This senior level position, which reports to the president, provides support for communicating the denomination’s missional priorities to both internal and external audiences, employing a wide range of media tools and providing marketing and public relations support for all of Covenant Offices. The successful candidate will assume responsibilities for this position, which is located at Covenant Offices in Chicago, in the summer 2013.
The executive director oversees and manages the mission of the office, creating and leading a vision for communications that fulfills and complements the needs of individual ministry offices and the denomination as a whole. The position requires a high level of expertise in areas of communications, marketing and media, as well as team leadership, collaboration skills, and business acumen.
“Over the past 15 years, the Covenant has done an outstanding job of adapting to the new ways in how people seek and find news and information about their world and about the church,” said Owen Youngman, a member of the Covenant Executive Board and the chair of the search committee that will recommend a candidate for this position. “We’re looking for a person who’s not only ready for the next wave of those changes, but who also is firmly rooted in the Word of God and excited about the mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church and in reaching people with that message. We’re confident that God will lead us to that person over the next few months.”
The successful candidate will have:
- A personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior
- A commitment to the mission and values of the Evangelical Covenant Church, with an expectation of becoming a member of a local Covenant church
- A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university in a related field and eight to 10 years of related experience with proven skills in team leadership, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills and desire to work in a team environment
- Excellent project management skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
Additional qualifications and attributes include an appreciation for the history, values, and mission of the ECC; the ability to communicate cross-culturally and to advance communication across the diversity of the ECC; and a marketing focus and orientation. The successful candidate also will possess an appropriate level of theological sensitivity to be effective in communicating with specific audiences, as well as an ability to direct staff in best practices for delivering specific messages to those audiences.
Responsibilities and qualifications also include:
- A track record of managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and driving revenue
- A record of innovation, both in use of technology and in understanding the changing needs of audiences, and the ability to stay ahead of the curve as technology, platforms, and audiences continue to evolve
- Sensitivity to the dialogue of new technology with “legacy media” and an ability to value the roles of both
- Editing proficiency, the ability to listen to staff, peers, and others, helping them to shape their communication for consistency and effectiveness of message, providing direction and correction as required; the ability to create content is desirable, but not of the highest priority
- Record of successful team building, and ability to lead a team composed both of “digital natives” and legacy media experts
- Ability to identify talented future staff
Click here to read a more complete position description.
No later than Saturday, January 12, 2013, qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and salary expectations via email only to: communicationsearch@covchurch.org. Also include answers to the following questions, using no more than one (1) page:
- How have your gifts and experiences prepared you to meet the requirements of the job listed above?
- Please provide a brief vision of the future role of communication in the life of a denomination.
The ECC is a rapidly growing multi-ethnic denomination with 800 churches domestically with additional ministry partnerships in nearly 30 countries. Click here to learn more about the Covenant and its work.
© 2013 The Evangelical Covenant Church |