Immersive Retreats Director

Immersive Retreats Director, Isabella Freedman
Maintain a portfolio of Immersive Retreats, defined as Holiday Retreats and Hybrid Retreats at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. Plan programming, manage budget, develop and manage strategic marketing plan, direct hospitality, and facilitate the overall execution of the Holiday Retreats (Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Pesach, and Shavuot). Work directly with the organizations/persons (Hybrid Leaders) who lead the Hybrid Retreats, including but not limited to: Let My People Sing! (LMPS), Camp Isabella Freedman, Torah Yoga, Davening Leaders Training Initiative (DLTI), and the Adamah Meditation Retreat. For these hybrid retreats, manage hospitality planning and execution.

Job Responsibilities:
Planning Process

• Make decisions related to registration prices with National Registrar and Chief Financial Officer (and Hybrid Leader when applicable).
• Work with National Registrar and monitor registration and revenue.
• Manage budget for each retreat with Chief Financial Officer and National Registrar (and Hybrid Leader when applicable).
• Handle faculty contracts, housing compensations, and payments when applicable.
• Create strategic marketing plan for each retreat with MarCom (and Hybrid Leader when applicable).
• Communicate relevant content to MarCom for advertising and liaise with faculty to promote retreats.
• Prepare internal documents for each retreat and communicate all logistics, tasks, and details across departments (including Culinary, Maintenance, Guest Services, Hospitality, and Senior Leadership).
• Manage supplies for each retreat.
• Make sure all rentals, programmatic supplies, and miscellaneous needs are ordered in a timely manner and remain within budget.
• Organize any necessary vendors.

Execution of Retreats

• Support guest experience during the retreat.
• Make announcements during meals.
• Liaise with clients to identify their needs and to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Communicate needs across all departments and liaise with retreat faculty and Freedman staff.
• When challenges arise, oversee problem-solving. Ask for help with needed.

Holiday Retreat Specifics

• Plan curriculum and programming for Holiday Retreats at Isabella Freedman: Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot (otherwise known as “Sukkahfest”), Simchat Torah (otherwise known as “Simchafest”), Pesach, and Shavuot.
• Decide minyan (prayer) type for each holiday in conjunction with National Registrar, Chief Programming Officer, and Chief Financial Officer.
• Hire faculty for holiday retreats. This includes:
• Ensure that each minyan is appropriately staffed.
• Decide on relevant Scholar- or Artist-in-Residence.
• Work with the Teva Director to hire a lead kids camp educator (“Rosh”). Follow up with Rosh to ensure that camp curriculum is in place, supplies are ordered, and camp is appropriately staffed.
• Work directly with minyan leaders to:
• Confirm all roles are filled.
• Ensure all ritual needs are communicated to the appropriate people and departments, as specific to each retreat.
• Curate content.
• Convene and work with faculty and partnering organizations to design and implement program content. Do so in conjunction with Managing Director of Education at Isabella Freedman.

Hybrid Retreat Specifics

• Work directly with organizations/persons responsible for programming Hybrid Retreats (hereafter known as Hybrid Leader). These events include Let My People Sing! (LMPS), Davening Leaders Training Initiative (DLTI), Torah Yoga, Camp Isabella Freedman, and the Adamah Meditation Retreat.

Retreat Development

• Review surveys and guest feedback forms regularly.
• Communicate relevant feedback across departments.
• Take feedback into consideration and collaborate with teammates to incorporate adjustments as needed.
• Continue content development with retreat faculty and Isabella Freedman staff.
• Approach all Retreats as recruitment and relationship-building opportunities.
• Develop relationships with organizations that could be future holiday retreat partners.
• Establish relationships with potential Hybrid leaders that highlight Isabella Freedman’s values and further Adamah’s mission.

Supervision:

• As Immersive Retreats Director, you will not supervise any full-time employees in a year-round capacity.
• Oversee team members during retreats, as deep and effective collaboration with colleagues in the Hospitality, Culinary, Maintenance, and Education Departments is necessary for the successful and smooth facilitation of retreats.

General:

• Facilitate and attend weekly departmental meetings.
• Attend monthly all-staff meetings.
• Must maintain a professional demeanor.
• Must be able to adapt to changing situations.
• Other tasks/duties as assigned.

Adamah Employee Standards:

• Be a team player.
• Sustain a positive, enthusiastic, and professional attitude always.
• Adhere to supervisor directives.
• Maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.
• Perform all duties in a timely, accurate, honest, and professional manner.

Skills/Requirements:

• Ability to work well both independently and in a team environment.
• Receptive to and accept guidance from others.
• Ability to deal with difficult people and problems and work with a diverse group of people.
• Proficient with Microsoft products.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Strong customer service and time management skills.
• Detail oriented and able to multi-task.
• Able to understand nuanced differences in Jewish observance and customs and balance specific needs with Isabella Freedman “Big Tent” pluralism.
• Flexibility to accept new responsibilities and direction as necessary.
• Receptive to and accept guidance from others.
• Ability to deal with difficult people and problems and work with a diverse group of people.

Mental, Physical and Visual Skills:

• Must be able to follow written, verbal, or diagrammatic instructions with several concrete variables.
• Able to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers, and do calculations for budgetary reasons.
• Ability to understand and follow verbal or demonstrated instructions; write identifying information; request supplies verbally or in writing.

Working Conditions:
This is an exempt position working a flexible schedule including days, nights, holidays, and weekends, with limited travel. (I.e., Staff Gatherings.)

You will be provided housing at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center at a monthly amount of $400, plus security deposit.

This job description does not state or imply that the above are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to the position. Employees holding this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties as requested by Management. All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.

The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and its Agencies are equal opportunity employers, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, citizenship, veteran's status, physical or mental disability that does not prohibit the performance of essential job functions (with or without reasonable accommodation) or any other basis protected by federal, or applicable, state or local law.