integral part of the Kingdom, it is time for me to step down and have someone else take over.
The Kingdom Seneschal position is a very busy and very important position to hold. I won’t lie to you, there is a LOT of work that gets done behind the scenes that most people don’t see.
As Kingdom Seneschal, you are the legal representative of the Kingdom. You will work closely with the Crowns of Atlantia and the Kingdom Great Officers, as well as with the branch seneschals and the Society Seneschal.
The position of Kingdom Seneschal is complex and can move very quickly. Most of the time, Kingdom Seneschal duties can wait until your daily check-in time. Occasionally, though, urgent issues overtake your day-to-day; candidates should have a strong support network to help out on such days.
A slow week might be 5-7 hrs, responding to email from the Crown, other Kingdom Officers, the populace, or the Society Seneschal. An average week is closer to 12-15 hrs, with multiple issues needing attention and back & forth communication, sometimes needing research, often needing a review of Corpora/ Society Seneschal Handbook/ Atlantian Law/ Atlantian Seneschal Handbook before replying.
A busy week can spike to as much as 20+, depending on what’s added to an average week. I have had weeks when I had a meeting each evening. I’ve had weeks with no meetings.
Necessary Skills
Confidentiality – you will see and hear many things that cannot be passed on to anyone else.
Empathy – You have to be able to sit and talk with people having issues and empathize with them. Their problem may not seem like a big deal to you, but it does to them.
Listening – You MUST be a good listener. You will be doing a lot of it. Most people today listen to reply, not to understand. You have to listen to understand. Pay attention to the problems people will bring before you.
Strong communication skills. – You will be talking with everyone from the SCA President, members of the BoD, the Society Seneschal, the Crowns, the Heirs, the Landed Baronage, and sometimes the people who just joined the SCA yesterday.
Managing and deescalating conflicts and personalities – You will be called on to mediate conflicts between people who are passionate about their side. You’ve got to be able to balance strong personalities and keep the situation calm.
Time Management skills – Multitasking is a MUST!
Teamwork – the Kingdom of Atlantia Great Officers of State and the Crown/Heirs work together as a TEAM. We all have the best interests of the Kingdom in mind. We discuss situations, do a little brainstorming, and as a team, come up with a plan.
Duties of the Kingdom Seneschal:
· Curia (prep, the meeting itself, follow-up).
· Training sessions/office hours with branch seneschals (usually in 2 hr blocks)
· The announcement of a new Board policy
· Compiling a complex sanction package for the Board
· Strong communication skills are essential.
· Oversee sensitive sanction investigations
· Says “no” (sometimes) to your friends, especially the Crown or Heirs
· Manages conflicting personalities
· Communicate policies multiple times, in multiple venues, for different audiences (branch seneschals, Kingdom officers & Crown, general populace)
· Skills in paying close attention to details and multitasking are essential.
· Interprets Corpora and Atlantian Law, and understands where Kingdom authority ends and Society Seneschal authority begins
· Oversee a quarterly reporting system
· Coordinates with other Kingdom officers as needed, particularly the Exchequer
· Checking valid memberships of entrants into Crown Tournament
· Investigating complaints, either yourself or a trusted investigator, and deciding what if any sanctions need to be issued. Sometimes, all you can do is file the complaint away until a pattern emerges. Other times, the issue will require a discussion with the Crown about issuing sanctions against someone.
The application period opens on January 22, and letters are due by the end of day on March 8. The installation of the new Kingdom Seneschal is scheduled for May 2, 2026 at Spring Crown Tournament.
Once the decision has been made by Their Highnesses in mid-late March, I will begin to work with the KSen-elect to train them on what all needs to be done.
Letters of Interest for the position should be sent to Their Highnesses ( trh {at} atlantia.sca.org ) and to the Kingdom Seneschal ( seneschal {at} officer.atlantia.sca.org )
If anyone has any questions about the job and the duties, please feel free to reach out to me at seneschal {at} officer.atlantia.sca.org .
It’s a tough job, it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.
-Cian, Kingdom Seneschal.