EMPLOYMENT AT STILLPOINT
Stillpoint’s 2012 summer season runs from May 15 - September 26.
See below for more details on the following openings:
Sous/Pastry Chef (full compensation position)
Gardener (work-trade position)
Housekeeper (work-trade position)
Massage Theapist* (combination position)
Welcome~
Have you dreamed of seasonal employment in a remote Alaskan setting that encourages creativity and spirituality as an intentional lifestyle?
Stillpoint is more than just a summer job. It’s an opportunity to share your skills, gifts and talents with guests yearning for a magnificent experience in the heart of Alaska’s grandeur. The sense of community our employees enjoy is contagious to our guests and essential to the overall success of Stillpoint.
We invite mature, qualified individuals to commit to this lifestyle. Stillpoint is ideal for experienced men and women, “older and bolder” professionals or recent retirees eager to work together as a team to offer an ideal, nurturing environment to fulfill our mission:
“To provide a quiet, peaceful place for guests to re-connect with themselves, nature and a source beyond themselves”.
Life in a Remote Retreat Center
Stillpoint encompasses a group of like-minded individuals who value spirituality, creativity, mutual respect, integrity, environmental conservation and responsibility. The Stillpoint community is comprised of guests, staff, owners, family, friends, retreat leaders and volunteers. We perform duties for the benefit of any and all community members.
Working a seasonal job can be intense. Stillpoint has a rhythm of busy, long hours of hard work during retreats; followed by periods of downtime between retreats.
We invite you to consider the realities of working in such a remote location, living in close proximity with others. Our staff quarters afford personal private space and a comfortable common area staff lounge/kitchen.
Halibut Cove is a small community surrounded by the sea, away from a road system. Employees choose to spend their days-off in Halibut Cove or remain here in this setting of great natural beauty. The long daylight hours of summer, delights those who enjoy nature, reading, painting, photography, hiking and kayaking. The remote, rustic nature of “the cove” is heightened by spotty cell phone reception. Employees who bring their own laptop feel more connected to the outside world via Wi-Fi.
Stillpoint is separated from the rest of the island community by water. Just a 5-minute kayak paddle to the island offers recreation such as walking or jogging, visiting the coffee shop, post office, galleries and the Saltry Restaurant. A 45-minute kayak paddle lends access to Kachemak Bay State Park. The closest town is Homer, accessible daily by the Danny J ferry or water taxi.
We Love Our Employees
Stillpoint employs intentionally mindful, enthusiastic and outgoing individuals with proven a commitment to hospitality. We invite mature, positive, open-minded individuals to apply for this unique opportunity. This job provides an environment conducive to continued personal and professional growth.
Our employees commit to participation in enrichment activities designed to help further our sense of community. We have earned a reputation as a cohesive team that provides the very best positive experience for our guests. Working at Stillpoint can be fun, rewarding, exciting and demanding.
Experience / Qualifications
Employees live in shared accommodations. Each has their own private bedroom adjacent to shared bathrooms, staff center lounge, kitchen, large deck and dock system on the ocean overlooking the mountains. Living in harmony with others is part of our daily practice. Honest communication is essential.
Periodic critiques of job performance, work issues, communal living, attitude, etc. include self-evaluation and one-on-one meetings with the manager. We connect regularly with each other in group meetings and team-building sessions.
It is our common goal to focus on keeping an eye on repairs, reusing and recycling, remembering safety, reducing environmental impact and increasing sustainability of the facilities and resources used at Stillpoint.
Be prepared to adapt to our environment. At times self-reflection and meeting the demands of a full work-load will go hand in hand. It is necessary that employees be:
hard-working - intentionally detail oriented
- willing and able, at times, to work up to 10 hours a day
- able to sustain long periods of silence during retreats
- physically fit and able to lift 50 pounds
- flexible and able to transition quickly between duties
- punctual and courteous
- mindful and personable with all Stillpoint community members
- well-groomed and prepared to meet dress code requirements
- willing to graciously accept redirection
Stillpoint Lodge is a non-smoking, drug-free, pet-free environment.
Stillpoint Staff Positions
Although each employee specializes in a specific job position, all will be asked to work together on housekeeping, assisting in the garden, grounds keeping, kitchen duties including serving up to 25 guests and dishwashing. To enhance our spirit of camaraderie, gratuities are pooled and divided equally between all staff members.
Work-Trade Compensation
Work-trade volunteers work closely with the staff on average 30-40 hours a week in exchange for room and board in our staff quarters and equally divided guest gratuities. We are looking for volunteers who can stay one month or longer.
Gardener/Massage Therapist*(work-trade position)
This individual specializes in planting and maintaining the gardens and greenhouse as well as maintaining the landscape and grounds. This includes vegetables and herbs, flowers, native plants, potted plants, weeding, watering, pruning, problem solving, harvesting and winterizing. They ensure garden to table efficiency. He or she also works as part of the kitchen staff in menu planning according to the harvest, anticipating the produce needs of the chef, harvesting, prepping the produce. Love of gardening and the outdoors is a priority, as well as being prepared to work in all weather conditions. A gardener who is also a licensed and experienced massage therapist is a plus!
Housekeeper/Massage Therapist*(work-trade position)
With inherent attention to detail, this individual is responsible for insuring a clean, neat environment for the Stillpoint community. The staff works together to maintain Stillpoint’s accommodations including the lodge, restrooms, cabins, boats, owners’ studio and residence. The head housekeeper manages the laundry facility. Often, he or she is bound to a tight schedule, so timeliness and organization is essential. A housekeeper who is also a licensed and experienced massage therapist is a plus!
*Massage Therapist (combination position)
Although Stillpoint massage therapists provide an integral service to our community, massage is not a primary job. Because of our team approach, massage therapists specialize in housekeeping or gardening. This requires him or her to be flexible and ready to transition between jobs. Other duties include assisting the manager with scheduling, maintaining cleanliness of the massage facilities and organizing supplies. Our massage therapists exhibit excellent communication and customer service skills and uphold guest confidentiality at all times. Certified therapists receive 50/50 split compensation for massage.
Full Compensation
Our dedicated employees enjoy a healthy hourly wage, housing, occasional meals, equally divided guest gratuities and a bonus at the end of the summer.
The rate of pay is $15/hour. Employees commit to a flexible work hour plan with an established hourly wage in compliance with the State of Alaska's wage and hour requirements to include a 10-hour workday and up to a 6-day work week. We do not provide paid sick days, vacation leave, health insurance, overtime or retirement benefits.
Employees who remain in good standing at Stillpoint for the duration of the season and complete all job requirements will receive a $1000 bonus in September.
Sous/Pastry Chef (full compensation position)
This individual collaborates with the executive chef to maintain all aspects of the kitchen. He or she must be experienced in baking, cooking, prep-work, detail oriented cleaning, health standards, organization, inventory and cost-control. Early mornings and late nights are routine. Culinary knowledge and familiarity with healthy cuisine, vegetarian and vegan options and other dietary restrictions is desired. The sous/pastry chef supervises kitchen assistants, creates artistic food presentations and elegant dining decor, and helps with purchasing. We serve local seafood, produce harvested from our garden and the farmer’s market and prefer natural and organic products.
Head Maintenance/Guide/Yoga Instructor
(full compensation position) (position filled for 2012)
Manager/Executive Chef
(full compensation position) (position filled for 2012)
Benefits of Employment at Stillpoint
In addition to providing excellent service to our guests, employees receive a wide range of benefits, including:
- Living and serving in a creative, spiritual retreat center with like-minded individuals
- Interacting with our unique guests and retreat leaders
- Reoccurring employment opportunities
- Make lifelong friends
- Regular staff and community meditation sessions, yoga and energy work classes
- Discounted massages
- Spiritual Direction
- Use of lodge sauna
- Delicious fresh produce from our garden and greenhouse
- Intermittent community dining
- Enrichment activities supporting art, music and personal growth
- Evening activities such as movies, games and bonfires
- Employee team adventures, fishing and nature excursions
- Participation in select retreat workshops
- Living near over 100 miles of trails in the surrounding Kachemak Bay State Park
- Unlimited access to the adjacent hiking trail
- Learn all about ocean kayaking and enjoy the use of lodge kayaks
- Live near one of the largest and most easily accessible glaciers in the area, Grewingk, including a guided staff kayak trip to the face of the glacier
- Wi-Fi (bring your laptop)
- A journal to help you reflect and document your Stillpoint experience
- An phenomenal, affordable way to spend an extensive period of time in Alaska
- Complimentary transportation to Homer through our special arrangement with the Kachemak Bay Ferry (space available)
To Apply
Spend some time reviewing our website (www.stillpointlodge.com). If you feel confident that you are an eligible candidate for our team, please email a paragraph about yourself including why you are interested in working with us and for which position you would like to be considered. Also, attach your resume (work and education history) with three professional references and contact information.
Please send to: employment@stillpointlodge.com
What our guests are saying…
“We cannot explain how deeply we enjoyed our stay at Stillpoint. You and your staff treated us like royalty. The extra details were not overlooked. We will carry our memories for eternity.”
“Thank you for your gracious hospitality and your friendship.”
“What a delightful get-away this is. Thanks to everyone for your caring and hospitality. You have developed Stillpoint into an oasis. From the lovely communal buildings to your well cared for gardens and grounds, it radiates your serenity. We feel very fortunate to be able to share this beautiful place. Thank you.”
“You have sculpted from this creation a magnificent place of stillness and rest, which we have been privileged to experience.”
“What gifts Stillpoint has to offer. The sheer beauty of the place: deep peace and quiet- the sounds of the birds, the water on rocks as the tide endlessly alters the view. Nature letting itself be known so magnificently. Each staff person was so present and engaged. Thank you…”
“This retreat has been a life enhancing experience. The entire event was blessed. The staff is so kind, so capable, and so considerate. Thank you. I feel stronger, full of life and above all grateful.”
