Position Summary:

Union Theological Seminary is looking for a strategic, savvy, and passionate Associate Director of Communications with demonstrated expertise in social media and innovative digital presence. Reporting to the Vice President of Communications & Marketing, the ideal candidate plays a leading role in increasing visibility, engagement and audience, through social media, blogs/webcast, digital and print content. The Associate Director integrates communications across departments and works closely with colleagues across Union– including development, admissions, faculty and alumni relations. This position directs and manages graduate student interns.

Union Theological Seminary is the oldest private, independent, non-denominational seminary in the United States that fosters intellectual and academic excellence as well as compassionate wisdom. A historically progressive Christian seminary with an increasing commitment to inter-religious engagement, Union trains people of all faiths and none who are called to the work of social justice in the world.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage social media campaigns and accounts across Union Seminary’s platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
• Create compelling online content, editorial calendar, and marketing emails
• Draft on-the-record statements, media advisories, press releases, and story pitches
• Write articles for seminary magazine, and produce video, photos/images for various platforms (web & social media)
• Designs and produces marketing materials
• Support Union events, from planning to promotion to production
• Liaise with Union faculty, staff and students to plan and create content
• Manage and direct department interns
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher, in a related field
• 4-6 years of experience in social media, marketing and communications, preferably with one year in religious/theological, social justice, or higher education setting
• Fluency in Content Management, HTML, Social Media platforms, and InDesign/Adobe Creative Suite and/or Canva
• Photography/video experience (Digital SLR)
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and results-driven
• Excellent organizational, communication and time management skills
• Strong writing skills and attention to detail
• Experience evaluating social media analytics
• Ability to manage and work on multiple projects and initiatives with different (and often changing) deadlines
• Strong knowledge and expertise about the intersection of religion and politics
• A passion for storytelling through multiple media types, both written and visual
• Ability to work well both independently and within a team
• A passion for social justice and action is a must

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior work experience at seminary/divinity school, or religious/faith-affiliated organization
• Degree in Theology, Religious Studies, or similar

Submission Guidelines:

• Resume and Cover letter required

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to utsjobs@uts.columbia.edu and indicate the specific job title in the subject line.

Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York

Founded in 1836, Union Theological Seminary is an independent, multi-denominational seminary in the City of New York. Union’s mission is at once progressive and faith-based: to educate leaders for ministry in churches and society, to extend the work of social justice, and to enrich the academy through teaching and research.

Education at Union is rooted in a critical understanding of the breadth of Christian traditions and is significantly and increasingly instructed by the pluralistic, interfaith reality of the globalized world. Union has nurtured many of the most significant theological voices addressing the most profoundly challenging issues of our contemporary experience: civil rights, women’s equality, ecological justice, and the full inclusion of LGBTQ people in our churches and in our public life.  Now embarking on its 176th year, Union is launching a bold new strategic plan accompanied by a comprehensive campaign to grow Union’s national and global influence as a ground-breaking educational institution forming religious and community leaders to engage the new realities of a diverse, interconnected, and increasingly urban world. As Union moves into this new era, building a world-class, social-justice inspired team is crucial.

Position Summary:

Reporting directly to the Vice President for Admissions and Financial Aid, the Enrollment Coordinator, Admissions and Financial Aid participates in the day-to-day operations of Union Theological Seminary’s admissions and financial aid office, which processes inquiries from prospective students to the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, Master of Sacred Theology and doctoral programs for a nationally recognized theology program with an enrollment of approximately 250 students. Responsibilities include fielding general admissions and financial inquiries from prospective and current students, following up with incomplete admission and financial aid applications, entering enrollment and financial aid data into the college’s student information system, providing administrative support to the admissions, financial aid and enrollment process, and helping maintain records.

This position will be full time.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Admissions Operations

• Provide student-centered, excellent customer service, welcoming students, faculty, and staff in person and through telephone and email
• Respond to daily mail, e-mail, telephone, and in-person requests from prospective students. Provide prospective students with guidance on completing admission, financial aid, and other related enrollment paperwork by assessing needs and asking appropriate questions.
• Receive enrollment documents submitted by students (applications, transcripts, test scores, financial aid supporting documents, etc.) in the student information system, evaluate for completion and forward to counterparts in the Registrar’s or Academic Office as needed.
• Communicate with all applicants that have started the application process about application components, timelines, and procedures and update them on what components we have received.
• Manage process to upload enrolled student data into the student information system and generate university identification numbers for all incoming students in a timely manner
• Prepare complete admissions applications for distribution to faculty admissions committee members.

Financial Aid Operations

• In conjunction with the Director of Financial Aid and Business Operations, process institutional scholarships, service positions, work study positions, teaching positions, awards, and stipends through PowerFAIDS for approximately 250 enrolled students.
• Collect, review, correct, and verify financial aid information. Research and resolve related problems. Track and maintain all financial aid records, including student loan promissory notes
• Advise current and prospective students on the financial aid process and matters concerning the cost of attending and available resources (application, eligibility, programs, etc.)
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of Federal and State financial aid programs, polices, and regulations

Administrative Support

• Provide general administrative support to the Vice President of Admissions and Financial Aid
• Assist with day-to-day administration and the school’s admissions or financial aid office.

Other responsibilities

• Maintain confidentiality of student records by following FERPA regulations, carefully monitoring student records at the workstation for security, and properly store all student records
• Maintain sensitivity, understanding and respect for a diverse academic environment, inclusive of students, faculty, and staff of varying social, economic, cultural, ideological, religious, and ethnic backgrounds
• When needed, participate in campus visitation programs, new student orientations, campus retention programs, and commencement events

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree required. Two years of experience required. Demonstrated accuracy in handling detailed work required. Demonstrated superior customer service and interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication skills required. Strong organizational skills required. Must demonstrate strong computer skills. Experience with PowerFAIDS preferred; experience with Salesforce EnrollmentRx and Blackbaud preferred. Excellent proofreading/editing skills required. Must be able to work under pressure on concurrent projects with frequent interruptions and minimal supervision.

Submission of a cover letter with a current resume is required.

Hiring Policy:

Union Theological Seminary, an equal opportunity employer, seeks a racially diverse, broadly representative faculty, staff, and student body that is sensitive to cross cultural issues. The Union Theological Seminary community is diverse not only in race, age, gender, and sexuality, but also in geography, background, perspective, denomination, and even faith traditions. Union is set in the urban environment of New York City, which is a microcosm of the world, a place where the local and the global intersect. The seminary enjoys cooperative relations with other academic, cultural and church institutions in the Morningside Heights/Harlem neighborhood, as well as in the greater New York area and elsewhere.

Department: Academic Affairs
Reports to: Dean/Vice President of Academic Affairs

Description of Position: The Dean of Chapel oversees the worship and spiritual life of the seminary. Working with the seminary’s multi-religious constituencies and appropriate groups, the Dean of Chapel assesses and facilitates worship needs of the whole community, supporting students in their liturgical and homiletical learning, and making provision for the ongoing spiritual care needs of students.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Oversight of Worship and Chapel Events
  • Plan, Implement, and Evaluate Daily Chapel
    • Attendance at all chapel services and public liturgical events is required.
    • Develop a schedule and provide planning, implementation and evaluation of daily chapel worship:
    • As Chapel functions as a laboratory for student leadership in preaching and worship, the Dean of Chapel organizes, gathers, and facilitates theological/ spiritual and liturgical reflection with student caucuses and other student groups (including denominational/specific faith traditions); and with faculty and their classes, for regularly scheduled 1) pre-planning, 2) implementation, and 3) post-evaluation of daily chapel services, in close consultation with full-time worship and homiletics faculty.
    • Schedule and provide planning and support for outside preachers, artists, and other guest worship leaders:
      • Coordinate music with planning groups and professional musicians
      • Publicize chapels within the seminary and externally as appropriate
      • Attend daily chapel and lead/preside in worship as appropriate
  • Manage Worship Office
    • Hire, train, and manage 3-5 student Chapel Ministers
    • Hire: advertise, interview in the Spring of each year
    • Train:
      • Worship planning facilitation
      • Chapel technical systems
      • Creation of ritual objects and worship environment
      • Critical skills for worship evaluation
    • Manage:
      • Convene weekly staff meeting
      • Assign staff responsibilities
      • Collect and report timesheets
      • Appraise performance
      • Address employee complaints and problems
    • Oversee the Worship Office and related budgets
      • Process check requisitions
      • Monitor departmental budgets
      • Process payments for worship and music related expenses of special events (Commencement, Convocation, faculty inaugurations, etc.)
      • Hire, train, and manage Work Study/student staff, as available, to assist with office work.
  • Steward James Chapel, its technical systems, and musical instruments
    • Coordinate with the VP of Buildings and Grounds for the ongoing care and maintenance of James Chapel
    • Monitor and recommend updates to the technical systems of the chapel (lighting, audio, video, and media)
    • Provide for the regular tuning, maintenance, and purchase of chapel pianos and organ
      • Arrange for and monitor the use of chapel instruments by outside individuals and groups
  • Manage Seminary Music Programs
    • Hire and manage directors for the seminary choir and Gospel Choir
    • Hire and manage accompanist/s for Daily Chapel
    • Facilitate collaboration between worship planners and musicians
    • Produce concerts of the Seminary and Gospel Choir
    • Provide for substitutes as necessary
  • Facilitate Theology and the Arts program
    • Produce art exhibits in James Chapel/on campus:
      • Receive portfolios
      • Negotiate contracts
      • Arrange for and promote opening reception
      • Install art with the assistance of the artist and chapel staff
        • Produce concerts and other performances for the benefit of the seminary community
        • In collaboration with the worship faculty, help identify mentors and practical opportunities for students engaged in ongoing training in the arts; and drawing on designated funds, develop short and long-term artistic residencies
  • Take the Lead in Planning Special Events:
    • In cooperation with the Professor of Worship, the President’s Office, and the Academic Office, prepare special events of the seminary (and attendant planning meetings, rehearsals, side events, etc.) including Convocation, Commencement, Union Days, Faculty Inaugurations, Memorial Services, Union Medal, Admitted Students Day, etc.
• Oversight of Spiritual Formation Programs:
  • Develop, support, and supervise programs to meet the multi-religious, community-wide, small group, and individual religious and spiritual needs of students and the seminary community.
    • Coordinate and oversee professional spiritual care providers/small group facilitators from diverse faith traditions
    • Develop programs focused on spirituality for students and the community and facilitate and provide support for student-led programs (e.g., workshops, retreats, &/or arrange training and supervision of peer spiritual care teams, etc.)
  • Identify and meet needs re: shared concerns for students’ spiritual and emotional needs, referring students to the Dean of Students for outside referrals when necessary.
  • Communicate emergency/crisis needs promptly to the Academic Dean and Dean of Students for appropriate intervention.
• Other Responsibilities:
  • Collaborate as a member of the Academic Office and wider seminary community, and meet regularly with the Dean and other members of the Academic Office team as needed.
  • Participate ex officio (with voice, no vote) in meetings of the Practical Theology Field faculty for purposes of planning, curriculum coordination, and mentoring of students, and attend open portions of faculty meetings ex officio.
  • Attend the seminary Executive Team, the PAT, the Committee on Spiritual Formation, and attend or consult to other seminary committees and team meetings as needed.
  • Build relationships with communities beyond Union:
    • Arrange for the participation of alumni/ae in Union worship
    • Facilitate opportunities for students to participate in the development of worship in congregations and other settings
    • Preach, lead worship, perform, and teach worship planning workshops in congregations
    • Relate/report as needed to judicatory bodies in denominations and faith traditions with whom the seminary contracts to train students for ordained ministry
    • Participate in relevant professional organizations/conferences for professional development
    • Serve as a liaison and resource to external organizations and build interfaith and inter-seminary relationships on behalf of the seminary on matters related to worship

EDUCATION AND DIRECT EXPERIENCE

• MDiv or equivalent required, with focus/concentration in worship. PhD in a relevant discipline desirable.
• 3-5 years’ experience in the design and leading of worship across Christian denominations and multi-faith settings, and in diverse multi-cultural contexts.
• 3-5 years’ experience in providing professional spiritual or pastoral care or counseling; certificate or specialized training in spiritual direction/spiritual care/pastoral counseling desirable.
• Experience and training in the arts desirable.
• Experience and/or understanding of disability needs relating to worship and spiritual care desirable.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated creativity and imagination with openness to a variety of worship expressions and theologies, including expansive knowledge of and experience with the history and practice of liturgy and ritual.
• Demonstrated training and experience in theory and practice of spiritual care/pastoral care and counseling, and knowledge of the field of pastoral theology. Some mental health and/or crisis training and small group facilitation desirable.
• Demonstrated capacity to work collegially and model collaborative leadership and planning.
• Administrative experience to manage staff, maintain a budget, and interact regularly with departments across the seminary
• Competency with software and hardware necessary to support daily worship events including some familiarity with design and production programs necessary to support chapel events (such as Photoshop, InDesign, Finale, video editors, and other media presentation software)
• Some familiarity with the technical systems for the production of live performance and an ability to supervise their use: lighting, sound, video, media production, and staging
• A note re: physical demands: Although there is opportunity for the Dean of Chapel to assist in the preparation of the worship space (moving chairs and other liturgical furniture, hanging banners, rigging lights, etc.), these physical activities are not a requirement of the position. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

To apply, send cover letter and resume/CV to utsjobs@uts.columbia.edu.

Union Theological Seminary seeks applicants for an open rank appointment in homiletics. The candidates we seek to attract will articulate, in varied, creative, and collaborative ways, the significance of scripture and theology rooted in Christian tradition and the proclamation of justice (ecclesially and societally). We imagine them to be negotiators of how their expertise will relate to the regular life of the Seminary chapel, which has a long tradition of formation of ministers and social activists in the context of a progressive and interreligious school.  The position will offer possibilities for teaching a range of required and elective courses in the MDiv and MA curriculum, as well as doctoral level courses and advisement of students. Senior candidates may be eligible for the Joe R. Engle Chair in Preaching.

Successful candidates should:

1. Have a proven track record of excellence in their field, including scholarly publication and leadership/active participation in related academic guilds.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of homiletic theory, literature, and practices across a wide range of traditions and cultures.
3. Work collaboratively with colleagues in the Seminary’s biblical and other fields.
4. Demonstrate a sensitive awareness and pedagogical competency in addressing race, class, gender, sexuality, abilities, and other markers of social difference, as realities that govern the shaping and communication of the theory and praxis of their discipline.
5. Have experience within and/or willingness to engage in an interreligious seminary situated in a global and multi-religious city.
6. Demonstrate a commitment to the realities of our increasingly fragile earth and be aware of climate crisis and its challenges for local communities.
7. Demonstrate familiarity with artistic expressions, performance, ritual and cultural studies and know how to bring these fields to bear on the work of preaching.
8. Demonstrate familiarity with, and skills in, new communications technology and social media.
9. Cultivate students who can speak in a significant public voice to the moral, social and theological issues of our times.

Union Theological Seminary, an equal opportunities employer, seeks a racially diverse, broadly representative faculty, that is sensitive to cross-cultural issues.

Applications should be submitted to: Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper-White, Dean of Academic Affairs, c/o Alma L. Matos, Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, New York, NY. 10027. Materials may also be submitted electronically to: amatos@uts.columbia.edu.  Review of applications will begin Nov. 1 and will continue until position is filled.  Initial interviews will take place at the American Academy of Religion in San Diego and the Academy of Homiletics in New Brunswick, NJ.