Program Manager, ELCA Leadership Network

Job Type Full-time, Contract Description

  

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,600 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

The Lutheran Center (national office) is located in Chicago, Illinois. A staff of approximately 400, under the leadership of the Presiding Bishop, serve as administrators, advisors, conveners, partners, and resource people for the ELCA and its ministries. Staff lead the work of national, domestic, and global ministries and programs including Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA World Hunger, Service & Justice, Christian Community and Leadership, and Innovation.  We are also home to five of our separately incorporated ministries: The Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA, Women of the ELCA, Lutheran Men in Mission, the ELCA Foundation and the ELCA Federal Credit Union.

About the position

Grounded in our purpose and priorities, the Christian Community and Leadership (CCL) home area helps the ELCA to reach new people, especially those who are disproportionately missing from our pews and gatherings - younger and more diverse people. We invite all to create conditions so that we can strengthen our existing congregations and grow younger, ethnically diverse, economically diverse, and among the LGBTQIA+ community. 

This position will work closely with the Director of Fund for Leaders and relevant staff on the Young Adult Communities team to activate and engage our core membership and work with the whole of the ELCA to recruit, develop, and deploy the leadership, both lay and rostered, that the church needs to fulfill its purpose of establishing and growing Christian communities and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. With the support of existing churchwide staff they will create, grow, and maintain an online leadership network platform. Through active communication, resource sharing, logistics coordination and program development facilitation, this position will nurture new and existing partnerships between the churchwide office and all those across the ELCA ecology who engage in the work of identifying and equipping leaders, particularly camps, campus ministries, and synod candidacy staff.   

  

This is a full-time, term-contract, exempt, remote position. 

The eligibility of a candidate for remote or hybrid positions may depend on the residency of the candidate, and the budget for the role, including salary or pay, insurance coverage, and/or tax burden. Candidates for this position must reside within the fifty United States or the District of Columbia and be authorized to work lawfully in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

1. Creates and manages content for the ELCA Leadership Network supporting several churchwide teams over multiple home areas, currently Young Adult Communities, Fund for Leaders, and ELCA World Hunger.

2. Onboards and trains new external partners (i.e. camp program staff and campus ministry staff) on how to use the Hivebrite platform for communicating with their staff/students. Approves new platform users in a timely manner. 

3. Provides active participants on the ELCA Leadership Network with resources and leadership development opportunities in coordination with relevant partners, especially the Young Adult Communities team.

4. Develops new and relevant educational opportunities and networking events for the Hivebrite platform by collaborating with ELCA staff from various teams within the churchwide organization home areas.

5. Maintains information on professional job opportunities in the ELCA Leadership Network on Hivebrite and takes the lead in proposing and implementing design changes that make the platform more user friendly.

6. Collects resources related to vocational discernment from across the church, including ecumenical partners, and communicates them via all the appropriate platforms: Leadership Network, www.journi.faith website, synod communicators, individual team newsletters, social media, etc.

7. Directs content and strategy for engagement for