Summary of Position
The Retreat Coordinator is responsible for on-site administrative coordination of all retreat programs at Spirit Rock including residential retreats, multi-day non-residential programs, day-long retreats and drop-in programs. We are looking for an event professional with a background in logistical management and customer service. This role includes extensive public contact with practitioners, teachers and other staff members.
This is an on-site full time position. No remote work is available.
Qualified candidates who self-identify as a Black Indigenous Person of Color (BIPOC) and/or are part of the LGBTQI community are especially encouraged to apply.
Specific Responsibilities
Retreat Logistics
● Broad Skill Range: Pre-program and on-site coordination for over 100 programs which range in complexity/scope from a two-month residential retreat to a two-hour non-residential program.
● Communication and Technology: public speaking required (to the sangha). Professional phone, email and text communication required. Must be proficient in or able to quickly learn a variety of software and other IT systems.
● Logistical Planning: Planning all retreat details including, but not limited to, coordinating welcome and guest check-in, meditation hall set-up, teacher travel and housing needs, practitioner accessibility needs, special dietary needs, décor and musician coordination for special events and AV support.
● Team Collaboration: coordinate with teachers, facilities, kitchen and other Spirit Rock staff and departments as needed.
● Post-Retreat Needs: reporting including retreat debrief, volunteer report, teacher follow up, internal communications and financial tracking.
● Supervision: Train and supervise volunteer retreat staff; work with Spirit Rock’s Volunteer Coordinator on best practices in volunteer recruitment and supervision.
● Financial Management: Process and track donation income according to established Spirit Rock financial procedures.
● Office Management: Hold office hours during residential retreats and be available for teachers and practitioners for questions and administrative duties as assigned. Research and shop for retreat supplies as needed.
● Audio-Visual: Work with sound technicians as needed for retreats, benefits and special musical programs. Ensure dharma talks are recorded and uploaded to the appropriate cloud service.
● Hybrid Retreats: coordinate with Online Operations to execute retreat programs that are offered both onsite and online so teachers and practitioners have a quality experience regardless if they are in-person (on the land) or attending our retreat virtually.
● Maintain Retreat Center Beauty/Cleanliness: monitor the campus daily for cleanliness and organization, maintain organization of storage areas. Complete caretaker maintenance requests for needed repairs, supplies, etc. and follow up to ensure completion of request.
Teacher Engagement
● Logistics: Primary pre-program contact for approximately 100 programs yearly; responsible for ensuring teacher requests can be accommodated, including AV, room set-up needs, handouts and administrative duties as requested.
● Onsite Support: Be consistently available for the teachers, coordinate messages and schedules, perform retreat-related administrative office work including interview coordination.
● Marketing Support: Communicate enrollment to teachers and assist them in advertising programs to their distribution lists and social media outlets. Work with teachers at the end of their programs to help publicize their mailing list sign-ups and publications.
Service Perspective
● Quiet Support: Create and maintain an atmosphere conducive to teaching dharma retreats; graciously support teachers, participants and volunteers, create a welcoming and supportive container for retreats while staying on top of retreat details. Must have the ability to and modulate energy level and behavior attune to with the energy level of the retreat.
● Communication and Interpersonal Skills: required to collaborate and network with a wide variety of individuals including practitioners, teachers, vendors and stakeholders across the organization.
● Service-oriented: Ability to be patient, gracious and supportive in sometimes difficult and stressful situations; previous experience with intense customer service roles a plus.
● Calm under Pressure: ensure practitioners are cared for in emergency situations whether handled personally and/or with outside medical help as needed.
On-Going Meetings & Trainings
● Meetings: Participate in all required staff meetings including regular one-to-one with supervisor, monthly all-staff meetings, staff dharma sessions, annual staff retreat and other staff meetings as requested.
● Facilitate and lead meetings with teaching teams on residential retreats.
● Training/Emergency Preparedness: CPR/First Aid training every two years and all other health and safety training as required.
Qualifications
● Three+ years in event and/or retreat coordination. This role is suitable for a meeting and event professional with a background in hospitality and meeting management.
● Ability to juggle multiple tasks and remain detail-oriented.
● Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
● Flexible schedule: 4/10 hour day schedule, includes one weekend day each week (Tue-Sat or Sun-Thurs).
● Must be able to work some evenings and be flexible in scheduling to cover retreats as needed in accordance with the program calendar.
● On-site presence required to staff all retreats and events.
● Excellent skills in MS Office, Outlook, G-suite, Slack, and Asana at a minimum.
● Experience supervising volunteers at events is strongly preferred.
● Familiarity with a retreat center environment is preferred.
● Experience with Retreat Guru or other registration software is a plus.
● Familiarity with Spirit Rock meditation retreats and program offerings is a plus.