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Director of Operations (Chief of Staff Focus) - St. Paul's Episcopal Church | Richmond, Virginia

About St. Paul's Episcopal Church

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a historic, vibrant, and inclusive congregation in the heart of downtown Richmond. We are a multigenerational, LGBTQ+ affirming community committed to being a spiritual center for the city and to following a justice-seeking Christ.

At St. Paul's, our shared life is guided by five core commitments:

• Racial Justice – naming and dismantling systemic racism through learning, partnership, and action
• Being a Spiritual Center for Downtown – offering welcome, connection, and meaningful engagement
• Progressive Christian Thinking – nurturing curiosity, learning, and diverse perspectives
• Transformative and Relevant Worship – grounded in Episcopal tradition and responsive to today's world
• Embracing and Caring for All Ages – building a thriving, intergenerational community

Position Summary

The Director of Operations serves as a key member of the church's senior leadership team and functions as a Chief of Staff–style strategic integrator for the Rector.

This role ensures that vision, strategy, and ministry priorities are translated into clear, actionable plans and executed effectively across staff and ministries. By strengthening alignment, communication, and operational systems, the Director of Operations enables clergy and ministry leaders to focus on spiritual leadership while ensuring organizational clarity and effectiveness.

Primary Objective

To ensure that St. Paul's mission, leadership vision, and ministry priorities are clearly aligned, effectively communicated, and consistently executed across the organization.

Job Type: Full-time, flexible hours

Location: On-site, Richmond, VA

Compensation Package Includes

• Annual base salary range of $85,000-100,000
• Health and dental insurance
• Short- and long-term disability and life insurance provided
• 401(k) and 403(b) retirement accounts
• Generous paid time off (PTO) policy
• 13 paid holidays per year

Target start date: August 1, 2026

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Integration & Execution

• Translate priorities from the Rector and Vestry into actionable plans
• Establish clear organizational goals and ensure follow-through
• Track progress and remove barriers to execution
• Identify gaps, overlaps, and inefficiencies across ministries

Leadership Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the Rector
• Support prioritization, decision-making, and organizational clarity
• Ensure leadership decisions are well communicated and implemented

Staff Leadership & Organizational Alignment

• Provide leadership and supervision for key operational areas
• Foster accountability, clarity of roles, and healthy team culture
• Lead staff meetings and organizational planning rhythms
• Strengthen collaboration and reduce silos across teams

Cross-Functional Ministry Coordination

• Align core ministry areas, including:
• Formation (children, youth, adults)
• Community engagement
• Communications
• Parish life and hospitality
• Ensure clear ownership and accountability across initiatives

Decision-Making & Communication Systems

• Develop clear decision-making frameworks
• Improve communication flow and organizational transparency
• Distinguish between exploratory ideas and committed priorities

Operational Systems & Process Improvement

• Build scalable systems for planning, project management, and workflow
• Align budgeting processes with ministry priorities (in partnership with Finance)
• Improve documentation and organizational consistency

Human Resources & Staff Development

• Support hiring, onboarding, and performance management
• Coach supervisors and strengthen leadership capacity across staff
• Help cultivate a collaborative, mission-aligned culture

Financial & Administrative Coordination

• Partner closely with the Director of Finance on budgeting and reporting
• Ensure administrative systems support ministry effectiveness
• Contribute to annual planning and goal-setting processes

Key Relationships

• Rector – primary supervisor and strategic partner
• Vestry & Committees – coordination and execution support
• Director of Finance – operational and financial alignment
• Staff & Ministry Leaders – collaboration and organizational leadership

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of leadership or management experience
• Demonstrated ability to manage complexity and work across multiple stakeholders
• Strong organizational, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and facilitation abilities
• Experience leading teams, projects, or organizational initiatives

Preferred

• Experience in a church, nonprofit, or mission-driven environment
• Familiarity with collaborative or congregational leadership structures
• Experience in a Chief of Staff or senior leadership support role

Core Competencies

• Strategic Integrator – connects vision to execution
• Systems Thinker – sees relationships across functions
• Clear Communicator – builds alignment and reduces ambiguity
• Trusted Partner – earns credibility with leaders and staff
• Operational Leader – drives results with clarity and simplicity

Why This Role Matters

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of a dynamic, mission-driven church. The Director of Operations plays a critical role in ensuring that St. Paul's lives into its commitments-advancing racial justice, deepening community engagement, and sustaining meaningful, relevant ministry in the heart of Richmond.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter describing your interest in the role and your alignment with St. Paul's mission. 

EEO / AA Statement

St. Paul's Episcopal Church provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, St. Paul's Episcopal Church complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.