Director, ELCA World Hunger

About the ELCA:

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.3 million members in more than 8,900 worshiping communities across the 50 states, Caribbean and U.S. Virgin Islands. With a vision to live in a world experiencing the difference God’s grace and love in Christ makes for all people and creation, the ELCA strives to be a welcoming, thriving and connected church that introduces people to Jesus so they can discover community, justice and love.

The Lutheran Center (national office) is located in Chicago, Illinois. A staff of 400, under the leadership of the Presiding Bishop, serve as administrators, advisors, conveners, partners, and resource people for the ELCA and its ministries. Staff lead the work of national, domestic, and global ministries and programs including Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA World Hunger, Service & Justice, Christian Community and Leadership, and Innovation. We are also home to five of our separately incorporated ministries: The Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA, Women of the ELCA, Lutheran Men in Mission, the ELCA Foundation and the ELCA Federal Credit Union.

About the position:

Through the Service & Justice unit, the ELCA Churchwide Organization fosters and facilitates this church’s engagement in service and promotes efforts to call and act for justice. It engages in mission, service, and justice in accompaniment with churches and organizations in other countries; serves as the means through which churches in other countries engage in mission to this church and society; engages with communities, coalitions and networks, congregations, and synods in service and justice work within the territorial jurisdiction of this church; and provides guidance to members on matters of social justice.

This position oversees the global grants of the ELCA World Hunger initiative serving the vulnerable, underserved, and underrepresented communities in the United States and around the world.

This position embodies the values of accompaniment. The person takes a critical view of grants and takes bold steps in aligning our international and domestic granting program. The person has the skills, experience and passion in understanding and addressing the root causes of poverty and develop systems for capturing impact with both qualitative and quantitative measurements.

This is a full-time, exempt position. Candidates for this remote position must reside within the fifty United States or the District of Columbia and be authorized to work lawfully in the United States.

Responsibilities:

1. Strategic planning, budget development, direction setting and supervision of the ELCA World Hunger grants team.

2. Administers the sustainable development grants funded through ELCA World Hunger. In collaboration with members of the BRC team and Service & Justice colleagues, this position oversees the design, implementation, evaluation and learning of sustainable development initiatives.

3. Align international and domestic ELCA-World Hunger sustainable development grants. Specific responsibilities include:

• Assess the impact of current ELCA-WH domestic grants through the values of accompaniment (i.e., Mutuality, Inclusivity, Sustainability, Empowerment and Vulnerability).
• Ensure the diakonia concept as the base and foundation of our international and domestic grants. Diakonia is contextual, considering the most vulnerable, those who are discriminated against ethnic, cultural, religious, and economic reasons. Diakonia provides a table for service and communion. At a common table, we are all transformed; a common table dissolves the structure of the one who gives help (donor) and the one who receives help (beneficiaries) because all participate in the common understandings of our life as a faith communion.

4. Represents the ELCA in representative functions with synods, congregations, Lutheran ministries, companion churches, ecumenical partners and other external audience.

5. Convenes the World Hunger Coordination Team which brings together ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response programs, activities, communications and fundraising by providing space for conversation, planning, and collaboration among related staff.

6. Leads strategy, creation and execution of planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning of World Hunger grants.

7. Oversees specific ELCA initiatives in the US or in other countries around the world that address the root causes of poverty, overturning injustice and long-term transformation.

8. Other duties as required.

Requirements:

1. Five to eight years of experience in appropriate education and/or directly related experience in one or more of the following areas: grants management, program and finance management, international development, non-profit management, social work, research methodology, operations and administration. Experience with diverse constituents preferred.

2 Demonstrated leadership qualities, depth and breadth of technical, management, and evaluation expertise for complex programs. This includes: Direct experience overseeing international and domestic sustainable development programs; familiarity with the concepts of Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (PMERL) and narrative analysis focused on outcomes, changes, and results through case studies, production of quotes, anecdotes, testimonies, storytelling, and stories of transformation.

3. Demonstrated ability to manage and lead people and projects and work collaboratively in a team-based, multi-tiered environment.

4. Ability to engage effectively in cross-cultural program planning, decision-making, and team building; understanding of the dynamics of decision-making within complex and multi-cultural church and non-profit systems.

5. Strong financial, budgeting, personnel, and management skills and ability to oversee and contribute to complex systems of program development and implementation.

6. Familiarity with Christian stewardship, humanitarian assistance, development work, hunger and poverty issues.

7. Exemplary interpersonal communication skills; ability to effectively present both verbal and written information in a clear manner.

8. Expertise with word processing software, use of database for reference and merging. Familiarity with Fluxx grants management system.

9. Exceptional commitment to timeliness; excellent organizational skills; ability to manage multiple, diverse projects simultaneously and under time pressures; ability to prioritize projects.

Physical Effort: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear, use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone. This position requires sitting for long periods of time. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Travel Frequency: Considerable travel; up to 20%. Position requires considerable travel by car or plane. Valid driver’s license required.

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience. Minimum: $72,842.

Benefits: The ELCA offers a competitive benefits package for eligible employees, including employer paid health premiums for employees, health and dependent care FSA’s, a health savings account (HSA) with an employer contribution, life insurance, and a substantial employer contribution to 403b retirement plan (no match required). We also offer a generous paid time-off policy including 11 paid holidays. All benefits commence on your start date.