We are seeking a dedicated and organized Operations Manager to support the daily operations of our retreat center. This role will involve assisting the Director of Operations in overseeing facility management, program logistics, staff coordination, housekeeping, hospitality and guest services. The ideal candidate will have a passion for mindfulness and wellness, excellent organizational skills, and a desire to contribute to a harmonious retreat environment.

**MUST have hospitality experience of at least 3 years to be considered for this position ( Events, restaurant, catering, hotel, resort)

Currently seeking a Retreat Chef to further our mission and manage the culinary vision and direction providing high quality, nutritious and creative culinary offerings.

The Retreat Chef will be responsible for ensuring that BBRC s culinary offerings are of the highest quality, conducive to meaningful, healing and transformative retreat experiences. They will lead and mentor the kitchen team to ensure meal service is well planned and run smoothly.

We are looking for a professional cook, with a catering background and passion for vegetarian cuisine being the best fit.

We are seeking a passionate culinary professional with interest in sourcing from our local Farmers Market and building relationships with farms and local purveyors.

We are seeking Retreat Cooks who will be responsible for ensuring that our culinary offerings are of the highest quality, conducive to meaningful, healing and transformative retreat  experiences.

Our retreat center cooks work collaboratively to prepare meals for all residential retreats, internal meetings and special events. They also train and supervise retreatants performing work meditations in the kitchen, and model behavior that supports mindfulness practice in the retreat environment. Please click below for a full job description and application.

Seeking a mindfulness practitioner with a culinary passion to help guide the BBRC team and create nourishing meals.  We offer work/life balance, discounted housing and great benefits. Perfect for those looking for a lifestyle change while continuing to grow professionally and personally. A full job description can be found at the link below. For more information please click apply or email paula@bigbearretreatcenter.org.

Seeking a mindfulness practitioner with a culinary passion to help guide the BBRC team and create nourishing meals.  We offer work/life balance, discounted housing and great benefits. Perfect for those looking for a lifestyle change while continuing to grow professionally and personally. A full job description can be found at the link below. For more information please click apply or email paula@bigbearretreatcenter.org.

Seeking an experienced cook to join our team. We’re looking for folks interested in growth, spiritual practice and being of service. Flexible schedule, discounted housing possible for the right fit and great benefits. Catering experience is a bonus.  For more information please click apply or email paula@bigbearretreatcenter.org.

Part-time or Full-time (on-site)
At Big Bear Retreat Center

Big Bear Retreat Center is currently seeking a Housekeeper to manage and improve the cleanliness of our properties, consisting of ±20 buildings and a guest capacity up to 100. The Housekeeper is responsible for executing and overseeing the consistent upkeep and cleanliness of Big Bear Retreat Center. This includes the properties both on and off campus.

This individual must have superior communication and interpersonal skills, a high level of attention to detail, cleanliness and follow through. Our ideal candidate is an adaptable self-starter with the ability to take initiative, prioritize tasks and maintain strict confidentiality.

Full-time (on-site)
At Big Bear Retreat Center

The Guest Services Manager is responsible for ensuring the guest experience for each retreat is exceptional and aligned with our mission at Big Bear Retreat Center (BBRC). You are a nurturer by nature, eager to help and ensure guests have everything they need to feel safe, comfortable and present at our center. You are as comfortable taking registrations or staffing a check-in desk as you are handling complex guest inquiries or last-minute changes. Your interpersonal and digital communication skills exude warmth, friendliness and patience. You are service- and safety-minded to the core, and graceful under pressure.

This role coordinates directly with the Program team to ensure a smooth retreat, from arrival to departure, and the Operations team to ensure the campus and accommodations are prepped and ready to go.

This role requires you to be primarily on-site at BBRC and may include housing as part of the compensation package, if required.

Full-time or Part-time (on-site)
At Big Bear Retreat Center

We are looking for someone who specializes in baking and making desserts with a willingness to help prepare savory food, if needed. This is a position that requires some creativity and independence. We are looking for someone who has a repertoire of baked goods and can bring fresh ideas into the kitchen. Vegan and gluten free knowledge is a huge plus.

The retreat center’s kitchen cooks with organic vegetables to prepare healthy, seasonally driven meals. This role is responsible for the preparation, cooking and plating of meals for groups between 15-50 people. Our small team also works together to maintain the cleanliness of the entire dining area. We work together washing dishes, mopping the dining room, unloading produce deliveries and keeping the kitchen clean and organized. This role may contribute to supporting the team and tasks of the center, including housekeeping and maintenance, depending on skills and motivation. There are plenty of opportunities to grow and learn at the center.

You will work closely with the Kitchen team, be a team player in the kitchen before, during, and after retreats, and may have some interaction with retreat guests.

This role requires you to be primarily on-site at BBRC and may include housing as part of the compensation package, if required.

On call, full-time (on-site) during selected retreats throughout the year
At Big Bear Retreat Center

(timing varies on specific retreats, typically 3 – 8 days)

Retreat Cooks at Big Bear Retreat Center work during selected retreats during the year, from 3-8 days (based on the calendar), to support the kitchen in preparing healthful and nourishing meals for guests. The retreat center’s kitchen cooks with organic vegetables to prepare healthy, seasonally driven meals. This role is responsible for the preparation, cooking and plating of meals for groups between 15-50 people. Our small team also works together to maintain the cleanliness of the entire dining area. We work together washing dishes, mopping the dining room, unloading produce deliveries and keeping the kitchen clean and organized. There are plenty of opportunities to grow and learn at the center.

Retreat Cooks primarily support during our Insight silent meditation retreats (typically 1 week long) to help prepare meals for meditation retreatants. There are also opportunities to sit portions of the retreat or attend dharma talks when not on shift. This is a wonderful opportunity for someone looking to deepen their practice while serving a community. Other types of retreats are also available, depending on the retreat calendar. 

Includes during retreats: hourly pay, meals, lodging, ability to attend part of the retreat, time in nature, and credit towards future retreats.

On call, full-time (on-site) during selected retreats throughout the year
At Big Bear Retreat Center

Summary:

Our successful Program Manager will ideally have experience working on a team and with dynamic scheduling. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, energetic, process-oriented and people savvy. They will enjoy working independently and collaboratively, be focused and able to juggle multiple priorities. The most successful candidate will be great at implementation and follow-through and have a pleasant attitude, even under challenging circumstances. This is a fun community that works hard and plays often.

InsightLA is looking for a Program Manager who is excited to join our passionate, dedicated team. We’re devoted to the transmission of mindfulness and Buddhist teachings in the form of classes, events, and retreats. We are uncompromising in our mission to support our community in their pursuit of self-transformation and connection with others.

insightla.org

Full-time, Part-time, or On-Call (on-site)
At Big Bear Retreat Center

We are looking for a Kitchen Assistant to join our team. The retreat center’s kitchen cooks with organic vegetables to prepare healthy, seasonally driven meals. This role is responsible for the preparation, cooking and plating of meals for groups between 15-50 people. Our small team also works together to maintain the cleanliness of the entire dining area. We work together washing dishes, mopping the dining room, unloading produce deliveries and keeping the kitchen clean and organized. This role will often contribute to supporting the team and tasks of the center, including housekeeping and maintenance, dependent on skills and motivation. There are plenty of opportunities to grow and learn at the center.

Full-time (on-site)
At Big Bear Retreat Center

Summary

Big Bear Retreat Center is currently seeking a General Manager to further its mission and manage the overall operations of our ±100-acre property with guest capacity up to 100.

The new General Manager will be responsible to ensure that BBRC is a safe, smooth-running, welcoming, and all-encompassing venue of the highest quality, conducive to meaningful, healing, and transformative retreat experiences. This is an amazing opportunity for an experienced, like-minded retreat or hotel manager to further the vision and provide the operational leadership to shape our future endeavors. This role requires year-round on-site management in a mountain setting at 7,000-foot elevation and includes housing.

Big Bear Retreat Center is an inclusive and accessible place for respite, healing, transformation, cross-cultural dialogue, collaboration, hope, and joy. We do this by offering a mix of silent Insight Meditation retreats, and by partnering with organizations supporting various communities including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, first responders and veterans, and mindfulness communities.

Seasonal (Summer) • Full-time (on-site)
At Big Bear Retreat Center
June through mid-August, 2022

Summary

Big Bear Retreat Center (BBRC) has four openings for our 2022 Seasonal Summer Staff Team. In the summer, we host an LGBTQI+ teen camp. Words cannot describe how amazing it is, so here’s this video to check it out. We make our healthy-ish food from scratch. Our property has hiking trails that border the national forest/land trust with miles to roam. Our staff has access to a hot tub for those cool summer nights. If all of this sounds good, and you’re on board to wash dishes and clean bathrooms for the summer, we will be excited to meet you!

And we’re not going to hold back, this is a dishwashing shift. You will also be responsible for taking out the garbage, cleaning up the bathrooms, sweeping decks, cleaning cabins and chopping onions. Why would you want to spend your summer doing this with us? You know that summer camp life is fun, enthusiastic, inspiring, and for some of us, nostalgic. This is a 2-month break from the stresses of the rest of your year. Your shifts will be 6-hours long, 6-days per week, and you’ll get to spend the rest of your time relaxing on our 90-acre property, hiking, going to the lake (10-minutes away), having BBQs and game nights with our team, and you’ll go to bed at night knowing that you’re supporting our guests having a great experience. No joke, lives are transformed here.

Our busy season starts in early June and ends in mid-August. We have staff housing available if you do not already live in Big Bear. Meals during camp are provided, and you’ll be cooking your own food dine out in one of  in between. One more important detail, we require staff to be fully COVID vaccinated, thanks for understanding!

**COVID-19 considerations: All staff are required to be fully COVID vaccinated and provide a negative PCR test before arrival**

Seasonal
At Big Bear Retreat Center

Remote (coming soon)

Summary

Seasonal Volunteers: This is a wonderful way to engage with Big Bear Retreat Center is as a Seasonal Volunteer. This is a great opportunity to stay at or near the retreat center and support our offerings. Opportunities and timing vary, check below (updated regularly). Typically we ask a 5-day minimum commitment for volunteers, unless otherwise specified.

This is a wonderful for someone that loves to be in nature, enjoys support in a retreat center environment, and is able and willing to help out where needed.

**Typically commitment minimum of 5-days**

Included for seasonal volunteers: is housing, meals during retreats, and access to the retreat center and all the hiking nature trails nearby.

Remote volunteers also available (details coming soon).

COVID-19 considerations: All staff, teachers and guests are required to be COVID vaccinated

For more, submit a volunteer inquiry.

During Retreats at Big Bear Retreat Center

Summary

Retreat Exchange Volunteers: Volunteers have the opportunity to support our in-person meditation retreats in exchange for attendance + room & board during the retreat. Contact the retreat manager for interested inquiries.

You can view a complete listing of our upcoming retreats on our RETREAT CALENDAR.

This is a wonderful for someone that loves to be in nature, enjoys support in a retreat center environment, and is able and willing to help out where needed.

**Typically commitment of the duration of the retreat**

Included for volunteers: housing, meals during retreat, registration to the retreat, and access to the retreat center and all the hiking nature trails nearby.

COVID-19 considerations: All staff, teachers and guests are required to be COVID vaccinated