Project & Partnerships Operations Manager

Job Title: Project & Partnerships Operations Manager

Reporting Relationship: Director 21st Century Church

Unit: Wesley Seminary

Department: 21st Century Church-Wesley Seminary

Campus Location: Wesley Seminary, Marion, IN

Summary of Position:    We are seeking a highly organized, proactive, and mission-aligned 21CC Project & Partner Operations Manager to serve as the executional backbone of the 21st Century Church Initiative (21CC). This role is responsible for overseeing project timelines, coordinating team workflows, managing communication across key initiatives, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring the Director and team are positioned to deliver on strategic goals.

The successful candidate will be a natural collaborator and systems thinker, with a passion for bringing innovative ministry and learning initiatives to life. You basically, “make it happen”—you initiate support and freely assist in the implementation of an idea or solution; you commit to ensuring that an idea or solution gets completed and that desired results are achieved.
You’ll work closely with the Content Operations & Community Manager (COCM) and stakeholders to ensure all 21CC initiatives—including Lantern, SPI, and MILI—run smoothly, stay on track, and remain aligned with mission and metrics.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Project Coordination Across All 21CC Initiatives
  • Develop and maintain a centralized project dashboard tracking progress for Lantern, SPI, and MILI
  • Coordinate initiative timelines, milestone deliverables, and risk mitigation plans across all internal roles and external collaborators
  • Facilitate regular cross-functional check-ins and working sessions to drive clarity and accountability
  • Prepare and share initiative-wide progress updates with the Director and leadership team on a regular cadence
    
    
• Team Workflow Integration
  • Ensure smooth handoffs and sequencing between content production, event execution, and marketing campaigns
  • Track interdependencies and flag potential resource conflicts across initiatives
  • Liaise between internal teams and external contractors to keep workstreams synchronized
• Operations, Documentation, & Systems Management
  • Maintain comprehensive documentation of meetings, decisions, workflows, and strategic plans
  • Create templates, tools, and processes that support repeatable, scalable execution across 21CC initiatives
  • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency in planning, budgeting, and initiative rollout
    
    
• Strategic Support to Director
  • Translate visionary goals into tactical work plans and MOUs with clear owners and timelines
  • Track action items and follow-ups from strategic conversations and ensure they are completed in a timely manner
  • Support the Director with calendar coordination, meeting prep, communication tracking, and special projects as needed

Qualifications: According to Indiana Wesleyan University employment policy all employees must possess a strong Christian commitment and adhere to the standards outlined in the IWU Community Lifestyle Statement.

Education

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in a related area, e.g., business, marketing

Experience

• Three to five (3-5) years’ experience in project coordination, operations, or executive support (ministry, nonprofit, academic, or edtech settings preferred)
• Strong proficiency in project management tools (e.g., Monday.com, Asana, Airtable) and collaborative platforms (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills with a detail-oriented mindset
• Confident communicator with ability to engage across teams, roles, and leadership levels
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity, identifying gaps, and building solutions
• Aligned with the values and mission of a faith-based, ministry-centered organization

Required Skills

• Lantern, SPI, and MILI initiatives are executed on time, on budget, and in alignment with strategic goals
• COCM role is well-supported, with interdependencies clearly mapped and monitored
• The Director is freed from tactical oversight and empowered to focus on strategy, partnerships, and vision
• Meetings, decisions, and follow-ups are documented, tracked, and executed reliably
• Project tracking tools and dashboards provide clear visibility to leadership and stakeholders
• The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being per