Congregational Life Field Staff MAR

Updated: January 27, 2025

Title: Congregational Life Field Staff

Staff Group: Congregational Life, MidAmerica Region

Reports To: Regional Lead 

Location: MidAmerica Region

Job Category: Program Manager I, full-time

Hours/Week:   35

Purpose

To provide support and resources for congregations, missional communities, and Unitarian Universalist religious leaders, as well as for the organizational development and expansion of our faith for the MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Serves the Unitarian Universalist faith and values, our congregations, members, and other constituencies in the MidAmerica Region of Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). With the staff group, determines staffing and service priorities consistent with our UUA Mission.
2. Works in covenant as a team member of the MidAmerica Region of the UUA.  
3. Provides direct support to congregational, Covenanting Communities, and regional leaders through coaching, companioning, connecting and challenging.
4. Supports vital, innovative, covenantal, purposeful congregational and cross-congregational ministries by providing or arranging for appropriate consultation and programming. 
5. Assists/coaches/teaches congregations and communities through appropriate online and in person workshops, webinars and conferences.
6. Coaches and supports leaders and congregations through conflict, culture change, and maturational growth.
7. Along with other regional staff, actively encourages collaboration among congregations to share resources and strategies; helps to organize cross-congregational learning communities both by geography and affinity; and, facilitates and advocates covenantal support and accountability between congregations. 
8. Organizes resources from the region and the UUA to meet congregational and Covenanting Community needs. Draws on congregational, regional, and national resources to provide a predictable and valued set of learning opportunities. 
9. Works with the staff team to imagine and evolve towards the future of Unitarian Universalism appropriately.
10. Serves as or ensures a representative of the region and/or the UUA will be present for ceremonial functions, interfaith efforts, and to ancillary organizations as needed. 
11. Participates actively in the UUA Congregational Life and regional staff teams, including retreats or other staff meetings.
12. Performs additional duties as requested by the Regional Lead, the Director of Congregational Life, the Vice President for Programs and Ministries, the Executive Vice President, or the President.

Qualifications

This is an exempt position with a salary midpoint of $72,900. Compensation may vary based on factors such as experience, qualifications, and geographical location, with offers potentially ranging from 10-15% higher or lower than the midpoint. Note that qualifications may be met as a result of lived experience, volunteer work, professional experience, and/or formal or informal training. Requirements include:

• In-depth knowledge and understanding of Unitarian Universalism; ability to speak and write confidently about Unitarian Universalism.
• Commitment to our Unitarian Universalist Association.
• A minimum of three years’ active involvement with Unitarian Universalist congregations and organizations.        Experience in multiple Unitarian Universalist settings preferred.  
• Personal religious depth.
• Ability to work flexibly and collaboratively as part of a regional staff team; proven track record as a good team member.
• Ability to lead and self-regulate in environments of high anxiety, conflict, and challenge.
• Ability to take initiative, to be self-directing, to set priorities, and to manage time well.
• Ability or willingness to learn how to be proactive in advocating for justice.
  • Work or lived experience with BIPOC communities is of particular value.
• A commitment to and understanding of organizational development.
• Knowledge and experience of group and organizational change dynamics; knowledge of how volunteer organizations operate.
• Excellent communications and public speaking skills, including use of presentation technologies and social media.
• Knowledge or willingness to learn the use of emerging communications and remote learning technologies.
• Significant travel required; agree to travel across regional boundaries.
• Must live in or be willing to relocate to the MidAmerica Region.
• Understanding of issues around anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism 
• Work or lived experience with BIPOC communities is of particular value 
• Eagerness to work in an organization in which the dismantling of white supremacy is a high priority

How to Apply

People with disabilities, people of color, indigenous people, Hispanic/Latinx, and LGBTQ candidates are encouraged to apply. The UUA is committed to developing a diverse and talented staff team. If you are excited about this role, but are unsure whether you meet 100% of the requirements, we encourage you to inquire and/or apply. Please submit your resume and cover letter via our applicant portal (ADP WorkforceNow) on uua.org/jobs. If you have any questions, please reach out to careers@uua.org.

About the UUA

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a progressive religious denomination headquartered in Boston’s waterfront Fort Point Innovation District. Our faith community of more than 1,000 self-governing congregations brings to the world a vision of religious freedom, tolerance, and social justice. Our normal workweek is 35 hours, we pay 80% contribution towards health insurance premiums, 10% towards retirement (after one year), and have generous paid time-off policies. We are a great place to work, and we value diversity. The UUA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to the full inclusion of all. As part of this commitment, the UUA will ensure that applicants and staff with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact the Department of Human Resources at careers@uua.org. For more information on the UUA, visit us online at UUA.org and uuworld.org.

About the Congregational Life Staff Group

The Congregational Life staff group is made up of our UUA’s field staff consultant teams divided into five collaborative regional teams (https://www.uua.org/regions). The core purpose of the Congregational Life staff team is to coach, connect, companion and challenge congregations, communities, and their leaders.

Support for the Mission and Values of the Association 

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a progressive and historic religious denomination. All UUA staff members are expected to perform their job duties in accordance with the UUA’s values, principles, and mission. Unitarian Universalism puts love at the center of our commitments, which embrace the Shared Values of justice, equity, transformation, interdependence, pluralism and generosity. The following points drawn from these Shared Values are of particular importance for the UUA’s work environment and staff culture: 

• Pluralism and generosity: We affirm the need for a human-centered workplace that allows our diverse staff to flourish. We also understand that our wider culture and society oppresses and denies human dignity, and we seek to counter the effects of that oppression in our hiring and workplace culture so that each person feels whole and valued.
• Justice and equity: We speak openly and publicly of our support for social and political issues, including LGBTQ equity, racial justice, climate justice, gender equity, and reproductive justice.
• Interdependence and transformation: We recognize that the liberation of all people is interwoven, and we work to counter patriarchy, white supremacy, colonialism, homophobia, transphobia, environmental exploitation, and other interrelated systems of marginalization.