Kitchen Staff Member

Full Time Kitchen Staff Member
Southern Dharma Retreat Center

Application materials will be accepted on a rolling basis, position is open until filled.
Anticipated start date: March 2026.

Classification: Full-time on site non-exempt, residential

Compensation: This is a full-time (32-40 hours/week) hourly position that includes on-site room and board, as well as support for attending retreat sessions. Pay rate is $18.00/hour, with room and board (estimated value of $950 per month). Benefits as described below:

• Full premium paid in group health insurance plan (Blue Cross Blue Shield NC), including dental and vision coverage, starting when approved by insurer;
• Paid Time Off (PTO): 18 days, plus Thanksgiving per year; 
• The work year goes from March 15 through January 7, with a winter respite from early January to mid-March; benefits continue year-round;
• Transferable voucher for 7 complimentary retreat nights at Southern Dharma per calendar year;
• On the anniversary of each full year of service in a full-time staff position, employees are awarded $1,000.00 toward expenses associated with attending one pre-approved retreat at any location of their choosing;
• Employees accrue ½ day of post-employment retreat time per month of employment;
• Participation in ongoing staff training opportunities.

Job Summary: Kitchen Staff are supervised and scheduled by the Kitchen Manager. Duties  include preparation and service of 2 meals a day, and other tasks associated with maintaining and organizing the kitchen. 

Our ideal candidate is an adaptable self-starter with the ability to take initiative and prioritize tasks and must have superior communication and interpersonal skills. This individual will also possess high attention to detail and the ability to resolve issues in a timely manner. Recognizing that it takes time to become comfortable with any new position and environment, the first quarterly review will focus on discerning whether the employment situation is a good fit for both the employee and Southern Dharma. Of primary importance is the candidate be able to commit to protecting an environment of silence in the kitchen during retreats

Winter Respite:
This position is anticipated to begin March 15 at the earliest. The retreat center closes for Winter Respite each year from the first week of January to mid March. During that time, benefits are maintained for full-time employees, but in that window staff do not remain onsite and are not compensated.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepares and serves balanced vegetarian lunch and dinner meals according to the retreat menu. Most meals are vegan with some optional egg and dairy side dishes. Meals are prepared for 25-40 diners.
• Sets the serving table with attractive table linens, appropriate serving utensils, and ingredients lists for each dish
• Serves meals on time according to the retreat schedule
• Supervises dish cleanup and proper leftover storage
• Supervises food preparation tasks, including safe handling of food, cutlery, and related tools and equipment
• Oversees 1 hour silent working meditation periods for 2-5 retreatants who may have varying degrees of skill and experience
• Tracks food usage, food waste, and inventory
• Maintains a quiet, safe, organized, and clean workspace
• Completes other tasks and side work as directed by the Kitchen Manager
• We manage on-site operations with a small team; cross-training and collaboration is essential to the smooth operation of the Center. Other tasks may be assigned by other managers when not cooking during retreat.

Qualifications

• 1 or more years of ServSafe certified professional food service or equivalent experience preferred
• Experience preparing Vegan and Gluten-restricted meals
• Excellent time management skills and flexibility around scheduling
• Ability to read and interpret recipes
• Customer service experience
• Reading, writing, and oral proficiency in English required, must be comfortable with communicating with staff, retreatants, and teachers professionally
• Ability to handle stressful situations with kindness, calm, and focus
• Must be open to and have respect for diverse spiritual traditions and cultures
• Active interest in the integration of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion into the workplace and the Dharma teaching & learning ecosystem
• Preferred: Retreat/wellness/hospitality industry experience
• Preferred: Basic knowledge of Buddhist teachings and practice
• Preferred: Multi-day meditation retreat experience, ideally in a number of different practice traditions

Other requirements:

• Able to commit to protecting an environment of silence in the kitchen during retreats
• Willing to work weekends (March through New Year’s) 
• Willing to work a split shift (8:30am-12:30pm / 4pm-8pm)
• Willing to work and live cooperatively with a small community of resident staff, room and board.
• Register and complete ServSafe training within first 30 days of employment
• Must pass a criminal background check

Physical demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, handle tools or controls, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk, sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision.

Work environment:
Works in clean, well-lighted, heated and ventilated buildings. The employee occasionally works using ladders and in outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

How to Apply:
Send resume and cover letter to donna@southerndharma.org; include “Retreat Cook Full Time” in the subject line.

In your cover letter, please be sure to state why you are interested in this position and what gifts and talents you would bring to our workplace. We would also like to know about your background with Buddhist practice, meditation retreats, and/or your experience with communal living.