Research Manager, Polaris Research Initiative Planning Grant

Princeton Theological Seminary, founded in 1812, is a leading institution dedicated to forming Christian leaders for service to the church, the academy, and the wider world. The Seminary offers a rigorous theological education in a diverse and supportive community committed to faithful scholarship and public engagement. Located in Princeton, NJ, the institution provides rich resources for research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and spiritual formation.

Princeton Theological Seminary encourages applicants who are passionate about thoughtful Christian leadership and who seek to contribute to its mission in academic and ministry contexts.

The Polaris Young Adult Christian Leadership Initiative at Princeton Theological Seminary cultivates the faith, flourishing, and leadership formation of young adult Christian leaders across the United States while shaping the intellectual, institutional, and organizational landscape around young adult Christian faith formation and leadership development. The Research Manager is a one-year, grant-funded position that operationalizes the Polaris Research Initiative Planning Grant, working closely with the Polaris Senior Research team (Research Scholar, Polaris Executive Director, and Associate Dean of Continuing Education) to plan and execute the planning year and research proposal.

This position manages invitations and logistics for a national network of scholars, researchers, and practitioners; coordinates a January 2027 convening and design sprint; organizes subsequent online sub-groups; and coordinates the writing and editorial teams that will shape Polaris's next major research initiative proposal. The Manager serves as an integral member of the research design and writing team. Reporting to the Executive Director, this role is essential to maintaining momentum and coherence across an interdisciplinary group of scholars, practitioners, and institutional stakeholders throughout the one-year planning grant period.

• Master's degree in theology, religious studies, sociology of religion, higher education administration, or a related field required;
  Doctorate in practical theology or similar preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in research administration, program coordination, project management, or grant administration, ideally in the context of theological education.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder projects involving numerous scholars, practitioners, and institutional partners on tight timelines.
• Experience supporting qualitative or mixed-methods research processes, including work with external vendors or consultants.
• Excellent organizational skills with superb attention to detail; demonstrated ability to manage detailed logistics for numerous concurrent convenings and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing background materials, briefing documents, and reports for varied audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 and project management tools (Monday, Asana, or similar); experience with CRM systems (Salesforce) a plus.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, with experience working effectively across diverse racial, ethnic, denominational, and disciplinary communities.

• Familiarity with the landscape of young adult Christian faith, leadership formation, and theological education strongly preferred.

• This position is remote but requires regular travel to for gatherings and writing projects as needed.