Director of Community Life & Candidacy

Job Overview

Position Summary:

The Director for Community Life and Candidacy reports to the Vice President for Leadership Formation and is primarily responsible for accompanying students on their formational journey, from enrollment into coursework and community life, culminating with commencement, including candidacy.

The Director for Community Life and Candidacy partners with the Department for Vocation and Formation to accomplish the work of the department for the mission of the seminary.

Major Responsibilities/Activities:

1. Serve as Wartburg’s ELCA candidacy liaison, working with the ELCA churchwide organization and synods to accompanying students on the candidacy journey. Communicate and facilitate regular student information sessions at each key candidacy milestone. Administer the Form D process.
2. Work with the Department for Vocation and Formation and Academic Advisors to provide intentional attention to accompanying students in all programs.
3. Be attentive to and address student issues with care in a timely matter, partnering with the Academic Dean and VP for Leadership when appropriate.
4. Direct the process for new student onboarding and orientation in partnership with the Director of Admissions.
5. Facilitate the planning teams for Prolog weeks, Bishops’ visits, Commencement, and other campus visitors coming to connect with student body.
6. Provide oversight for the curation and implementation of all handbooks and resources related to this position in cooperation with DVF and Academics.
7. Provide leadership to Wartburg Associated Students and advise the various student support groups at Wartburg including the food pantry ministry.
8. Be visible and active in the daily life of the seminary community.
9. Serve on the WTS SWAG task force to advise on product development, ordering, inventory, marketing, and sales.
10. Design and maintain materials for student related communications including The Seminary Post, relevant WTS webpages, and social media accounts, as well as curate student stories for sharing broadly in cooperation with the Director of Communications.
11. Participate in strategic initiatives and experiments related to department as appropriate or as assigned.
12. Provide onsite support for international students, including orientation and ongoing accompaniment throughout their time at Wartburg.
13. Serve on the Faculty Community Life Committee and other committees as appropriate.
14. Manage all seminary FERPA processes.
15. Accompany the student body, including particular support for the residential community.
16. Assume other responsibilities as appropriate or as assigned by the VP for Leadership Formation.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of, passion for, and dedication to the mission of Wartburg Theological Seminary and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
• Demonstrated skills to work as a member of the Vocation and Formation team with strong capabilities in planning, organizing, and managing.
• Demonstrated high capacity for self-motivation and initiative combined with consistent collaboration with other leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust among colleagues and within communities.
• Commitment to and experience with process of vocational discernment.
• Demonstrated commitment to, and experience in, higher education compliance matters related to accreditation and federal regulations, ELCA Candidacy, and/or working with students to meet a wide variety of needs or comparable experience.
• Master of Divinity or Master of Arts in religion preferred or equivalent experience.
• Minimum three years of experience as a rostered leader of the ELCA preferred.
• Experience in student support services.
• Exhibit cultural competencies for the accompaniment of a diverse student body.

Work Environment:

The Director for Community Life and Candidacy is in nearly constant interaction with students, other staff, and faculty in person and in writing. Meetings are frequent. This position operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers and filing cabinets. This position is salaried and will require occasional evening or weekend work for special events.

This position is based in Dubuque.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, see and move around. Arms, hands and fingers will be needed to handle and reach. Employee will occasionally need to lift boxes or materials up to 10 pounds.

Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Note: Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Wartburg Theological Seminary recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.