Nestled in the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridgecrest Conference Center is dedicated to impacting lives for God's glory through purposeful hospitality. With stunning mountain views, hiking trails, and exceptional facilities, Ridgecrest offers everything needed for meaningful gatherings, including comfortable guest rooms, versatile meeting spaces, and both indoor and outdoor activities. We are driven by values like serving others, making it better, cultivating relationships and creating purposeful experiences that matter.

If you have a passion for serving others, joining the Ridgecrest team could be your opportunity to make a difference while working in a beautiful place.

Program Overview

An internship at Ridgecrest Conference Center offers a unique opportunity to grow professionally, spiritually, and personally. Interns receive on-the-job training and develop skills needed to thrive in a fast-paced Christian hospitality environment. The program includes weekly Bible study and fellowship with other team members, providing enrichment and service opportunities for growth and development. Team managers and supervisors will coordinate your work schedule, daily responsibilities, and special project assignments.

Program Highlights

• Duration: End of August through the beginning of May.
• Hours: Vary based on business conditions; availability for day or evening shifts, weekends, and holidays is required.
• Compensation: $10 per hour stipend.
• Housing: Provided for the duration of the internship.
• Meals: Lunch provided daily in the Dining Hall (except Sundays); breakfast and lunch provided when serving meals to guests on campus.

Responsibilities

Are you ready to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic food service operation within a Christian setting? Our Food Service internship offers an excellent opportunity to learn and work across various functions of a large-scale operation. This role will help you develop essential customer service and organizational skills while working as part of a diverse and supportive team.

Key Areas of Experience:

• Front of House/Catering: Engage in buffet line operations in the dining room and assist with catered events throughout the campus.
• Outlets: Gain experience in quick service operations, including our coffee shop (Clouds) and ice cream shop (Nibblenook).
• Kitchen/Back of House: Enhance your culinary skills through cooking and baking, managing various levels of guest volume.

Interns will be assigned a primary area of responsibility—for example, a Back of House intern will primarily work in the kitchen. However, all food service interns are expected to be flexible and willing to assist in other areas as needed. This cross-functional support is essential during peak times or special events and ensures a smooth and unified team operation.

Throughout this internship, you will regularly learn and apply customer service techniques, ensuring a comprehensive and enriching experience. If you are eager to learn, ready to serve, and excited to work hard, we invite you to apply and join our dedicated team!

Basic Qualifications

• Desire to work and learn in the food service and hospitality industry
• Excellent customer service skills and positive interaction with customers/guests
• Sincere desire to serve others with excellence and grace
• Excellent communication skills, self-motivated, and willing to serve guests with a positive attitude
• Must be flexible, dependable, and organized – willing to learn and work in different areas of the Food Service team
• Eligible to work in the United States
• Able to perform duties in a manner reflecting good stewardship of time and resources
• Able to work in a high-volume setting with the goals of accuracy, speed of service, and food safety
• High school graduate or GED required

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous hospitality, food service, or catering experience preferred

Physical Requirements

• Ability to carry or deliver items around various areas of our campus with varying degrees of steepness
• Must be physically able to lift weights up to 50 pounds
• Must have manual dexterity sufficient to use kitchen utensils and equipment
• Ability to stand for long periods, and be able to stoop, squat, and climb as necessary
• Walking and standing on hard floors for long periods of time
• Ability to work in environments with varying temperatures, including hot conditions in the kitchen (due to ovens, stoves, and grills) and cold conditions in refrigeration units, freezers, or cold storage areas.