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Overview:
The Archdiocese of New York is large and diverse, with ministries serving 2.81 million Catholics and encompassing 290+ parishes in the greater New York area. The Family Life Office serves the people of God in the archdiocese by helping them to discover and live out their lives as persons made in the image and likeness of God by providing programs and resources that prepare and enrich engaged and married couples; educate, support and strengthen families; build and promote a culture of life; and provide healing and comfort to those struggling with loss, grief, or brokenness.
Position Description:
“Catholic marriage and family life ministry serves all married couples and families by proclaiming the love of God to them and helping them embrace their vocation to love and discipleship.”[1] The Director of the Family Life Office will be responsible for carrying out this mission by leading, managing, and supervising the 9+ staff members who coordinate and assist with the specific programs and ministries within the Office, as well as collaborating with the other Archdiocesan pastoral offices who support this mission. Working closely with the Vicar General and the Cardinal, he/she will continue to regularly discern the trajectory of the Office, the need for new initiatives and approaches, or greater emphasis in a particular program, depending on changes in public policy, threats to the God-given definition of marriage and family, technological advances, and other shifts in the cultural climate.
Essential Responsibilities:
Assist in the development and the implementation of the vision of the Cardinal Archbishop for family life ministry throughout the archdiocese, and translate that vision into effective initiatives and resources that are relevant, meaningful, and helpful to the individuals, couples and families in the archdiocese.
Provide vision/oversight for the Family Life Office programs, ministries, and areas of support including but not limited to:
Marriage Preparation
Marriage Enrichment and Mentoring
Fertility Awareness and Natural Family Planning
Parenting and Family Life Education
Separated & Divorced Ministry
Pastoral Bereavement
Spanish Programming
Lead, manage, and supervise the staff members who coordinate and develop the 7+ pastoral programs of the Family Life Office, ensuring that the pastoral programs are superior, in alignment with ADNY principles and Church teachings, and engaged in continuous improvement. The Director is responsible for the hiring and evaluation of employees, as well as for motivating staff.
Maintain familiarity with broad scope of marriage and family life programs, including those offered by or promoted within the archdiocese.
Regularly advise, support and update the Cardinal Archbishop of New York and the Vicar General on timely and important family life matters as they affect the Church. When requests/directives come directly from the Cardinal [and/or his senior-level leadership team] which need to be addressed and/or implemented by the Family Life Office Director or his/her staff, be ready and willing to adjust work plans and work pace as necessary.
Understand all aspects of the budget process, and monitor/streamline all costs, expenses and receipts for Family Life events and projects to be able to effectively forecast the annual Family Life Office budget and make good stewardship decisions.
Collaborate and coordinate with internal and external colleagues, including clergy and religious, to foster alignment with the National Pastoral Framework for Marriage & Family Life Ministry.
Provide regular (monthly) updates and status reports to the Vicar General and the Cardinal on the various programs and initiatives of the office.
Data management and analysis with a goal of measuring the effectiveness of Family Life Office activities.
Represent the Family Life Office at forums and events as appropriate and as requested, and which may require occasional traveling (within and outside of New York), such as Presbyteral Council meetings, NACFLM and USCCB meetings, etc.
Special projects and events as needed
Standards of Performance:
Set and achieve ministry goals for the overall Family Life Office. In this, there should be a focus on the evolving cultural, economic, and operational structures of the Church in which there is continuous growth in the traditional boundaries and ways of living and working that are yielding to new ways of engaging and ministering to the different ages and stages of life in the digital world of the 21st
Build and maintain relationships with internal and external colleagues as well as with those individuals designated by the Cardinal and Vicar General.
Submit required reports of Family Life activities to multiple levels of senior management on a regular basis as directed by internal ADNY requirements.
Strive for excellent customer service, operational excellence, and faithful & engaged marriage and family life programming and services.
Position Requirements:
Education: Master’s degree required (Theology, Pastoral Ministry, Related fields of psychology, counseling, education, business, etc.) Pastoral certification(s) may be an alternative.
Advanced leadership/management experience, preferably within the Church structure or in an organization that is sanctioned/respected by the Church.
Experience in public speaking, inspirational and persuasive writing, and a demonstrated ability to adapt one’s style to write correspondence for His Eminence in his style. The ideal candidate should have demonstrated experience writing and editing formal and informal communications from a variety of people to a diversity of audiences.
Open to moving beyond traditional boundaries, and adaptable to working in new and efficient (integrated) ways on new projects and rotating assignments. The ideal candidate must be able to manage change, and lead people through the process of change.
Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills and an ability to work and collaborate with diverse groups of people.
Digital fluency, and ability to connect to the evolving technology(ies) that impact/influence young people and ensure these technologies are integrated into both our content and delivery systems. S/he must have strong technology skills with proficiency in using all Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and an openness to learning new technologies including project management, digital survey tools, and digital communications tools.
Strong work ethic, self-directed, and able to work with limited direction and supervision. At the same time, the ideal candidate must be able to deal with ambiguity and conflicting priorities, and be able to make strategic recommendations/decisions.
Possess a heart and passion for evangelization.
Licensed Driver: Must have access to a car and be willing to travel throughout the archdiocese and to collaborate with departments and agencies within the chancery, the archdiocese and beyond.
Other Desirable Experience:
Have some experience as an Administrator/Director for an organization where the mission drives the work, effective results are expected, and the budget was limited.
Possess an entrepreneurial spirit that focuses on timely execution and creative thinking.
Able to see opportunities for partnership with other organizations and groups for the purpose of serving the mission of the Family Life Office.
Ability to work under pressure, setting as priority the needs and requests of the Church and the Cardinal Archbishop of New York.
Fluency in Spanish a plus, but not required.
Required Faith-Based Knowledge/Commitment:
A practicing Catholic who has a strong and disciplined prayer life, and who accepts and is willing to abide by and give personal witness to authentic Church teachings, particularly on issues relating to the Church’s mission to promote respect for human life, family and marriage, and human sexuality.
Ability to articulate the core teachings of the Catholic Faith as handed on through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church. (Good knowledge of Church teaching particularly on issues regarding marriage and family, the theology of the body, and life issues.)
Able to support the Church’s mission to respect all human life, in particular the most vulnerable.
Interested candidates can send a cover letter and resume to dr.kathleen.wither@archny.org