Who We Are The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica is a vibrant home for liberal religion on the Westside of Los Angeles. Each week, about 150 adults and children attend our Sunday worship services, including music and religious education programming. Our congregation strives to be an agent of transformation, central in individual people's lives and in the community at large. We desire to reflect our larger community and its diversity and to be a place where people feel welcome, well connected, valued, and loved. Music is vital to the ministry of this congregation. Sunday worship service includes congregational singing of hymns, meditations, rounds, and/or sung refrains. Each service also includes music on piano, silence and sometimes additional instruments. Four paid staff singers/section leaders sing weekly; a volunteer adult choir, supplemented by the paid section leaders, sings 2-3 services a month. There are weekly rehearsals Occasional services include visiting choirs from local congregations or guest musicians. Who We Seek We seek an experienced and highly skilled Director of Music with the ability to skillfully conduct the choir and lead congregational singing. The successful candidate will have a compelling and collaborative leadership style, excellent communication skills, great conducting ability, a working knowledge of vocal technique, basic keyboard proficiency, and a stylistically diverse repertoire of music literature appropriate for Unitarian Universalist worship. The Director of Music directs the choir, including weekly choir rehearsal, selection of thematically appropriate music for worship, and performance. The Director of Music leads the congregation in singing during the Sunday morning services. The Director of Music works with the Music Committee to plan musical events at the church and supports the participation of children and youth in the musical life of the church. The Director of Music reports to and works closely with the Minister; together they collaborate with lay church leaders to create Sunday worship (Worship Associates Team). Time Commitment Part-time non-exempt hourly position of 20 hours per week Year-round with 2 weeks paid vacation in the summer Sunday Services meets 10:30-11:45 am; service preparation at 9:30 am Thursday rehearsals: 7:30 pm until 9:15 pm (September-June) Weekly meetings with the Minister Annual Choir Retreat, Christmas Eve Services, Fall and Spring Concert, and other musical fundraisers and presentations as appropriate Quarterly meetings with the music committee, other meetings as necessary Monthly or quarterly full staff meetings

Optional:

Attend Association for UU Music Ministries (AUUMM) conferences Responsibilities and Duties Supervise, direct, and evaluate all personnel reporting to the Music Director including Church Accompanist and paid Choir Section Leaders Direct the choir at weekly rehearsal, Sunday morning services 2-3 times a month, and occasional special performances Collaborate with tech team to create slides for hymns, provide appropriate music credits, and make sure audio equipment is well-maintained, able to provide music to the online stream Supervise and oversee maintenance of church musical instruments, including but not limited to the piano and organ Attend weekly planning meetings with the Minister Select and procure appropriate choral music and coordinate with the Minister on selection of music for the Sunday morning services and other performances Plan and direct music for Christmas Eve services and other special annual events in coordination with the Minister Organize and lead Choir Retreat Maintain the music library and/or recruit volunteers to do so Develop and manage budgets for the music program Oversee professional substitutions for scheduled absence of paid musical personnel Remain a member in good standing of theçand comply with the Code of Professional Practices Preferred Qualifications Experience leading a church music program Experience as a choral director Experience as a professional church musician (section leader, accompanist, or staff singer) Familiarity with traditional, contemporary, and stylistically diverse repertoire of choral literature Skillful leadership of congregational singing in a variety of styles Excellent sight reading skills Basic piano proficiency Strong communication and interpersonal skills Ability to provide music in a multiplatform worship environment Willingness to learn new technology Ability to inspire, motivate, support, and manage music staff and volunteers Respect for Unitarian Universalist values and principles Bachelors Degree in Music or equivalent Additional Desirable Qualifications Graduate degree in Music or equivalent Familiarity with UU beliefs and shared values Familiarity with UU hymnals Singing the Living Tradition, Singing the Journey, Las Voces del Camino, and the new digital hymnal

Sing Out Love Job Type:

Part-time at 20 hours per week Applications are currently being accepted and will continue to be accepted until the position is filled. Interviews will commence on August 15, 2026. The intended start time for this position is September 15, 2026. Salary is $32-$36/hr (commensurate with experience); this is within Unitarian Universalist Association guidelines and on par with regional compensation. Interested persons should send a cover letter, resume, and list of two references to employment@uusm.org.

Job Type:

Part-time Pay:

$32.00 - $36.00 per hour

Benefits:

Dental insurance Flexible schedule Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Retirement plan Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person