General Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports To: Board of Directors, Southern California Retreat Foundation

Compensation: $125k-$165k, commensurate with experience and qualifications

Location: Montecito, California (on-site). 

Position Summary

The Southern California Retreat Foundation (SOCARE) is seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven General Manager to lead the operational revitalization of La Casa de Maria—one of Southern California’s most storied retreat and conference centers. Founded in the 1950s by the Immaculate Heart Community, La Casa de Maria sits on 26 acres in the foothills of Montecito—nestled between the San Ysidro Creek and the Santa Ynez Mountains, minutes from the Pacific Coast.

Following the devastating 2018 Montecito debris flow, La Casa has been on a deliberate path of renewal. Campus revitalization is now underway, with facilities being brought back online in a phased approach. The General Manager will lead this next chapter: standing up operations, building a team, filling the retreat calendar, and delivering the kind of hospitality and guest experience that La Casa was known for across seven decades of service.

This is a rare opportunity for a hospitality or retreat center leader who wants to build something meaningful—not just manage it. The right candidate will combine hospitality-centered operational excellence with genuine alignment to La Casa’s mission of fostering renewal, connection, and service.

About the Southern California Retreat Foundation

The Southern California Retreat Foundation is a nonprofit operating foundation dedicated to the stewardship and operation of retreat centers that foster renewal, connection, and service. SOCARE currently manages La Casa de Maria in Montecito and Big Bear Retreat Center in the San Bernardino Mountains.

The Foundation’s mission is to sustain and grow accessible, mission-driven retreat destinations where individuals and communities can gather for contemplation, learning, healing, and dialogue—in settings of exceptional natural beauty.

About La Casa de Maria

La Casa de Maria has served as a sanctuary of peace for individuals and groups since the 1950s. Originally established as a retreat house by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart, it evolved into an interfaith, inter-spiritual retreat and conference center open to communities of all backgrounds. Over the decades, La Casa hosted approximately 12,000 guests annually across 250+ groups—faith-based communities, nonprofits, educational institutions, healing and wellness organizations, and social justice groups.

The property is remarkable: a 26-acre campus in the foothills of Montecito, shaded by heritage oaks and specimen trees, with a fully-operational citrus orchard, gardens, walking paths, a labyrinth, chapel, and the original 1920s stone manor house designed by architect Mary Craig. The Center for Spiritual Renewal, housed in the manor, has long offered individual and couples retreats in an atmosphere of quiet hospitality.

The January 2018 debris flow caused significant damage to portions of the campus. Since then, the Immaculate Heart Community has undertaken careful planning and visioning to bring La Casa back to life in a way that honors its legacy while positioning it for a sustainable and inclusive future. Campus revitalization is now actively underway.

Mission

La Casa de Maria is a sanctuary of peace for individuals and groups as they renew purpose, strengthen community, and increase their effectiveness in the world.

Vision

Through our programs and environment, persons of all spiritual paths search for wisdom, engage in dialogue, embrace the sacred, and nourish body, mind, and spirit—so that, refreshed and renewed, they participate more responsibly in the creation of a just, peaceful world.

Role and Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the retreat center across all functional areas: guest services, housekeeping, dining, facilities maintenance, grounds, and administration.

• As facilities come back online through the phased revitalization, stand up operational systems, workflows, and standards appropriate to each stage of activation.

• Ensure the property, facilities, accommodations, and grounds are impeccably maintained and presented to the highest standards of safety, cleanliness, and aesthetics.

• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, health codes, and permitting requirements, including the conditions of La Casa’s existing land use entitlements.

Guest Experience & Hospitality

• Ensure an outstanding guest experience across every touchpoint—from initial inquiry through departure and after.

• Work proactively with retreat organizers, teachers, and participants to anticipate and address needs before, during, and after each retreat.

• Oversee food service and dining operations to ensure meals are a highlight of the guest experience—healthy, well-prepared, and served with care.

• Lead continuous improvement of the retreat experience, gathering and acting on guest feedback and maintaining satisfaction standards of 90% or above.

Programming & Calendar Development

• Identify, cultivate, and build relationships with potential partner organizations and retreat leaders to develop a full and mission-aligned retreat calendar.

• Support and oversee programming to ensure retreats and events are well-designed, smoothly executed, and reflective of La Casa’s mission and values.

• Work to re-establish La Casa’s reputation as a premier Southern California retreat destination, drawing on its deep history and renewed facilities.

Financial Management

• Drive financial sustainability by developing and managing operating budgets, monitoring revenue and expenses, and ensuring fiscal accountability.

• Set and achieve financial goals including occupancy targets, revenue growth, and resource optimization appropriate to each phase of operations.

• Collaborate with the Board and accounting team on budget planning, financial reporting, and long-term financial strategy.

Team Building & Leadership

• Recruit, hire, develop, and lead a high-performing team of staff and volunteers. Build a culture of caring hospitality, mutual accountability, and deep connection to La Casa’s mission.

• Foster a collaborative, proactive work environment with clear priorities, effective workflows, and appropriate oversight.

Stakeholder & Community Relations

• Serve as a primary representative of La Casa de Maria to its stakeholders: the Immaculate Heart Community, neighbors, local organizations, partners, and the broader Montecito and Santa Barbara community.

• Build and maintain strong, positive relationships with neighbors and community members, maintaining a 90%+ satisfaction rating.

• Work collaboratively with the SOCARE Board and the project management team overseeing the campus revitalization to ensure operational readiness aligns with the physical buildout.

Emergency Preparedness & Risk Management

• Ensure effective systems are in place for 24/7 emergency communications, including clear protocols for on-call coverage, crisis response, and coordination across departments.

• Maintain a calm, coordinated approach to unexpected incidents to protect guest and staff safety and well-being.

Role Requirements

• Demonstrated capability leading and managing an overnight retreat center, resort, hotel, conference center, or comparable hospitality venue—with expertise across guest services, housekeeping, dining, facilities, staffing, and financial management.

• Deep personal alignment with La Casa’s mission. A genuine belief in the power of retreat, contemplation, community, and service—and the ability to communicate that belief to staff, guests, and partners.

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire trust, recruit and develop talent, and build a collaborative, high-performing team from the ground up.

• Exceptional relationship-building skills and the ability to navigate a complex stakeholder environment—including a membership-based ownership community, local neighbors, partner organizations, and regulatory bodies.

• Initiative, resourcefulness, and comfort with ambiguity. This is a build-phase role: the right candidate sees what needs to be done and moves to organize people, resources, and priorities to accomplish it.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Speaks clearly and persuasively without being overly verbose. Listens well and connects with people from all backgrounds.

• Proficiency with standard business and hospitality technology platforms, with a capacity to learn new systems efficiently.

• Authentic commitment to fostering excellence in workplace culture and guest experience.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• 8+ years of senior leadership experience in hospitality, wellness, retreat, or nonprofit operations.

• Experience standing up or significantly scaling operations—not just maintaining an existing steady state.

• Familiarity with retreat management platforms (e.g., Retreat Guru) and standard tools such as Google Workspace, QuickBooks, and Slack.

• Experience with or personal interest in contemplative practice, mindfulness, or interfaith dialogue.

• Understanding of the Southern California retreat and nonprofit landscape.

• Experience managing facilities undergoing renovation, restoration, or phased activation.

Physical Requirements

Standard requirements for a role that combines office work with regular presence across a 26-acre campus. Ability to walk the grounds, inspect facilities, and be physically present throughout the property on a daily basis.

Work Environment

This is an on-site leadership role based at La Casa de Maria in Montecito, California. The position requires flexible hours, including weekends and some holidays, as the retreat calendar demands. La Casa functions best when all staff work toward the common mission—duties and responsibilities may evolve as operations grow and the campus revitalization progresses.

The Southern California Retreat Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.