Vegan Retreat Kitchen Relief Cook

Southern Dharma; North Carolina; On-site; USD 23,000 - 32,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Room and board

Mileage reimbursement

Retreat sessions

Quiet kitchen during retreats

Job summary

Southern Dharma Retreat Center in North Carolina is seeking a Relief Cook to prepare and serve two meals a day for 25-40 diners, mostly vegan with some egg/dairy options. The role is a temporary, on-site contract with a pay rate of $20/hour, plus mileage and potential room and board while on-site.

The ideal candidate is an adaptable self-starter with strong communication, attention to detail, and the ability to manage time and maintain a quiet, respectful kitchen during retreats.

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.
• 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

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

Skills

ServSafe certified

Vegan meal prep

Gluten-free meal prep

Time management

Recipe reading

English communication

Diversity & inclusion awareness

Retreat industry experience

Buddhist teachings knowledge

Multi-day retreat experience

Job description

Southern Dharma Retreat Center in North Carolina is seeking a Relief Cook to prepare and serve two meals a day for 25-40 diners, mostly vegan with some egg/dairy options. The role is a temporary, on-site contract with a pay rate of $20/hour, plus mileage and potential room and board while on-site.

The ideal candidate is an adaptable self-starter with strong communication, attention to detail, and the ability to manage time and maintain a quiet, respectful kitchen during retreats.