Senior Director, Core Systems

Description

This posting will close September 24, 2026, at 11:00 pm central time.

The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,700 worshipping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region (Puerto Rico and the 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 Mission Investment Fund (MIF), a financial ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, supports the establishment and growth of ELCA congregations, synods, and affiliated ministries by providing loans for capital projects for congregations and ministries. To fund these loans, MIF offers a variety of investments to ELCA members, congregations, and ministries.

MIF's values are rooted in Christian faith, Lutheran traditions, and our identity as a ministry of the ELCA;
Integrity, Customer Focus, Inclusion and Diversity, Faithful Stewardship, Courage and Openness to Change.

The Senior Director, Core Systems and Applications leads the strategy, delivery, and day-to-day leadership of the core banking platforms and business applications that run MIF and the ELCA Federal Credit Union. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, this role makes the technology decisions and roadmap that keep both entities’ systems stable, integrated, secure, and appropriately scaled to the size and needs of the organization.

The emphasis is on disciplined execution and fit-for-purpose solutions: making and carrying out the platform and integration decisions in front of us, simplifying and streamlining technology where appropriate, partnering with operations, lending, and compliance, and coordinating with ELCA IT on shared infrastructure and services, to deliver dependable, robust, secure platforms and technology. This role leads a small application support team and manages the vendor relationships that underpin the technology environment, as well as manages the relationship with ELCA IT.

This is a full-time, regular, exempt (salaried), Chicago-based hybrid position. This position has responsibilities that will require being in the office on a weekly basis. This could mean 2-3 days most weeks and possibly more days when meetings and other events are happening that this position supports.

The eligibility of a candidate for remote or hybrid positions may depend on the residency of the candidate, and the budget for the role, including salary or pay, insurance coverage, and/or tax burden. Candidates for this position must reside within the fifty United States or the District of Columbia and be authorized to work lawfully in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Leads the operation, support, and roadmap for the core banking platforms and business applications that run MIF and the ELCA Federal Credit Union, including Fiserv DNA, CU
* Answers/CU
* BASE, Salesforce, and supporting applications. Keeps systems stable, well-supported, and integrated, and delivers dependable results prioritized to the organization’s actual needs.

Resolves and carries out the core platform, account-structure, and integration decisions needed to move the technology environment forward. Maintains a clear, right-sized technology roadmap, and brings open decisions to resolution with operations and leadership rather than letting them stall.

Oversees system integrations and money-movement processes with sound controls and auditability, and reduces manual or unsupported workarounds. Responsible for data security and access controls across systems,…