The Board of Directors of San Francisco Zen Center invites qualified candidates to apply for the position of secretary of Zen Center.

The secretary to the Zen Center is the keeper of institutional memory for the board, the officers and directors, and Everyday Inc., acting as minutes-taker at their and other meetings and as information coordinator for their programs and interactions. It is a role intended to provide transparency about administrative decisions for all members of the sangha. The secretary reports directly to the president, who will determine what additional duties the secretary should undertake. (For example: at present the secretary is tasked with administering the foreign student program and supervising Zen Center’s archives.)

Job requirements include skills in listening and note-taking, an ability to write well, competence in computer skills, and a considerable capacity for discretion and confidence-keeping. An orientation to both detail and the unfolding process of Zen Center decision-making is essential, as well as a deep commitment to practice and living in the community. The role is an excellent platform to observe the administrative business of Zen Center for those who might wish to serve Zen Center in this way. It is a level 5 staff position and generally requires a two- to three-year commitment.

All persons who have been a resident of Zen Center for at least five years, who have held at least one senior staff position or had comparable experience, and who are not retirees under the People Policy Guidelines, are eligible to be considered for officer positions. The search committee is open to considering a candidate who is not currently a resident of Zen Center but otherwise meets the minimum eligibility criteria (although it is anticipated that the selected candidate will live in the community). Non-residents interested in the position should contact Dennis.McNally@sfzc.org. Before a person is invited to participate in the interview process, her or his teacher will be consulted.

Prior to an interview, each person will be asked to respond to the invitation indicating their interest in being interviewed, their familiarity with the current vision plan, their availability, and any training they think they might require for the role.

Applicants will be interviewed by a search committee that includes Central Abbess Linda Ruth Cutts, Governance Committee Chair Albert Kutchins, and Board member Dennis McNally. It is their intention to schedule interviews in the near future, with the position potentially beginning this fall.