Operations Manager

Operations Manager

Appamada — Zen Center | Austin, Texas

Status: Part-time, 20-25 hours/week Reports to: Senior Teacher [TK]

About Appamada

Appamada is a contemporary center for Zen practice, inquiry, and community in Austin, Texas. What began as a small sitting group in 1995 has grown into a sangha rooted in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki and Joko Beck, offering daily meditation, dharma talks, study groups, intensives, and programs for bringing Zen practice into everyday life.

About the Role

Appamada is seeking a part-time Operations Manager to help hold the practical container that makes our practice and community possible. This person will manage the administrative backbone of the center, oversee the care and upkeep of our physical space (the zendo at 913 E. 38th St.), and support community engagement — helping newcomers and longtime members alike feel welcomed, informed, and connected.

This is a hands-on, generalist role suited to someone who enjoys variety, takes pride in quiet competence, and finds meaning in supporting a community's daily life. You don't need a background in Zen or Buddhist practice — what matters most is genuine care for Appamada's values and the people who make up its sangha.

Key Responsibilities

Administration

• Manage day-to-day zendo and administrative operations, including correspondence, recordkeeping, and coordination with sangha members
• Update and maintain the website, ensuring content stays current and accurate
• Keep the program calendar up to date across all relevant platforms
• Maintain registration systems for sits, classes, intensives, and other events
• Support basic bookkeeping tasks, donation processing, and coordination with the Board and treasurer
• Collaborate with and delegate to sangha members and volunteers each month, maintaining the high-level view of the organization's overall flow and opportunities for attunement
• Familiarity with Google Workspace, Squarespace, and JotForm is a plus

Facilities Management

• Oversee and partner with the landlord on the upkeep, cleanliness, and safety of the zendo and grounds
• Coordinate maintenance, repairs, and vendor relationships
• Manage supplies and equipment for zazen periods, events, and intensives
• Ensure the space is properly set up and broken down for scheduled sits, talks, and gatherings

Community Engagement

• Serve as a welcoming point of contact for newcomers and visitors
• Support communication with the sangha, including weekly emails, announcements, and event logistics
• Help coordinate volunteers and self-organizing sangha groups (e.g., work periods, councils, special interest groups)
• Work closely with the Lead Teacher and Board to help ideas and initiatives move from concept to reality

Who You Are

• Organized, self-directed, and comfortable managing multiple priorities without close supervision
• A clear and warm communicator, equally at ease writing an email and greeting someone at the door
• Practical and resourceful — comfortable with light facilities work and troubleshooting
• Experienced in administrative, operations, or community-facing roles (nonprofit, small organization, or community setting a plus)
• Respectful of and genuinely aligned with Appamada's values, even without prior Zen or Buddhist practice experience
• Trustworthy with sensitive information and comfortable representing the center to the public

Details

• Schedule: 20–25 hours/week; some flexibility required for scheduled sits, events, and occasional evening or weekend coverage
• Location: On-site at Appamada's zendo (913 E. 38th St., Austin, TX), with some remote/administrative work possible
• Reports to: Senior Teacher

To apply, please send a resume and brief note about your interest to operations@appamada.org

Benefits not included.