Retreat Farm

Position: Event Coordinator

Reports to: Managing Director of Community Engagement

Type: Full-time, hourly/FLSA non-exempt

Location: On-site at Retreat Farm, Brattleboro, VT

Start Date:  Immediately

Overview:

Retreat Farm seeks a highly-organized, outgoing, and customer-focused Event Coordinator for its premier event space, the North Barn. The Event Coordinator is an important member of the Retreat Farm team, focused on the development, growth, and impact of this exciting enterprise. 

The North Barn serves as a venue for a mix of private, nonprofit, and community-focused events run by both regional partners and Retreat Farm itself. This impressive building can hold up to 250 seated for dining, and 600 standing for events. It is the largest venue of its kind in Southern Vermont, and is quickly becoming a destination for weddings and private events of all kinds, as well as a hub for Retreat Farm’s own public and educational programming. 

The Event Coordinator will be responsible for selling, guiding, and overseeing the execution of private events in the North Barn—including weddings, nonprofit meetings and galas, high school proms, business conferences, celebrations of life, and much more. They will work closely with the North Barn Manager, part-time Event Crew Members, and Bartenders to ensure exceptional customer service.

Additionally, the Event Coordinator will be a highly visible Retreat Farm ambassador responsible for wedding and other private event outreach and follow-through, ensuring a safe and welcoming guest experience, and providing logistical support to vendors, clients, and fellow Retreat Farm team members alike.

Responsibilities:

• Respond to event inquiries in a timely and professional manner.
• Book and lead site visits, walking prospective clients through event spaces and possibilities.
• Lead clients through the process of booking an event at Retreat Farm.
• Generate event contracts, working with the Managing Director of Community Engagement and North Barn Manager when considering any deviations from standard contracts, and abide by contract stipulations.
• Work with clients to determine event details, and oversee logistics for private events, including pre- and post-event communication.
• Work in collaboration with a variety of Retreat Farm staff to coordinate Retreat Farm resources and determine schedule needs for each event (set-up and execution).
• Act as a Retreat Farm ambassador, communicating Retreat Farm’s mission, values, history, and impact to clients as appropriate–including promotion of local, preferred vendors.
• Work with the Managing Director of Community Engagement to create and hit sales targets for North Barn events, ensuring a balance of revenue-generating activity (private events) and nonprofit and community support (community-focused events).
• Research event trends, recommend strategic initiatives and ideas to the Managing Director of Community Engagement, and recommend ideas and event plans to clients as appropriate. 
• Work with the Communications Coordinator to develop appropriate marketing materials, and keep these up to date and stocked as appropriate.
• Communicate necessary events information to Lands staff and other staff as needed, and work with the same to ensure appropriate event set-up and break-down.

Skills and Qualifications

• At least one year of event and/or wedding management or related customer service experience
• Possesses excellent and welcoming verbal and written communication skills
• Enjoys working with people in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Demonstrates a commitment to Retreat Farm’s mission and values
• Is detail-oriented, highly organized, and able to multitask in a busy environment
• Is proficient in MS Office and Google Suite, and willing to learn new software
• Ability to work occasional weekday evenings and weekends (up to four weekend days per month during peak wedding season in spring and fall, less during the offseasons)

Work Environment:

Retreat Farm is a fast-paced and dynamic work environment. Candidates must be able to switch focus as needed, to address changing priorities while maintaining mental focus in an environment with occasional high noise levels and interruptions.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to stand for prolonged periods, climb stairs, navigate uneven terrain, and lift and move up to 30 pounds
• Ability to safely (co-)lift and move tables and chairs to various sites on the property
• Ability to work in indoor and outdoor environments in various weather conditions
• Ability to perform repetitive motions (bending, twisting) 

Reporting:

The Event Coordinator will report directly to the Managing Director of Community Engagement and work closely with the North Barn Manager. The Event Coordinator will also work closely with Event Crew Members, Bartenders, and Lands staff.

Compensation:

• $26-29/hour based on experience and qualifications
• Optional health, vision, and dental insurance with employer contribution
• A generous holiday and paid time off package
• Eligibility for enrollment in Retreat Farm’s SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with 3% employer matching
• 25% discount at the Retreat Farm Market

TO APPLY:

To be considered, please email a resume AND cover letter expressing your interest in Retreat Farm to jobs@retreatfarm.org with the subject line “[Last name]: Event Coordinator.” Application review begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Retreat Farm is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe diverse teams make the strongest teams and encourage qualified people of all backgrounds, identities, ages, and abilities to apply.

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ABOUT RETREAT FARM

Located in Brattleboro, VT, Retreat Farm is an essential Vermont place whose mission is to connect people to the land and to one-another. This is a place where people of all ages come to learn, gather, and connect with the natural world through a variety of public programs. These programs, together with the forests, farmlands, trails, waterways, and historic barns and grounds of the Farm, are central to the health and life of surrounding communities.

Established in 1837, the original Retreat Farm was a working and therapeutic farm serving patients at the nearby Brattleboro Retreat. A prominent feature of the region for 180 years, the Farm today encompasses 500 acres of conserved forests, farmlands, trails, and waterways, and a historic eight-structure Farmstead. Retreat Farm sits adjacent to downtown Brattleboro, a gateway to Vermont, and the geographic center of New England.

The nonprofit Retreat Farm, Ltd. was formed in 2015 to restore the lands and structures of this place, and to establish a vibrant program of education, stewardship, and community gatherings. By connecting people to the land and one another, Retreat Farm is helping to ensure a healthy future for the region. Learn more at retreatfarm.org.