The Brother David Darst Center is a social justice education and retreat center located in Chicago. Founded in 2002 as a ministry of the De LaSalle Christian Brothers, the Darst Center provides transformative social justice retreats and immersion experiences grounded in the Lasallian tradition and Catholic Social Teaching. Through our programs and partnerships with local community organizations, participants gain a deeper understanding of the complex realities of injustice and obtain tools to take action. Our primary program is an immersion retreat experience for high school and college students. The program explores five “burning issues”: homelessness, food insecurity, education, criminal justice, and immigration, which we address through encounter, direct service, social action, education, reflection, and outreach. We seek to inspire an active and engaged faith, a commitment to serve, and a passion for social change.
Position Title: Guest Services Director
Position Profile:
The Guest Services Director, as a member of the administrative team, is responsible for ensuring that each guest of the Darst Center – a participant in our one of our immersion programs, a participant using the space as part of a self-directed retreat, a visit from a friend of the Darst Center – is met with the highest standard of hospitality. This will mean that the Guest Services Director is responsible for the development and subsequent integrity of Darst Center systems of operation. The Guest Services Director initiates/manages the Center’s relationships with participating self-directed group institutions, fostering an atmosphere of trust and collaboration while upholding expectations of compliance.
In addition, the Guest Services Director serves on the Retreat Facilitation Team and works in collaboration with other staff to provide supplemental education opportunities for both youth and adults. The retreat program, the primary method of education, focuses on instruction for high school and college students, utilizing a service-learning approach to discuss issues of social justice (homelessness, food insecurity, education, criminal justice, immigration) and analyze their root causes (racism, living wage, gentrification, inequitable distribution of resources, etc.).
Primary Goals and Objectives
- • Systematize the general practices of the Darst Center to ensure sustainability
- • Further develop relationship with participating self-directed groups, ensuring prompt and accurate communication
- • Assure the facilities are maintained to “the Hilton standard at your grandma’s house”
- • Help foster an environment of trust, collaboration, and high performance within the workplace.
Major Areas of Responsibility
- • Serve as member of administrative team
- • Collaborate with other program staff to implement a variety of educational programs
- • Manage the Darst Center’s relationships with current and potential participating self-directed group institutions
- • Implement and maintain content management systems for both data collected and physical plant.
- • Participate in the community of the Darst Center as a valuable member
- • Represent the Darst Center professionally to the public
Specific Responsibilities of the Job:
Serve as member of administrative team (10%)
- • Embracing the mission and vision of the Darst Center as a Lasallian Catholic retreat and education center, contribute to overall health of the institution through strategic planning, fundraising, team-building, and reporting
- • Participate in training of staff for capacity building and effectiveness
- • Help to manage, supervise, and evaluate program staff and interns, ensuring position fit and a high standard of performance
Collaborate with other program staff to implement a variety of educational programs (60%)
- • Serve as a lead facilitator for the immersion retreat programs
- • Work together with other staff and volunteers to ensure successful Darst Center programs (Immersion Retreats, Social Justice Workshops, DIG DEEP! Adult Retreat Series, virtual engagements, and other programs)
- • Work together with other staff and volunteers to ensure post-retreat follow-up is timely, provides resources of value, and holds integrity to program vision
Manage the Darst Center’s relationships with current and potential participating group institutions (10%)
- • Manage the calendar of reservations for self-directed groups, thinking creatively as to use of the facility as a resource without overwhelming staff capacity
- • Maintain regular, prompt communication with group moderators to ensure their plans and expectations are known and fulfilled, communicating internally with appropriate staff
- • Oversee the reservation process for each group, including necessary reservation paperwork, student prep materials, retreat scheduling, data entry, and invoicing
- • Coordinate a system of assessment that includes post retreat surveys, internal staff evaluations, and facility reviews
Implement and maintain content management systems for both data collected and physical plant. (10%)
- • Utilize Copper CRM and other data management tools and implement broad use throughout Darst Center systems
- • Identify necessary demographic information to capture from guests and ensure integrity of data
- • Together with the Executive Director, coordinate house inventory, cleaning, and maintenance
- • Together with the Executive Director, manage the Darst Center store.
Participate in the community of the Darst Center as a valuable member (10%)
- • Contribute to weekly Darst Center staff meetings and reflections
- • Offer insights and ideas for Center publications and assist in their production.
- • Participate in fundraising activities (events, appeals, etc.)
- • Maintain an organized and welcoming space in both office and greater Center space
Represent the Darst Center professionally to the public
- • Remain mindful of your connection to the Darst Center when in public settings
Participate in other duties as assigned or skilled
Accountability
The Guest Services Director is hired, supervised and evaluated by, and accountable to the Executive Director.
Who You Are:
- • You are deeply committed to developing the social consciousness of young people, and possess a passion for social justice and building mutual relationship.
- • You are a strong communicator, both through written and verbal formats, confident in your ability to communicate the nuances of the mission of the Center to schools, parishes, and community partners.
- • You possess an acute intuition and ability to read and respond to the needs of people around you.
- • You are an adaptable leader, asset-based thinker, and problem-solver who thrives in an environment where creativity and resourcefulness are key.
- • You are knowledgeable while simultaneously being willing to learn from others including community partners, fellow staff, program participants, and other key stakeholders.
- • You are strategic and detailed, able to dream big and anticipate the many steps necessary to execute ideas.
- • You successfully work both independently as well as in collaboration with other staff members.
What You Bring to the Table:
- • Passion for both social justice education and the Darst Center mission and ability to articulate its philosophy, values, and practices
- • Experience in an educational and/or non-profit setting, preferably with operations, management, and/or curricular experience
- • Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, Google G Suite Applications, and various social media platforms; familiarity with QuickBooks and/or Copper CRM is a plus
- • Creative, strategic, and analytical thinking skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, prioritizing competing responsibilities
- • Ready to contribute to a a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
- • Ability to set and consistently meet deadlines and commitments
- • Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers
- • Excellent customer service orientation
- • Familiarity with / understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and/or the Lasallian charism and comfort working in a faith-based agency
How to Apply
This is a full-time, salaried position offering excellent health benefits, a 403b, paid time off, and professional development opportunities. This position will be remunerated with both a salary as well as stipends for overnight retreat facilitation. The anticipated salary plus stipend range for this position is $51,000 - $56,000. To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to director@darstcenter.org. This position has an anticipated start date of Oct 1, 2025. While there remains the opportunity to occasionally work from home, this position requires running programs in-person in the city of Chicago.