Assistant Operations Manager

Job Title:

Assistant Operations Manager (Full-Time)

Location:

Serenity Ridge Retreat Center, Shipman, VA

Reports To:

Operations Manager

About Serenity Ridge Retreat Center
Serenity Ridge is a values-driven Bön Buddhist retreat center located in the foothills of Nelson County, Virginia. Our mission is to provide a peaceful and supportive environment for contemplative practice, learning, and personal growth with an emphasis on the Yungrdrung Bön tradition of Tibet. We host retreats year-round and welcome a diverse community of teachers, guests, and volunteers.

Position Overview
We are seeking a highly organized, service-oriented Assistant Operations Manager (Full-Time, On-Site) to support the Operations Manager in the day-to-day functioning of Serenity Ridge Retreat Center. This role is essential to maintaining smooth operations across retreat programming, guest services, administrative systems, facilities coordination, and staff and volunteer support.

The Assistant Operations Manager works closely with the Operations Manager, staff, residents, and volunteers to ensure the Center runs with consistency, professionalism, and warmth. This position is well-suited to a candidate who is detail-driven, adaptable, and energized by supporting both people and systems in a mission-centered environment.

This is a hands-on operational role with meaningful responsibility and visibility. Serenity Ridge intends for this position to offer clear opportunities for growth and advancement within the organization for the right candidate.

Key Support Areas

Facility and Operations Support (30%)

• Support daily operational readiness of Serenity Ridge by maintaining strong communication and coordination across housekeeping, kitchen, and facilities teams.
• Attend staff meetings and, as delegated by the Operations Manager, communicate key updates related to retreat schedules, guest flow, facility repairs, and scheduled visitors.
• Track, document, and report maintenance, housekeeping, and safety issues in a timely and organized manner, escalating urgent items appropriately.
• Assist with weekly facility walk-throughs and inspections, identifying opportunities to improve guest experience, cleanliness, aesthetics, and operational flow.
• Support inventory monitoring, supply organization, and purchasing, ensuring key operational supplies are stocked and accessible.
• Maintain operations-related documentation and records to support continuity, training, and smooth handoffs between staff and volunteers.
• Participate in Volunteer Support Team and Council meetings, and support follow-up actions assigned by the Operations Manager.
• Support basic safety readiness by assisting with incident documentation and ensuring common areas remain organized, accessible, and guest-ready.

Retreat & Event Support (35%)

• Support the planning and execution of retreats, day-long programs, and events by assisting with logistics, preparation, setup, registration, guest flow, and post-event breakdown.
• Serve as a point of contact for retreatants and guests as needed, ensuring concerns are handled with professionalism, warmth, and clear follow-through.
• Assist with retreat registration systems and front-desk operations, including payment processing, participant check-in, and guest communication.
• Help coordinate volunteer work teams during and between events, providing direction, clarity, and task follow-through.
• Support third-party rental groups by assisting with inquiries, scheduling, communications, and guest readiness.
• Contribute to rental relationship-building and appreciation efforts to strengthen repeat bookings and community trust.
• Assist with local retreat promotion and marketing implementation, including flyer distribution, posting approved announcements, and supporting direct outreach to local sangha networks.
• Support post-retreat wrap-up by helping capture key notes (what worked, what needs adjustment) to improve future retreat execution.

Outreach & Community Support (15%)

• Support local outreach efforts that build awareness of Serenity Ridge in the surrounding region.
• Coordinate volunteer presence at community events (such as farmers markets and local festivals) in partnership with the Operations Manager and Community Team.
• Assist in building and maintaining relationships with local partners and aligned organizations.
• Support Serenity Ridge community gatherings and on-site community-building events (for example, Serenity Ridge Sundays), helping ensure smooth logistics and a welcoming experience.
• Maintain an outreach tracking log (contacts, events attended, outcomes) to support continuity and reduce repeated effort.

Administrative Support (10%)

• Support daily administrative operations by monitoring and responding to general email inquiries as assigned.
• Answer incoming phone calls and provide clear, professional information, routing inquiries appropriately.
• Maintain calendars, shared documents, internal reports, and operational trackers in Google Workspace.
• Support purchasing processes as needed,…