at Loyola University Of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Job Description
Position Details
Position Details
Job Title
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Position Number
8102859
Work Modality
Fully Remote Work
Job Category
University Staff
Job Type
Full-Time
FLSA Status
Exempt
Campus
Off-Campus/Remote
Department Name
INSTITUTE FOR PASTORAL STUDIES
Location Code
INSTITUTE OF PASTORAL STUDIES (03200A)
Is this split and/or fully grant funded?
Yes
Duties and Responsibilities
Program Director
Catholic Education Network to Enact and Resource Synodality (CENTERS)
Loyola University Chicago, Institute of Pastoral Studies
Position Type: Full-time, Grant-funded (5 years)
Reports to: Dean, Institute of Pastoral Studies
Location: Chicago, IL with national travel required
About CENTERS
The Catholic Education Network to Enact and Resource Synodality (CENTERS) is a $10 million Lilly Endowment-funded initiative housed at Loyola University Chicago's Institute of Pastoral Studies. CENTERS is a collaborative network of 16 Catholic colleges and universities across the United States working to implement synodality-the Church's official mode of proceeding emphasizing shared discernment, participation, and co-responsibility among all the baptized. This transformative initiative responds to Pope Francis's global call for ecclesial renewal and Pope Leo XIV's continued emphasis on unity and Catholic social teaching.
Position Summary
Loyola University Chicago seeks a dynamic and efficient leader to serve as national director of the grant-funded Catholic Education Network to Enact and Resource Synodality (CENTERS). Growing out of engagement with the 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality, the sixteen-university network housed at Loyola University Chicago's Institute of Pastoral Studies seeks to cultivate synodal leadership across Catholic Higher Education nationally, in close conversation with local dioceses and international partners, including the Holy See. Housed at the Institute of Pastoral Studies, the Director serves as the executive officer for the CENTERS Initiative, ensuring that collaborative projects, fellowships, convenings, communications, evaluation, and budgeting proceed on schedule, and reflect synodal principles. Other responsibilities include developing and aligning with the consensus of the Steering and Leadership Committees, liaising with Lilly Endowment, overseeing day-to-day operations, coordinating the inter-institutional network, and driving strategic planning and implementation for all grant-supported activities.
The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree in theology, leadership, or a related field (ideally a terminal degree). S/He will have demonstrated organizational and administrative expertise, along with a fluency in the contours of policy, strategic vision, mission/identity, and organizational management in both church and university contexts. A familiarity with the methods of synodality and community organizing is desired, but not strictly necessary. S/He will work closely with the grant PI's to envision, coordinate, implement, and report on various elements of a larger project with various local, regional, and national initiatives. A willingness to contribute collaboratively within a team dynamic and an ongoing commitment to pastoral formation in educational settings are essential and compulsory.
The Director also teaches one graduate course each academic year that advances theological and pastoral understandings of and engagement with synodality.
Key Responsibilities
Program Leadership & Governance
Serve as executive officer for the CENTERS Initiative, translating committee decisions into actionable plans
Chair (or co-chair) Leadership Committee meetings when rotating into that role and prepare materials for all Steering Committee sessions
Maintain and grow productive relationships with Core Partners, Network Participants, Regional Tables, Advisory Council, bishops, and external collaborators
Ensure program alignment with Vatican implementation timeline (2026-28) and synodal methods and virtues
Project & Grant Management
Develop and manage annual work plans, grant timelines; monitor deliverables across multiple workstreams
Oversee sub-grants to partner schools, ensuring compliance with Lilly Endowment guidelines and Loyola's sponsored-program policies
Coordinate national convenings, advise and support core partners for regional gatherings and other activities; assist as needed with the Synodal Adsumus Fellowship program
Serve as primary liaison with Lilly Endowment at all stages to ensure compliance and mission alignment
Coach Network Participant liaisons in synodal leadership and movement building
Evaluation & Learning
Partner with external evaluators to design and implement the performance-indicator framework; steward data collection and continuous-improvement cycles
Translate findings into actionable insights for committees, funders, and public audiences and scholarly... For full info follow application link.
