Assistant Director, Center for Spiritual and Religious Life Position Available In Davidson, Tennessee

Assistant Director, Center for Spiritual and Religious Life Vanderbilt University – 3.9

Nashville, TN Job Details Full-time Estimated:

$64.3K – $81.6K a year 12 hours ago Qualifications Religion Master’s degree Master of Divinity 1 year Senior level

Divinity Full Job Description Position Summary:

The Assistant University Chaplain and Assistant Director of Religious Life is part of the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life in the Belonging and Communities cluster at Vanderbilt University and is a key contributor to the administrative, programmatic, and pastoral responsibilities of the office. This position contributes to the programmatic and pastoral work of the office by focusing on spiritual/faith formation, diversity, multicultural learning, and inclusive excellence. Reporting directly to the Director and Senior Associate Chaplain of the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life, the Assistant University Chaplain and Assistant Director of Religious Life will build collaborative partnerships with groups and offices at Vanderbilt and advocacy and service organizations beyond campus in order to advance spirituality, diversity, multicultural learning, and inclusive excellence. About the

Work Unit:

The Center for Spiritual and Religious Life leads spiritual and religious formation opportunities for students and other Vanderbilt community members; encourages the ongoing development of interfaith literacy and dialogue; promotes reflection on ethical questions and issues of values and purpose; and prepares students to lead in a religiously pluralistic world.

About Student Affairs:

Student Affairs serves a central role in student learning and development at Vanderbilt, advancing the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. Student Affairs at Vanderbilt cultivates vibrant, inclusive communities that foster a student’s sense of belonging and wellbeing through collaborative partnerships, transformative learning experiences, and an accessible and holistic network of resources. We value connection, belonging, compassion, development, and innovation. Our staff are committed to continued growth in knowledge, awareness, skills, and experience engaging with these priorities in a higher education environment.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Administration and Management Serve as a liaison to historically underrepresented religious and spiritual communities at Vanderbilt, including by collaborating with student and alumni groups that support various cultural, racial, spiritual and ethnic identities. Cultivate partnerships with local social impact organizations that support underserved religious and spiritual communities, fostering opportunities for collaboration, engagement, and mutual learning. Supervise undergraduate student workers and/or Divinity School interns, providing clear performance expectations, effective feedback, and development opportunities. Supervise financial management of student organization accounts and work with the Director to set department budget and management of expenses. Help provide vision, leadership and oversight for religious life at Vanderbilt. Help in the creation, development, and implementation of the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life strategic plan. Work on collaborative programing with campus partners, especially other offices in Communities and Belonging Represent CSRL on university committees. Programmatic and Pastoral Functioning Support religious and non-religious members of the Vanderbilt campus by demonstrating openness to faith claims from all traditions. Ensure that all religious organizations and their professional representatives comply with the University’s policy on Solicitation and Religious Activities, as well as the University’s policy on nondiscrimination. Promote and support efforts that increase interfaith dialogue and encourage multi-faith encounters through purposeful programming. Provide pastoral counseling including response during times of crisis and critical need. Be available for one-to-one pastoral care, group reflection exercises, group bereavement support (in conjunction with GriefNet and the chaplains), and discussions on religious discernment and spiritual formation. Develop and manage spiritual retreats, community meditations, and/or prayer services. Design and implement an Interfaith Chaplain Assistants Program to support religious literacy, interfaith engagement, and student leadership development across diverse spiritual and cultural traditions. Develop and lead national and international student pilgrimages that explore the intersections of culture, spirituality, and religion, fostering experiential learning and intercultural understanding. Maintain membership with at least one national professional campus chaplaincy organization. Foster and maintain relationships with various religious communities throughout the city of Nashville and, when possible, engage in community service activities. Keep aware of current social trends, movements, controversies, and directions in order to make relevant commentary and interface between matters of faith and culture. Embody the professional code and conduct of a religious profession by maintaining an active connection with a sending agency or body of ordination. Programming and Student Advising Facilitate informal and formal programs and discussions that address relevant and pertinent diversity issues centered on spirituality along with inclusion, identity, and purpose Provide advocacy and support, along with other Religious Life staff and affiliate chaplains, for individuals and student groups including advising and referral, as appropriate, on religious issues and bias-related incidents. Support student initiatives regarding religious and spiritual education. Develop and lead training/retreats for student organizations and their officers. Advise student religious life organizations and assist students with planning and executing major events sponsored by student religious life organizations. Advise student religious life organizations on the development and implementation of organizational goals and missions. Assist student religious life organization executive boards in the management/publicity of their organizations and execution of programming initiatives. Attend student religious life organization meetings as needed to establish programming calendar for the academic year. Inform students in a timely manner of changes to student organization policies and procedures. Prepare monthly budget reports with center fund balances and transactions for each student organization. Divisional Responsibilities Serve on divisional committees and working groups to enrich the experience and resources available to staff across the division. Participate in division wide events as needed to support colleagues and ensure these events run smoothly. Maintain an understanding of institutional and departmental financial policies related to areas such as travel, procurement, expense, and time reporting to ensure compliance and proper stewardship of university resources. Demonstrate a willingness to support colleagues across the division in order to encourage the implementation or fulfillment of divisional goals and strategic priorities.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position has supervisory responsibility of student workers and/or Divinity School interns; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of the Center for Spiritual and Religious Life.

Education and Certifications:

A Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree or equivalent professional degree is required. Certificate, advanced coursework, and/or academic background in diversity and multi-cultural engagement is preferred. Successful completion of one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at a center accredited by the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) is strongly preferred. Ordination or equivalent recognition by a community of faith is preferred.

Experience and Skills:

At least one to three years of relevant experience is required. Acknowledgement and acceptance of diverse views of religion and faith is necessary. Competency working with students of different cultural, ethnic, racial, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds is strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience with developing, implementing, and evaluating programs, specifically those focused on spirituality, diversity, multicultural learning, social justice, and inclusive excellence is strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience with completing projects from inception to implementation is strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience with cultivating collaborative interpersonal relationships with internal and external constituencies is strongly preferred.