Program Development Assistant

Program Development Assistant - Food, Community & Experiential Events Highland Lake Cove | Flat Rock, NC | Part-Time or Full-Time | In-Person About Us We're a retreat center, lakeside café, and community-building initiative in Western North Carolina, working at the intersection of food, meaningful gatherings, experiential education, and regenerative culture. Our programs include community dinners, retreat programming, skill-shares, and collaborative events — all rooted in a long-term vision of helping people reconnect with one another and with the places they live. The Role This is not a conventional event planning job. We're looking for someone who can take loosely formed ideas and help turn them into real experiences — organizing community dinners, coordinating workshops and retreats, building out programming systems, and supporting the day-to-day logistics that bring events to life. You'll work directly with the founder to develop and execute: Dinner salons and community meals Retreat center programming Skill-share nights and collaborative workshops Community After Hours weekly gatherings Café-based experiential events Storytelling and conversation-based programming Slide decks and presentation materials Long-range program planning and documentation Who You Are You genuinely love helping people create meaningful experiences together You're energized by food culture, community gatherings, and hospitality You naturally organize chaos into workable systems You balance idealism with practical follow-through You're emotionally mature, self-directed, and highly communicative You're curious about regenerative culture, collaborative tools, and new community models

Important:

Many people are drawn to the vision of this work. Fewer can actually coordinate events, manage details, and execute consistently. We need both. Relevant Experience (Some Combination Preferred) Event coordination or hospitality Retreat, workshop, or educational program organization Community facilitation or volunteer coordination Administrative or project management support Communications, writing, or presentation design Formal education welcomed but not required if you bring real-world experience and demonstrated initiative. Tools & Skills Google Workspace, Canva, PowerPoint/Keynote/Google Slides, basic project management tools, and comfort with AI workflow tools (ChatGPT, etc.) are all helpful. You don't need to know everything — you do need to be highly teachable and proactive. Food Matters Here We see shared meals as one of humanity's oldest community-building technologies. A strong candidate will genuinely enjoy dinner gatherings, garden-to-table culture, and hospitality as an act of care. Early-Stage Reality We're still building this ecosystem. Everyone wears more than one hat. Depending on your skills, secondary responsibilities may include hospitality support, guest communication, social media, and administrative work. We want adaptable, mission-aligned people more than narrowly specialized resumes. Compensation & Schedule Compensation based on experience and skill set. Part-time or hybrid arrangements possible initially. Long-term growth opportunity for the right person — this role can evolve into a Program Director or Community Education Coordinator position.

To Apply Please send:

Resume Short cover letter Examples of events, programs, or collaborative projects you've helped organize (links, photos, or attachments welcome) We care as much about maturity, initiative, and collaborative spirit as credentials.

Pay:

$23.01 - $27.71 per hour Application Question(s): What drew you to this role? Describe an event or experience you helped organize from idea to execution. How comfortable are you with ambiguous, evolving projects? Are you local to Hendersonville/Flat Rock, or open to relocating?

Work Location:

In person