Come and join us to the Blue Ridge Mountains

About YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly

Located on 1,200 acres in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly is a premier non-profit conference and retreat center. For over a century, we have hosted youth groups, schools, civic organizations, and conferences from all over the world. We are dedicated to cultivating a strong, inclusive community focused on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Position Overview

Are you looking for a dynamic opportunity where no two days are the same? Do you love the outdoors and want to explore a career in hospitality while living in a tight-knit community?

Our Cross-Trained Hospitality & Adventure position offers a comprehensive, immersive look into the operations of a major retreat center. Instead of being restricted to one department, you will be trained across all core areas of our campus. This role is highly active, versatile, and ideal for motivated individuals who possess a service-oriented mindset and a strong work ethic.

This position is a fit for young adults, dorm policies will only accept candidates between (18 years old - 28 years old).

Core Rotational Responsibilities

As a cross-trained team member, your weekly schedule will adapt dynamically to our conference and group calendar, giving you hands-on experience in seven distinct departments:

• Adventure Programming: Serve as a field leader facilitating personal development and youth teamwork on our high and low ropes challenge courses. Safely guide groups through outdoor activities including archery, mountain biking, night hikes, and environmental education.

• Dining Room & Food Service: Work in a high-energy environment alongside a diverse international team. Tasks include managing buffet and table-side service, basic food preparation, clearing/bussing tables, and running high-volume commercial dishwashers.

• Retail & Ice Cream Shop: Deliver friendly customer service in our seasonal campus shop. Take guest orders, craft menu items to specification, manage cash/card point-of-sale transactions, and maintain inventory.

• Housekeeping: Act as the critical backbone of guest satisfaction. Maintain lodging facilities to the highest standards of cleanliness and comfort by cleaning, sanitizing, and resetting guest rooms for arriving conferences

• Conference Services: Coordinate the logistics behind our conferences. Read floor plans to physically arrange tables, chairs, and stages, and set up audio-visual (AV) equipment like projectors and microphones.

• Groundskeeping: Steward our historic mountain property. Assist with outdoor campus upkeep, trail maintenance, landscaping, mowing, and debris removal.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to the mission, values, and ethics of the YMCA.

• Physical Stamina: This is highly active, physical labor. Candidates must have a high level of physical fitness, comfort working at significant heights (for ropes courses), the ability to routinely lift and carry up to 50 lbs., and the stamina to stand or walk for long stretches.

• Adaptability & Focus: A meticulous eye for detail, speed, and accuracy, with the capability to switch tasks fluidly and work under limited supervision.

• Professional Skills: Strong communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills. Previous outdoor recreation or hospitality experience is a plus.

• Schedule Flexibility: Willingness to work a varied schedule tailored to business needs, including mornings, weekdays, weekends, and occasional evenings.

• Hospitality Experience: Worked at least in hospitality before.

• Outdoor Experience: Preferred experience working outdoor and experience with young staff.

Compensation, Benefits, & Perks

We believe in taking care of our staff. This seasonal contract includes a robust benefits package designed to completely eliminate your monthly living expenses:

• Competitive Pay: $13.00 - $15.00 per hour. 

• FREE On-Grounds Housing: A private or shared furnished room in our staff housing facilities (including Younts Hall).

• All Utilities Included: Complimentary Wi-Fi, electricity, water, and climate control.

• Communal Amenities: Full access to a fully equipped staff kitchen, laundry facilities, and common dining/lounge areas. (No rent or utility bills each month!)

• YMCA Membership: Free individual membership to the YMCA of Western North Carolina (following a 14-day review period).

• Discounts: Significant discounts on YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly staff recreational activities and on grounds stays for friends and family.

• Contract: This job will start earliest (August 9th), latest (September 1st) till November 30th. Possibility of extending contract to the next season.

To Apply

If you are ready to live, work, and grow in a historic mountain community while building an incredible multi-disciplinary resume, we want to hear from you! Please send you resume to Esteban Andrade, HR Recruiting Coordinator eandrade@yblueridge.org.