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Boston College Introduction

Founded in 1863, Boston College is a Jesuit, Catholic university located six miles from downtown Boston with an enrollment of 9,654 full-time undergraduates and 5,072 graduate and professional students. Ranked 37 among national universities, Boston College has 923 full-time and 1,336 FTE faculty, 2,822 non-faculty employees, an operating budget of $1.4 billion, and an endowment in excess of $3.9 billion.

Job Description

The Assistant Program Director of So I Send You will facilitate and contribute to the design, execution, and evaluation of this transformative initiative to implement the fruits of the synod locally, empowering church leaders to embody communion, participation, and mission at all levels of pastoral life. This five-year project of the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry (CSTM) will offer formative experiences to 160 pastoral leaders (both ordained and lay) from 16 parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (RCAB), organized into four cohorts over four years.

The project includes eight multilingual educational sessions: four workshops, one retreat, one annual ministry renewal day, one evaluation summit, and one online course. The grant also provides opportunities for theological and pastoral engagement at the parish-level for CSTM faculty and students, as well as possibilities for candidates from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (RCAB) to pursue degree programs at the CSTM. All activities will encourage efforts towards the implementation of the kind of pastoral leadership described by the recent Synod on Synodality (16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 2021-2024).

The Assistant Program Director is pivotal in shaping and implementing the program from its inception. Reporting to the Clough School Special Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives and working closely with the Dean and Associate Dean for Finance and Administration, s/he will collaborate with Clough School faculty and administrators and key partners within the RCAB to implement the various components of this initiative. Key responsibilities include facilitating and contributing to the design of program structures, recruitment and engagement of participating parish leaders, and overseeing the development of a general curriculum on Synodality to be used throughout ecclesial communities within the Archdiocese of Boston and beyond.

This role requires strategic planning, content creation and evaluation, recruitment, communication, a depth of knowledge of, appreciation for, and commitment to Catholicism and the Roman Catholic Church, notably a fair knowledge and appreciation of the local Church in Boston, and a deep understanding of and appreciation for Roman Catholic polity overall.

This is a grant funded position with funding through December 2030.

Reporting Relationship

Reports to the Clough School Special Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives with a dotted line to the Associate Dean for Finance and Administration.

Position Scope/Size Parameters

The Assistant Program Director holds primary responsibility for contributing to the development, execution, and evaluation for the overall success of the So I Send You program. The Assistant Program Director’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to: fostering relationships with institutional partners within Boston College and the RCAB; developing multilingual programmatic content for the parish-based modules and retreats; collaborating with Clough School faculty and administrators for Continuing Education lectures and courses as well as for the recruitment of So I Send You Fellows and Student Accompanists; supervising a graduate assistant for So I Send You; and overseeing the development of a curriculum to be used in parishes across the RCAB. The Assistant Program Director will collaborate with the Special Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives to ensure seamless execution of all program components.

Key administrative duties include contributing to the design and overseeing the implementation of a cohesive, impactful one-year program for participants from select parishes of the RCAB, which will repeat for a total of four cohorts by December 2030. Other administrative duties include management of the program budget, including fiscal and narrative reporting requirements, with the Special Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives and the Associate Dean for Finance and Administration, hiring graduate students or staff as needed, evaluating program components year over year, and organizing meetings, events, and retreats.

Essential Functions

Program Development and Execution 70%

Contribute to the design and oversee the implementation of the multilingual programmatic content for the parish-based modules and retreats

Engage Faculty Leads and Facilitators for in-person sessions

Develop written materials

Coordinate translation of content and materials into five languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole

Collaborate with Clough School faculty and administrators for Continuing Education lectures and courses as well as for the recruitment of So I Send You Fellows and Student Accompanists

Oversee the development of a So I Send You curriculum to be used in parishes across the RCAB, including hiring and supervising a General Editor and content experts

Manage all aspects of program execution, including content creation, event planning, and operational logistics

Program Assessment and Evaluation 10%

Develop assessment tools

Utilize feedback to refine and enhance program components and inform long-term planning

Budget Management 10%

Annual Reporting 5%

Prepare and submit detailed annual reports to the Lilly Endowment, showcasing program outcomes, financial accountability, and areas of growth

Ensure all reporting is accurate, timely, and aligned with grant requirements

Participate in the overall life of CSTM 5%

Full-Time Equivalent Hiring Range: $59,400 to $74,250; salary commensurate with relevant experience.

Requirements

The Assistant Program Director should possess:

Adaptability, flexibility, and strong judgment skills

Ability to think quickly and good problem solving skills

Pastoral sensitivity, warmth and diligence to questions, issues, and challenges related to parish and ecclesial life and ministries

Creative responses to institutional, financial, logistical, and interpersonal challenges

Minimum Qualifications

University Core Competencies

Teamwork, Customer Focus, Continuous Learning, Decision Making/Problem Solving, Communication, Applying Technology, Valuing Community, Big Picture Perspective, Openness to Change, Productivity, People Development, Ethical Leadership, and Accountability.

Functional and Technical Competencies

Program and/or Event Management experience required.

Strong leadership skills and experience contributing to the creation of a new program.

Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy.

Strong ability to prioritize, handle multiple tasks, work independently as well as work as part of a team and meet deadlines.

Excellent judgment, discretion with confidential materials, and ability to navigate stakeholder feedback and requests.

Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills in English.

Cultural competency and sensitivity, with sensitivity to linguistic ability preferred.

Knowledge of and commitment to formative theological education for ministry in the Roman Catholic tradition.

A depth of knowledge of, appreciation for, and commitment to Catholicism and the Roman Catholic Church.

An understanding of Roman Catholic polity.

Prior engagement with and understanding of RCAB preferred.

Education/Training and Certification, Licensure, Registration Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required with a strong preference for a background in theology, education, or administration; Master’s degree preferred.

Any certification or attestation in pastoral ministry, adult faith formation, or intercultural competency is a plus.

Experience working in an educational environment preferred.

Event and/or program management experience required.

Experience

The candidate should have at least 1-3 years of increasingly responsible professional experience, preferably in secondary and/or higher education; program and/or event experience; excellent communication skills, both written and oral; detail-oriented; adept at problem-solving; creative; able to work effectively in a team, as well as independently; able to work well with various groups of people; have demonstrated leadership; knowledgeable about and experience of pastoral life within the Roman Catholic Church, in particular the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.

Exceptional Work Schedule Demands

This position will involve regular weekend work as well as occasional night and overnight work.

This is a grant-funded position with funding through December 2030.

Closing Statement

Boston College offers a broad and competitive range of benefits depending on your job classification eligibility:

+ Tuition remission for Employees

+ Tuition remission for Spouses and Children who meet eligibility requirements

+ Generous Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

+ Low-Cost Life Insurance

+ Eligibility for both University-Funded 401k and Employer-Sponsored 403b Retirement Plans

+ Paid Holidays Annually

+ Generous Sick and Vacation Pay

+ Additional benefits can be found on https://www.bc.edu/employeehandbook

Boston College conducts pre-employment background checks as part of the hiring process.

Boston College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected category, including disability and protected veteran status. Boston College's Notice of Nondiscrimination can be viewed at https://www.bc.edu/nondiscrimination .