Relief Cook

Classification: As-needed, non-exempt, temporary, contract based

Compensation and Benefits: This is a temporary and ad-hoc hourly contract position. Pay rate is $20/hour, plus mileage reimbursement if coming from off-site. If staying on site, room and board is available while working. There is also the possibility of being able to participate in retreat sessions when the schedule allows for it.

Job Summary: The Relief Cook is supervised and scheduled by the Retreat Center Director. 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.

This position is based on the needs of the retreat center. During longer retreats, our full time kitchen staff need support in order to have time off and maintain a healthy work life balance.

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 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 “Relief Cook” 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.

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Southern Dharma is committed to creating an inclusive community of individuals of different backgrounds, gender identities, races, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages.