Programs & Communications Manager 

Retreat Center Programs & Communications Manager
Southern Dharma Retreat Center, Hot Springs NC

Southern Dharma Retreat Center offers rustic and intimate teacher-led retreats grounded in Buddhist practice traditions with a unifying thread of meditation, contemplation, and silence. 

To apply: Send cover letter and resumé to director@southerndharma.org.

 

We are currently seeking a Retreat Center Programs & Communications Manager (P&C Manager) to join our community beginning on March 1, 2026. The P&C Manager is responsible for all aspects of retreat-related logistics, center marketing and communication and reports directly to the Retreat Center Director (RCD). This position collaborates closely with the RCD for Program Operations, and provides support to Southern Dharma’s RCD and Executive Director (ED) in the broader communications and marketing areas.

Programs Duties & Responsibilities:(75% time)

• Builds strong working relationships and communications with the Retreat Center Director, Executive Director, and all retreat center staff
• Supervises Retreat Managers and/or acts in the role of Retreat Manager when identified by Retreat Center Director: including selection, training, scheduling and on-call advising
• Participates in the selection and mentoring of on-site residents and volunteers
• Manages logistics-related communications with teachers and teaching assistants before and after retreats, including retreat schedule planning. (Final retreat schedule approval resides with the RCD and ED)
• Collaborate with the RCD to coordinate on-site and online retreat planning and organization, and ensure timely processing of all retreat-related tasks including: set-up, arrival and check-in, orientation, closing announcements, dana (voluntary contribution) instructions and processing, and check-out
• Creates and manages on-site team schedules to ensure seamless retreat support, ability to cover shifts in all operational areas as needed
• Manages general inquiries and feedback from teachers and retreatants, responds to concerns with kindness and compassion. Escalates and de-escalates issues as needed.
• Assists with some day-to-day accounting tasks associated primarily with dana collection and fundraising
• Supports online registration and donation management platform functions
• Establishes programs-related operations procedures and recommends changes to policies to ensure staff, retreatant and teacher satisfaction
• Maintains and updates relevant online databases
• Completes general office-related tasks
• Supports and protects silent retreat environment
• Participates in daily staff meditation practice

Communications Responsibilities:

• Collaborates w/ the Executive Director to write, edit, & send monthly newsletters via Mailchimp
  • Should go out to public monthly
  • Draft reviewed/edited by E.D.
• Other email campaigns via Mailchimp, e.g.,
  • Planned Giving
  • Renovations
  • General Announcements
• Social Media review and management
  • Facebook and Instagram through Meta Business Suite; Also LinkTree
  • Designs images and flyers through Canva Pro account
  • Post a minimum of 1x/week, including when:
    • Retreat titles/descriptions are announced
    • Retreat registration opens
    • There are open spots for different retreats (~once every quarter)
    • Introduction of new teachers
    • Pictures from sangha events - work retreats / community lunches
• Solicit/write blog posts (lower priority)
• Website maintenance/adjustment via WordPress to maintain and improve content & collaboration w/ site management company
• Manage info@southerndharma.org email inbox
• Contribute to creating blog content, social media posts, and external communications

 

This is a full-time (40 hours/week) salaried position that includes on-site room and board, paid leave, support for retreat attendance, and medical, dental and vision insurance. Your schedule will allow for significant flexibility in the scheduling of time off. Scheduling of days off, paid leave, and any additional unpaid leave shall be at the discretion of the Retreat Center Director and will be subject to the needs of the organization.

Compensation: A bi-weekly salary of $1,575.20 plus room and board (estimated value of $950 per month) for 11 months and benefits as described below.

Benefits: 

• Full premium paid in group health insurance plan (Blue Cross Blue Shield NC), including dental and vision coverage; 
• Paid Time Off (PTO): 15 days, plus Thanksgiving and 3 floating holidays per year; 
• Participation in ongoing staff training opportunities;
• One complimentary Southern Dharma retreat of up to 5 days per calendar year;
• On the anniversary of each full year of service in a full-time staff position, employees are awarded $1000 toward expenses associated with attending one pre-approved retreat at any location of their choosing;
• Quarterly retention bonus for full-time staff: $200 after the first full quarter of service, increasing by $100 per quarter until a maximum bonus of 2% of quarterly salary is awarded for all quarters of full-time service thereafter;
• Employees accrue ½ day of post-employment retreat time per month of employment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 2 or more years of proven leadership experience
• Basic knowledge of Buddhist teachings and practice
• Multi-day meditation retreat experience, ideally in a number of different practice traditions
• Desire to live in intentional community with fellow practitioners and a commitment to personal development
• Strong management skills, ability to appropriately assign or delegate work and authority to others
• Ability to set daily and weekly priorities for on-site staff team
• 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
• Computer skills, including knowledge of the Google Suite, Quickbooks Online, retreat booking platforms, and/or video conferencing software
• 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: Experience in financial accounting, external communications tools, and/or personnel supervision
• Preferred: Conflict resolution skills and knowledge of NVC (nonviolent communication) tools