Volunteer Admin Assistant (Chiang Mai)

Hello friends,

Will from Suan Sati here! We are searching for volunteers to assist us this winter retreat season at Suan Sati Retreat Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The roughly two month positions start from Nov 1st and runs to Jan 8th. The end date can be flexible. Inquiries and messages for outside of those time periods will not be considered or responded to because we get so many responses when we post that it’s overwhelming. Sorry!

The duties are as follows:

• Assist in answering emails
• Data entry into spreadsheets
• Basic accounting
• Fill out check in forms prior to guest arrival
• Prepare welcome packets for guests
• Retrieve guests from town on check in day
• Check in guests
• Give property tour
• Help facilitate workshops
• Coordinate between guests and Thai staff
• Assisting teaching team in various small tasks

Ideally, we are looking for someone with the following skill sets:

• Friendly!
• Highly organized
• Proficient in written and spoken English (non-native speakers welcome!)
• Proficient in Excel/Sheets
• Confident with both leading and following
• Comfortable living in community and simplicity
• Social media skills a plus but not necessary
• Great teamwork
• Attention to detail
• Able to see what needs to be done before being asked, i.e. self-directed
• Excited about yoga, learning, and growth

If you feel like you fit the description above and are capable of fulfilling the duties, please read on for more details.

We are expanding our family to include a volunteer for this winter season, which runs from November until the end of February. This is a great position for someone who is interested in learning the business side of yoga retreats while also being able to live in a yogic environment for an extended period of time.

If it’s a good fit and you’re available, there is the possibility to come back next summer season in a similar role. Although it would be great if you had that availability, it’s not a requirement to be considered.

Your main role will be doing the admin listed above and also light day to day facilitation during the 6 day/5 night retreats. Please note that this is a non-teaching role, however, the right candidate may be invited to expand into facilitating workshops or even possibly teaching a class if you’re qualified and confident. That is not guaranteed to happen, however, you never know when you might be called to step up and lead due to a gap in our teaching schedule. For that reason, we prefer applicants with at least some yoga teaching experience.

On the morning of the retreat, you’ll go into town to pick up the guests from a central location. You will be coordinating with management during pick up regarding who’s there and who’s yet to arrive.

In between retreats, you’ll be asked to check emails periodically.

You will be sharing admin duties with the manager, me, so you won’t be alone there.

If you enjoy creating content for social media, the opportunity is there for you to do so. This is not a requirement, however, it may help your chances to get hired.

Dates

We are only hiring for a position running November 1st to Jan 8th. We are not hiring or considering applications for other dates so please save your time and ours by only responding if you’re available for these exact dates.

What’s in it for you?

One major benefit of this position is that you will be able to attend many, if not all of the yoga classes and workshops offered during the retreat. To truly immerse yourself in the magic of a retreat center led by skilled teachers is a golden opportunity for the right person.

You will have access to mentorship by the owner and manager, myself, in whatever arena you would like. You will learn how to run retreat by doing, and in addition, I’m available to coach you on yoga teaching, business, holding space, or whatever else I can help you with. It’s important to me that you walk out of your time here more skilled and confident than when you walk in.

You will have your own private room with shared bathroom on site. It’s a simple and cozy room with bed, mosquito net, storage for your things, and a fan. Due to the size of the room, this opportunity is only appropriate for a solo traveler.

Food! The food at our center is amazing, fresh, plant based, and prepared with so much love. We have a buffet 3x daily, and it’s always rotating so you won’t get bored of the food. If you love Thai food and tropical fruit, this will be a highlight for you. Seriously, go check our reviews and you’ll see food mentioned more than yoga.

There is a scooter for use if you feel confident driving one.

Between retreats, we have either 2 or 3 nights off. Most of the teaching team go into town to unwind between retreats, but you’re welcome to stay on site and enjoy the peaceful beauty with just the frogs to keep you company.

We do pay a small travel stipend of 10,000 baht, half payable upon arrival and half payable upon departure. If you leave before the end of the agreed upon period for any reason, you will not receive the second half of the stipend. If we ask you to leave before the end of the period, you will receive the second half of the stipend.

If we determine you’ll need to stay longer than 60 days, you’ll receive full reimbursement for any visas or extensions you’ll need to get.

If you have any special offerings, such as Reiki, bodywork, photography, etc., you may offer those during retreats and keep 100% of the proceeds. We will work together to set an appropriate price and help promote you.

If you’ve read this far and are interested, please contact us via email with your CV at info@suansati.com. We will not read messages sent through this platform as a filter to see who is paying attention to detail, such an important part of this position!

Thank you for your time!

With gratitude,

Will and the Suan Sati Family