University Chaplain and Director Office of Religious and Spiritual

Position: University Chaplain and Director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life
Job Description:

The University Chaplain and Director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is a visionary, collaborative, and deeply experienced leader who cultivates a vibrant religious and spiritual life ecosystem serving Brown’s more than 11,000 undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, as well as faculty, staff, and alumni. Rooted in Brown’s historic commitment to religious freedom, pluralism, and intellectual openness, the role advances three interconnected dimensions of religious and spiritual life: spirituality, faith, and interfaith engagement.

The University Chaplain serves students who are deeply rooted in religious traditions as well as those who are spiritual, seeking, questioning, humanist, secular, or exploring meaning and purpose.

Reporting directly to the Vice President for Campus Life, the University Chaplain and Director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life provides strategic oversight and leadership of the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life (OCRL) and serves as a senior leader within the Division of Campus Life. The Chaplain advances Campus Life’s commitment to student success, holistic well-being, inclusive community, belonging, open inquiry, developmental advising and mentoring, leadership, and engagement across differences.

The role is pastoral and strategic, educational and institutional, grounded in care and guided by intellectual, ethical, and civic engagement. To support operational alignment with the affinity and belonging centers, this position will have a dotted line to the Associate Vice President of Campus Life for Community and Belonging.

The University Chaplain leads a diverse chaplaincy team and sustains strong partnerships with affiliated religious organizations and communities. The Chaplain advances religious and spiritual literacy, interreligious dialogue, pastoral care, meaning-making, community care, and constructive engagement across differences. The Chaplain also provides visible leadership during moments of grief, crisis, conflict, and community disruption and works collaboratively across Brown to integrate religious, spiritual, ethical, and meaning-making dimensions into the broader student experience.

Job Qualifications Advanced degree in divinity, theology, religious studies, higher education, student affairs, or a closely related field required; professional religious, spiritual, or pastoral formation strongly preferred.

A minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education chaplaincy, religious and spiritual life, student affairs, ministry, or another complex multi-faith or mission-driven environment.

Demonstrated experience supervising and developing diverse teams, managing organizational change, and overseeing complex budgets and operations.

Deep commitment to spirituality, faith, interfaith engagement, pluralism, religious literacy, open inquiry, and engagement across differences.

Demonstrated understanding of contemporary college student development, including how students explore meaning, purpose, identity, belonging, spirituality, faith, and community.

Proven ability to navigate the intersection of religious, spiritual, cultural, and political identities and to build trust across significant differences.

Experience providing pastoral care and responding to grief, crisis, conflict, or community disruption in a complex academic or communal setting.

Strong administrative, communication, relationship-building, and advancement capabilities, with the ability to work effectively with students, staff, faculty, senior leaders, alumni, and external partners.

Exceptional public speaking and writing skills, with the ability to engage religious, spiritual, secular, questioning, and skeptical…