Job Opening: Program Coordinator
Help make deep Dharma practice possible
Work closely with wonderful Dharma teachers
Join a team culture rooted in practice, integrity & care
Support life-changing retreats for young adults
At a time when our planet faces unprecedented challenges and young people’s mental health is in precipitous decline, access to wisdom traditions has never been more vital. Dharma Gates is a grassroots nonprofit breaking down barriers that prevent young adults from engaging with living lineages of Buddhist practice.
We are excited to be hiring a program coordinator to join our programming staff and be on the front lines of our work. We believe this role is an extraordinary opportunity for the right person.
Position Overview
The Program Coordinator is responsible for planning, overseeing, and executing Dharma Gates programs in alignment with our mission: opening pathways to deep meditation practice for young adults. You will help organize programs and retreats in the region where you live, and you’ll also support retreats around the country. Our program coordinators typically attend 5-8 Dharma Gates retreats per year, serving as Retreat Managers. While the title for this role is program coordinator, you will also be expected to support Dharma Gates with fundraising, marketing, and other domains. We are looking for someone comfortable in a dynamic, fast-growing work environment.
This role involves frequent collaboration with Dharma teachers, retreat centers, volunteers, Dharma Gates team members, donors, and program participants to ensure the successful execution of high-quality programs. As Program Coordinator, you will play a vital role in catalyzing the next generation of compassionate leaders by creating opportunities for young adults to cultivate resilience, wisdom, and clarity in challenging times!
The Role At A Glance
Hours: 20–30 hours/week
Compensation: $29,100–$43,680/year (depending on hours worked)
Start Date: Flexible, but ideally April or May 2026
Location: Remote. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.
We are not able to sponsor visas at this time. U.S.-based applicants are preferred, but we also welcome U.S. citizens living in Mexico or Canada with stable access to the U.S.
See below for more details, including key responsibilities, qualifications we are seeking, and benefits Dharma Gates offers employees.
About Dharma Gates
Dharma Gates operates at the intersection of formal Buddhist practice and social impact. Our grassroots approach focuses on eliminating conceptual, logistical, and financial barriers that often prevent young adults from accessing formal meditation practice. We create pathways for deeper engagement with Buddhist teachings and foster connections that support practitioners in cultivating compassion, resilience, and clarity.
We focus on liberation itself as a reality and a possibility for young practitioners and work to seed possibilities for deep mutual benefit wherever we can. By empowering young practitioners through connections to deeply practiced teachers and communities, we're fostering a new generation of resilient, compassionate leaders equipped to meet the unique challenges of our times.
Work Environment & Culture
Dharma Gates fosters a loving, collaborative work environment that supports both meaningful contribution and genuine well-being. We’re a small team, and we genuinely enjoy working together! We understand our work as an extension of practice, and we strive to create a culture where staff can show up as whole human beings—supported, respected, and encouraged to care for themselves and one another. Our team culture emphasizes collaboration, autonomy, and lifelong learning within Buddhist wisdom traditions.
The foundation of our team culture is Buddhism and the Buddhadharma
We are also heavily influenced by Cal Newport’s work, in particular his book Slow Productivity
Our team culture is compassionate, reflective, supportive, grounded and purposeful
To give you more of a sense of our team culture, our meetings look like this:
Begin by cultivating bodhicitta together or practicing metta
Do brief check-ins where we get to share how we are doing personally, emotionally, etc.
Listen to one another with care, without rushing to fix or problem-solve
Work collaboratively, prioritizing clarity, realistic timelines, and follow-through
Dedication of merit at the end of each meeting
To Apply
Please submit your resume, cover letter, and contact information for two professional references by email to team@dharma-gates.org. In your cover letter, please share what draws you to Dharma Gates' mission, as well as your background with meditation and Buddhist practice. Please include in the subject line “Program Coordinator” so we can receive and track your application.
Dharma Gates is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or other factors.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority consideration given to applications received by March 1st, 2026. Initial application review will begin immediately, with first-round interviews expected to take place in mid-March of 2026.
More Details about the Role
-
Program Design and Implementation – In collaboration with other programming staff, develop, coordinate, and execute a variety of Dharma Gates programs, including drop-in events, multi-day silent retreats, and online offerings.
Retreat Management – Serve as retreat manager for multi-day silent retreats, ensuring smooth and safe program delivery by adhering to Dharma Gates’ Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Program Coordinators will be required to manage 5 (or more) week-long silent meditation retreats per year. All travel costs will be reimbursed.
Oversee logistics – Coordinate with teachers and centers, and manage on-site operations of our retreats
Hold space – Participants often need emotional support while on silent retreat. One of the key responsibilities of this role is provide responsive, skillful communication and care in moments of need or crisis for participants.
Note on participant care: Program Coordinators are not acting as therapists. We offer training, clear protocols, and team support so that participant care is held skillfully and responsibly.
Process improvement – Regularly evaluate and iterate on Standard Operating Procedures for events, incorporating feedback from participants and team members.
Promotion – Help promote retreats and events by creating social media content, distributing outreach materials, and networking with local communities and volunteers.
Budgeting – Develop and manage program budgets, submitting them to the Executive Director for approval.
Excited to “do it all”– Assist with a variety of administrative, fundraising, marketing, and operational projects and tasks to support the broader mission of Dharma Gates.
Personal Practice – Maintain a committed personal daily practice is required. Continuing to deepen ones’ practice through personal retreats and actively working with an established teacher or Sangha outside of Dharma Gates are strongly supportive of this work.
In-Person Summits - The program team will come together twice per year in-person for intensive co-working “summits” where we move forward key organizational objectives, get to know other staff more deeply, and engage in trainings in relational practices or other modalities supportive to the role. Travel expenses will be reimbursed (if staff are flying from abroad, they may be expected to pitch in.)
-
Meditation Practice – Background and extensive experience in meditation, Buddhist practice, and silent retreats and a deep commitment to deepening through personal practice through the role.
Administrative Excellence – Demonstrated skills in logistics, operations, and project management. Experience with tools like Squarespace, Retreat Guru, Canva, and Jotform is a plus.
Leadership & Communication – Proven ability to hold space for others, communicate skillfully, and respond effectively to challenges or crises.
Self-Motivated – Autonomous and self-directed, with the ability to work effectively in a fully remote environment.
Organizational Skills – Strong attention to detail, including the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
Interpersonal Skills –Excited to deepen relationships with varied Buddhist communities and teachers across the United States. Able to build rapport with participants quickly and skillfully. Interest and deep willingness to engage in relational work and practice such as Non-violent Communication, Circling, Authentic Relating, or others.
-
Hours – Part-time, salary. Choose your own hours (20-30 hours per week expected.)
Compensation – $29,100 - $43,680 (depending on choice of weekly hours)
Location – Remote with in-person attendance required for individual retreats and events. Travel expenses will be reimbursed. Should be US-based or a US Citizen in Mexico, or Canada-based with stable access to the US.
-
We take practice seriously —not as a “perk,” but as the ground of our work. We do our best to structure this role so staff can keep deepening their practice and thriving in their personal lives.
Health reimbursement arrangement (HRA): $6,000/year
Paid time off (PTO): Up to 160 hours/year
Sick leave: Up to 40 hours/year
Bereavement leave: Up to 5 days/year
Personal retreat stipend: $1,000 per year to pay for personal retreat
Personal internet reimbursement: Up to $240/year
Access to Dharma Teachers & Centers: This role is unique in that you will get to work closely with many Dharma teachers, retreat centers and monasteries. One of the wonderful benefits of this role is working in close proximity to these teachers and centers and having relationships with them. We also have a very generous time-off policy such that if you want to do a personal retreat at a monastery or take an extended leave for Dharma practice, we do what we can to arrange that and support you.
Skill-building & Training: This role is ideal for someone who loves continuous learning. We want our retreat managers and staff to always be growing and developing deeper skills. Here are some of the areas Dharma Gates is dedicated to offering trainings in:
Interpersonal communication and circling practice
Group Facilitation
Mental Health First Aid & Resiliency
Fundraising
Leadership
Conflict resolution