Associate Director, Leadership Development and Program Coordination

Job Title: Associate Director

Reports to: Executive Director

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Chicago (hybrid) with regular travel required

Salary: $60,000–$65,000 + benefits

Start Date: Early 2026

Contact: The Rev. Jess Elfring-Roberts

Application instructions:  send cover letter and resume to [email protected]

Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers (ECCC) is a Church wide network dedicated to forming leaders who serve the Church and the world. Across nearly 100 Episcopal camps, retreat centers, conference centers, and farms, ECCC supports ministries that nurture faith, cultivate belonging, and develop the next generation of transformational Christian leaders.

For more than 35 years, ECCC has built a lifelong leadership pipeline—one that begins with young people discovering their gifts at camp, grows through seasonal staff experiences, continues through early-career roles in outdoor ministry, and matures into directors, program leaders, board members, clergy, and lay professionals who shape the wider Church.

According to research from the Episcopal Church Leadership Project (ECLP), 30% of all Episcopal leaders previously served on summer camp staff, making camp-based ministry one of the most reliable and vibrant leadership-formation pathways in the Church. ECCC strengthens this pipeline by expanding training, professional development, mentorship, spiritual formation, and community support for staff at every career stage.

The Associate Director strengthens ECCC’s leadership pipeline by designing and implementing programs and events that form leaders across the Episcopal camp and conference network. Working closely with the Executive Director, this role helps shape the vision for leadership development and brings it to life through high-quality, justice-centered, spiritually grounded experiences.

A proactive and self-directed leader, the Associate Director blends event leadership, grant development, and network engagement. They play a key role in researching opportunities, drafting proposals, articulating program impact, and supporting reporting to ensure sustained and expanded funding for ECCC’s formation initiatives. As a strategic thought partner, the Associate Director collaborates with the Executive Director on organizational growth, funding strategy, and emerging initiatives across the network.

The ideal candidate anticipates needs, works independently within a small, high-trust team, and is passionate about how spiritual formation, justice, leadership, and community intertwine. They are energized by creating learning environments rooted in the joy, depth, and hospitality of Episcopal camp and retreat ministry—and they are excited to join a team that works hard, supports one another deeply, and also knows how to laugh, unwind, and bring a bit of camp joy into the workday.

Design and coordinate ECCC’s key gatherings:

• Annual Conference
• Program Summit
• Holy Hospitality Retreat
• Leaders Circles

• Ensure events are mission-driven communities of learning and practice
• Work with volunteers to create learning tracks, and event themes
• Curate speakers, facilitators, and content experts
• Partner with host centers on program logistics (with operational logistics supported by the Operations Administrator)
• Lead program evaluation and integrate participant feedback

• Support grant development, writing, reporting, and donor stewardship
• Oversee grant budgets, reporting, compliance, and evaluation (with support from the team)
• Assist with fundraising initiatives, campaigns, and impact storytelling
• Track program outcomes and build systems for measuring impact

• Demonstrated grant-writing or fundraising-support experience, preferably in the religious nonprofit sector
• 3–5+ years of nonprofit, outdoor ministry, or program coordination experience
• Experience with event planning or leadership development
• Strong skills in event coordination, curriculum design, facilitation, or cohort leadership
• Ability to work independently and proactively in a small, distributed team
• Excellent communication skills
• Commitment to justice, equity, belonging, and inclusive ministry
• Ability to travel nationally (10–20% annually)

• CRM or grant-management experience
• Project-management training
• Experience in Episcopal camps, outdoor ministry, youth/young adult formation, or retreat programming
• Familiarity with Episcopal Church structures and culture
• Background in spiritual formation, adult learning, or leadership theory
• Experience coordinating conferences, retreat programs, or professional gatherings
• Ability to attend and shadow our annual conference January 25-30th 2026

ECCC centers equity and justice in all areas of our work. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds—including people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those with nontraditional ministry pathways. We value cultural humility and liberation-centered leadership.

We also value diverse lived experiences; even if you do not meet every preferred qualification, we encourage you to apply.