"Multifaith Chaplain"

Position Purpose:

The Multifaith Chaplain, reporting to the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, assumes primary responsibility for the management and development of spiritual life of Bates College.

Job Duties:

• Honoring and uplifting religious and spiritual life at Bates.
• Coordinating multifaith outreach and programming for the campus in cooperation with the diverse religious and spiritual communities represented at the college.
• Supporting and working closely with student leaders from student-led religious and spiritual groups.
• Offering spiritual conversation and guidance to students, staff, and faculty.
• Routinely meeting with the President to prepare for institutional ceremonies and advise on campus climate for spiritual and religious life.
• Providing care to individuals and to the campus as a whole as necessary, particularly with respect to crisis intervention and support.
• Serving as a confidential resource for students, staff, and faculty under Bates’ Title IX and Civil Rights policies, including for community members affected by grief and sexual assault.
• Hiring, mentoring, and collaborating with student Multifaith Fellows on programs related to spiritual life that facilitate meaningful connections and spiritual wellness.
• Approving, supporting, and managing cooperative relationships with Associate Chaplain and Spiritual Advisors who are endorsed by external religious bodies to serve as spiritual leaders for student religious organizations and the campus community.
• Overseeing initiatives to advance religious pluralism on campus and deepen the bonds of belonging and community.
• Officiating at funerals, weddings, etc. for the campus community as needed.
• Planning and implementing lectures, seminars, and series that explore and promote the intellectual and ethical dimensions of spiritual life.
• Working with students on, and taking primary responsibility for, the annual Baccalaureate event on Commencement Weekend.
• Providing leadership for and participating in college ceremonies (e.g., Opening Convocation, Memorial Tree Planting, Commencement, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day programming, Reunion Weekend ceremonies, etc.).
• Representing the Multifaith Chaplaincy on a variety of college committees and in community meetings.
• Managing office personnel and budget; developing job descriptions, hiring, and supervising the work of office personnel such as the Assistant or Associate Chaplain and Program Coordinator.
• Stewarding the Peter J. Gomes Chapel and related sacred space for worship and contemplation on campus.
• Overseeing office publications, website, and publicity.
• Designing, refining, and implementing relevant policies.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

• Graduate degree in religious, theological, or spiritual studies, or related field, from an accredited institution.
• Credentials and authorization appropriate to one’s own religious community and/or tradition.

Experience

Experience in a comparable professional position in the religious and spiritual life office of an accredited college or university.

Skills and Knowledge

• Demonstrated commitment to the mission of Bates College and to the highest ethical standards.
• Understanding of and commitment to the goals of liberal arts education broadly and to Bates’ mission of “educating the whole person.”
• Commitment to a student-centered approach and enthusiasm for working closely with students.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in an environment that prizes and promotes access, community and belonging for all members of the campus community.
• Desire, knowledge, and ability to work effectively with people of all cultural backgrounds and religious traditions and with those who have no formal religious affiliation and/or who are openly skeptical about such affiliations; demonstrated ability to treat all people with respect and regard knowledge of, commitment to and experience in a wide variety of issues relating to social justice.
• Demonstrated creativity in ritual planning and leadership across many religious traditions.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively; dedication to a team model.
• Excellent speaking, writing, and organizational skills.
• Excellent supervisory skills.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.

Benefits:

Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal days, 13 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more), and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug and smoke-free workplace.