Chef & Retreat Center Assistant (Denver)

We are a non-profit, entheogenic church that facilitates a synthesis of science and spirituality, psychology and shamanism. Our Level 1: Awaken journey is an 8-week program including 3 plant sacrament ceremonies with psilocybin mushrooms. Our Level 2: Heal journey is the same length with ayahuasca. Each has a comprehensive preparation, immersion, and integration program with workshops informed by the most celebrated psychotherapeutic, spiritual, and somatic techniques.

96% of our alumni share that this is the most transformative experience of their lives, often reporting levels of healing, self-empowerment, and growth that they have never felt before. We have guided more than 300 entrepreneurs and founders, including Fortune 500 executives, Silicon Valley unicorn founders, and leaders of major blockchains. We are advised by world-renowned psychologists, including the professor of spiritual psychology at Yale Medical School and top IFS trainers; and trained by the top practicing plant medicine shamans in the world.

About the Role

As a Chef & Retreat Center Assistant, you will play a critical role in supporting the retreat center by preparing nutritious meals and assisting in the day-to-day operations of the center. This role requires someone with culinary expertise, strong organizational skills, and a passion for supporting spiritual and psychological growth through service. The role will involve preparing meals, maintaining spaces, and assisting with retreat logistics.

Responsibilities

Culinary Support

Meal Preparation: Prepare communal meals for participants and staff, ensuring they are nutritious, delicious, and aligned with dietary preferences and restrictions.

Menu Planning: Create meal plans that complement the retreat experience, emphasizing organic, seasonal, and plant-based ingredients.

Food Inventory: Manage pantry and refrigerator inventories, ensuring that food supplies are fresh, well-stocked, and aligned with upcoming meal plans.

Grocery Shopping: Regularly shop for fresh produce and ingredients, focusing on high-quality, organic, and locally sourced items where possible.

Dietary Accommodation: Ensure all meals meet diverse dietary requirements (e.g., vegan, gluten-free), focusing on health, nourishment, and taste.

Kitchen Cleanliness: Maintain a clean, organized, and safe kitchen environment in compliance with food safety regulations.

Retreat Support & Center Maintenance

Space Preparation: Assist with setting up the retreat spaces before and during retreats, by arranging furniture, decor, and handouts ensuring all areas are welcoming, serene, and aesthetically aligned with the retreat’s purpose.

Daily Operations: Help with the general upkeep of the retreat center, including cleaning communal spaces, managing linens, and ensuring all guest areas are organized and clean.

Logistics Assistance: Support retreat managers in logistical tasks such as setting up retreat materials, managing inventory, and coordinating with contractors and cleaning staff.

Retreat Assistance: Provide direct assistance to the retreat facilitators during ceremonies, ensuring participants’ needs are met, and the environment is conducive to healing and spiritual development.

Community Engagement: Assist Sunday Service pot luck and workshops to involve the Ceremonia community.

Garden Management: Assist in maintaining the garden with meditation spaces, implementing sustainable practices and seasonal planting to enhance the retreat’s tranquility.

Qualifications

Proven experience as a chef or cook, preferably in a holistic or wellness-focused environment.

Strong understanding of various dietary needs and experience preparing meals for diverse groups.

Experience in hospitality, retreat centers, or customer service is a plus.

An independent and self-starting attitude, capable of taking initiative and managing projects from conception to completion.

Exceptional organizational skills, with a keen eye for detail.

Strong interpersonal skills, able to interact with participants, staff, and external vendors with kindness and professionalism.

An independent, self-starting attitude with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

A friendly demeanor, with the ability to maintain professionalism and boundaries in all interactions.

Alignment with Ceremonia’s mission and a genuine interest in supporting psycho-spiritual exploration and growth.

Details

Position: Chef & Retreat Centre Assistant

Location: Ceremonia’s Sacred Space in Arvada, Colorado

Salary: $1,800 per month + living work-trade

Type: Full-time with flexible hours

Work-trade

Ceremonia’s Sacred Space offers a transformative work-trade opportunity that combines comfortable living conditions with enriching professional experience. Participants receive a private room, have their food costs covered, and gain access to vehicles, an Airstream, travel trailers, and a variety of fun toys like e-bikes and camping gear. In addition to living benefits, the role involves apprenticing and serving in retreats, with Ceremonia hosting at least two retreats a month alongside numerous community events featuring renowned entities such as MAPS, Alex/Allyson Grey, Porangui, and Snow Raven.

Key Highlights:

On-site accommodation, with use of indoor pool, hot-tub and steam room.

Food costs are fully covered, removing financial concerns for meals.

Access to vehicles, including an Airstream and travel trailers for exploration.

A variety of equipment like e-bikes and camping gear for outdoor adventures.

Opportunity to apprentice and serve in retreats, gaining invaluable experience.

Participation in community events hosted by notable figures and organizations.

Working at Ceremonia

At Ceremonia, we are looking for creative thinkers who are inspired to a life in service of the awakening and healing of all. Our mission is to curate an environment that optimally empowers those who have bestowed their trust upon us to journey towards self-discovery and transformation.

We believe that our energy and intentions project out to the world. This includes both the light and the shadow. Working at Ceremonia is unlike working in any other organization: we get to do our own healing together in this family for ourselves and for those we serve. As such, we encourage a level of vulnerability, equality, and commitments that go beyond what you might have experienced in any other working environment. This is fundamentally a healing space and we seek to practice what we preach.

These objectives come from our Sacred Container document provided to all staff. This is what we seek to create:

Deep Diving: We create a sacred space conducive to profound introspection, encouraging participants to confront and navigate suppressed energies, memories, and traumas. This process paves the way for significant personal breakthroughs, catalyzed by the services we provide.

Empowered Transitions: We aim to guide participants through life transitions with a newfound sense of empowerment and clarity. Our structured environment fosters resilience and adaptability, enabling them to navigate these shifts confidently.

Impactful Transformation: Our purpose is to act as a beacon, guiding participants towards the most meaningful and enduring life transformations. The Ceremonia container is a transformative chrysalis designed to foster self-growth and personal evolution.

Harmonious Alignment: Our ultimate objective is to aid our participants in achieving a profound alignment of their body, mind, and spirit. By providing a harmonious setting that cultivates holistic wellness, we aspire to help each individual achieve an integral sense of balance and interconnectedness.

We are also committed to your personal development and growth. As such, there are some extraordinary benefits that come with working at Ceremonia:

Ability to attend and support retreats, journeys, and trainings that are held at Ceremonia, both provided by Ceremonia and by external facilitators renting the space. These will be provided at the cost of operation, which is typically half off.

The opportunity to be part of a community oriented towards service for the betterment of humanity through psycho-spiritual exploration, inner work, and use of sacred entheogens.

The chance to be in a space of greater psychological and spiritual development.

Deep involvement in the growing Ceremonia community of spiritual seekers.

Training with AI-assisted tools. The entire operations team leverages AI for maximum efficiency.

Apply now

To apply, please send the following to hiring@ceremoniacircle.org

Your resume
with a cover note

A link to your portfolio

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