Facilities Manager

Live and work on site at this beautiful, remote, off grid location in northern NM. The Facilities Manager maintains the retreat center facilities and grounds in addition to supporting key aspects of our on-site operations. Gain experience in land & natural resource management, facility maintenance, retreat management, customer service and mindfulness practice. Applicants must be resourceful, responsible, caring, handy, have strong personhood and some property/land management experience. This position reports directly to the Executive Director. Job is shared with other facilities managers and runs during our open season from mid-April to mid-November. Applicants must be interested in living in a very remote, high altitude, off grid location during their work period.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensuring proper maintenance and function of irrigation, water/well, vehicles, solar system
• Maintaining all facilities (approx. 40 structures)
• Keeping a clean and safe environment for guests
• Driving guest shuttle on opening and closing day of retreats (30 minutes each way)
• Assisting retreat manager with timely guest response/communication
• Tree management in high traffic areas including collecting and ensuring enough firewood for operations (Experience with a chainsaw required)
• Monitoring propane use and coordinating refill logistics
• Conducting two weekly town runs (1-1/2 hours each way to transport laundry, food, trash, recycle, supplies, etc.)
• Monitoring trash, recycle and compost efforts
• Maintaining barbed wire fencing of the property
• Managing opening and closing of the property and facilities seasonally
• Coordinating volunteers when appropriate
• Assisting with guest orientation talk and work meditation job training for guests
• Anticipating and responding to guests needs and safety
• Maintaining medical kit and emergency supplies
• Trail maintenance and familiarity with trail system
• Point person for the emergency plan execution at the center
• CPR/Wilderness First Aid Certified or ability to acquire (required)

Requirements:

• Team oriented person with strong interpersonal skills while being comfortable working independently.
• Able to communicate mindfully, very flexible and adaptable to changing needs, ability to problem solve and be resourceful in a calm and effective manner.
• Welcoming disposition and ability to interact with guests with varying needs and expectations.
• Strong planning and organization skills due to our remote location.
• Good knowledge of the skills, equipment and materials needed to maintain the retreat center facilities and land in good working order. (using a chainsaw, tractor, generator, power tools, etc.)
• Willingness to learn – periodic training/resources provided on various areas of the practice and our value of deep welcome including race, gender, sexual orientation, and more.
• Scheduling flexibility is required.
• Position requires lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling up to 50 pounds or more.
• Emphasis on safety: Aptitude to learn, assess and refine safety policies and procedures.

Availability: We are looking for both seasonal and back up Facilities Managers, separately.

• Seasonal Facility Manager – this position start date is April 2020 with the opportunity for work Oct 2019.
  • 2 weeks on site end of April/early May for opening the center.
  • Retreat season is shared with another Facilities Manager in a mutually agreed upon schedule to allow for appropriate breaks (breaks are off-site).
  • 2 weeks on site late October/early November for closing the center.
• Back up Factility Manager
  • Attend 1-2 weeks on site end of April/early May for opening the center.
  • Back up Facility Manager during season as schedule needs (as little as a few days up to a few retreats)
  • Attend 1-2 weeks on site late October/early November for closing the center.

Benefits:

• We offer fair compensation as a W2 employee plus gourmet vegetarian meals and single occupancy heated accommodation. (Please note there is no electricity to any of the accommodations at Vallecitos.)
• Staff is offered one retreat per season at Vallecitos at no charge.
• Staff is invited to attend sits/talks during retreats when teachers allow.
• We cover the cost of approved training (CPR, Wilderness First Aid, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and more).

All interested parties please email a letter of interest to director@vallecitos.org. You must include:

• Why you believe you are an ideal candidate for the position
• If you have ever been to Vallecitos before or your connection to the organization
• Your related experience
• Your availability
• Your contact information

posted 9/5/19

Head Cook

The Retreat Head Cook is a seasonal, contract position in a beautiful remote wilderness retreat center. Our center is open from mid-May through mid-October. We employ multiple head cooks to share the season with only one head cook and one assistant cook scheduled for each retreat. The head cook position requires upfront planning as the center is far from any store or resources, runs entirely from solar power and there is no cell service. Most of the retreats are held in noble silence and all staff is required to respect this container by remaining silent anywhere that guests may be able to overhear. The kitchen/dining area is attached to the retreat space therefore noise travels easily from the kitchen to the meditation hall. It is an enriching practice that often brings us closer than the spoken word. This position reports to the Executive Director.

Head Cook Experience/Skills

• Experience and skill cooking in the restaurant industry or large-scale kitchen including safe knife handling, food safety and sanitation, minimization of food waste, order preparation and the ability to keep a clean inventory.
• Basic food safety course required for all cooks and can be found here. http://newmexico.foodhandlerclasses.com/default.aspx
• Experience cooking for special diets (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, soy free, etc.)
• Experience preparing orders for large vendors such as UNFI and Albert’s Organics.
• Experience using a host of local, seasonal produce for meals.
• Experience cooking in other retreat centers will be very advantageous.

Cooks Qualifications

• Must live in residence at the retreat center during work periods.
• This is a physically demanding position. Must be physically fit and able to lift up to 35+ lbs and perform various kinds of physical labor as part of job responsibilities.
• Ability to plan menus, order and cook for large groups of 15-50 people
• Excellent problem solving skills. Ability to “think on your feet.”
• Ability to communicate and work with diverse groups of people. Sensitivity to issues of race, gender, class and sexual orientation.

• Sensitivity to working with retreats that are silent and an ability to reduce noise coming from kitchen during these retreats.
• Must be able to adapt to an environment with very limited storage, no walk in cooler, single oven, must make effort to store food appropriately to eliminate waste
• Must keep a very clean environment to control pests
• Must be able to work well with others in a small team and able to direct an assistant cook and volunteers in a professional, kind, clear and compassionate manner.

Cooks Duties and Responsibilities

• Plan daily menus considering existing inventory and spoilage and preparing appropriate quantities to minimize excessive overage.
• Prepare and place food orders with VMRC Retreat Managers
• Coordinate with and provide direction to assistant cooks.
• Shop for food locally on occasion when not available from our vendors and coordinates with your next trip into the retreat center.
• Prepare and serve vegetarian meals for staff, retreat participants and group rentals including accommodation for special dietary restrictions.
• Prepare special diet foods and observe strict cross contamination protocol if there are guests in attendance with food allergies and sensitivities.
• Maintain food stores in the kitchen, pantry, teachers quarters and snack bar areas.
• Keep kitchen facility clean, orderly and safe for staff and guests.
• Regular check in with retreat managers to ensure smooth operations and address any needs that arise. Go through retreat manager to request volunteer help.
• Conduct kitchen inventories as needed.
• Conduct Work Meditation Job Training for vegetable chopping and food put away/dishwashing the first morning of each retreat.
  • Split into two groups, head cook instructs one, assistant the other, step by step. (Work meditation job instruction sheets available from the retreat manager and posted on site)
  • Plan for work meditation jobs each day (have vegetables ready for them to chop, be ready to leave so they can do dishes, assist first day only)
  • First night plan to do all kitchen work with the help of the volunteer as job training has not taken place yet.

• Observe respect for mindful silence, conducting kitchen work with the minimum amount of noise necessary.

• Attend staff meetings as needed.
• Have a sense of humor and be flexible!

Availability: 

• We staff this position from mid-May through mid-October. We employ multiple head cooks to share the season with one head cook and one assistant cook scheduled for each retreat. I work with all staff to create a schedule that is agreeable for everyone. We cannot guarantee a place to stay when it is not a staff members scheduled work period.

Benefits:

• We offer fair compensation as an independent contractor plus gourmet vegetarian meals and single occupancy heated accommodation. (Please note there is no electricity to any of the accommodations at Vallecitos.)
• Staff who work six retreats or more are offered one retreat per season at Vallecitos at no charge.
• Staff is invited to attend sits/talks during retreats when teachers allow.
• We cover the cost of approved training (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and more).

All interested parties please email a letter of interest to director@vallecitos.org. You must include:

• Why you believe you are an ideal candidate for the position
• If you have ever been to Vallecitos before or your connection to the organization
• Your related experience
• Your availability
• Your contact information

posted 11/22/19