Assistant Director of Spiritual Life, full and part time, Catholic: Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island
About Portsmouth Abbey School
Portsmouth Abbey School is a coeducational Catholic boarding and day school for students in grades 9 through 12. Founded in 1926 by the English Benedictine Congregation, the School is located on a 525-acre campus along Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, less than 30 minutes south of Providence and 20 minutes from Newport. Portsmouth Abbey combines a classical education in the Catholic intellectual tradition with Benedictine values. With 350 students, the School believes that the love of learning leads to the desire for God, and that the quest for intellectual understanding propels students to the search for ultimate meaning. The School is known for encouraging students to engage passionately in academic and intellectual pursuits, innovative electives and extensive opportunities in athletics and the performing and visual arts as well as a commitment to service and a focus on things that matter. Students are inspired to become the next generation’s leaders, stewards, innovators and problem solvers all the while grounded in Benedictine values of love of God and neighbor, humility, hospitality and a desire to serve the common good.
Job summary
The Assistant Director of Spiritual Life will work with Abbot Michael Brunner, director of spiritual life, and Paula Walter, assistant head of school for student life, to assist with student programming and engagement in the areas of spiritual life, campus ministry/pastoral counseling, and community service. The person filling this role will also work with the student life office, the infirmary and the monastery to identify and support students who may need additional emotional or spiritual support.
Responsibilities
Spiritual Life
• Help create a vibrant and action-oriented faith community; create a sense of belonging
• Help with Mass planning, readers, altar servers
• Assist with Easter Triduum
• Lead Church Assemblies/Church Talks
• Prepare students for confirmation
• Organize and direct student retreats
• Organize and direct the School’s Lectio Divina program
Campus Ministry/Pastoral Counseling
• Engage in open conversations with students of diverse cultural and faith backgrounds
• Engage students and faculty with ongoing and newly created programs
• Complete training and take a leadership role along with the student life office in advocating for the health and safety of the community
• Grow within the role and actively pursue professional growth opportunities and ways to enhance the position and role
• Acknowledge and celebrate cultural and spiritual diversity within the community
• Nurture students in social consciousness based on the Gospels and Catholic Social Teachings
• Infuse the concepts of justice, peace, human dignity, and the integrity of creation into all aspects of ministry
• Communicate regularly or coordinate with communication office to provide info about spiritual life
• Update website regularly; or coordinate with communications to do so
• Stay abreast of current developments in the area of campus ministry
• Use summer months to prepare for coming year by organizing for retreats, mission work, etc.
• Be visible and present on the school campus and at school activities
• Maintain regular “office hours” for students to drop by or drop in
• Maintain relationships with colleagues in other schools
Community Service
• Serve as club advisor for clubs like the Human Rights Club
• Attend select alumni events to share news about the latest activities/answer questions
• Lead and chaperone service trips, including March for Life and annual pilgrimage to Lourdes
• Lead annual Sixth Form Day of Service, plus ongoing service opportunities for students
• Assist with after-school Christian Community Service program
Education, Skills and Abilities required:
• Practicing Catholic; understanding of Catholic social teaching and adolescent development
• The ideal candidate will have excellent writing, communication, and interpersonal skills, think creatively and strategically, be a problem-solver, possess proven leadership skills, be a team player, and be a great cultural and mission fit for the School community
• Bachelor’s degree, ideally in a related field. Master’s degree preferred
• Five or more years of experience in spiritual life, campus ministry/pastoral counseling, or community service
• Be adaptable and flexible in a fast-paced environment involving adolescents
Supervisory Impact:
This role is not a supervisory position.
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:
• Ability to learn and teach others established processes – Recognizes the importance of learning and motivates others by own enthusiasm.
• Organizational Skills – Creates action plans to meet administrative goals and objectives. Conducts periodic reviews of progress and measures against goals. Establishes broad policies for the Department of Spiritual Life to ensure success.
• Communications and Written Skills – Effectively communicates Spiritual Life information, as necessary, and processes with students, peers, administrators, and customers in and outside the School.
• Research Skills – Ability to assist students and families and the PAS community meet their mental health and spiritual needs.
• Supervision of students in congenial behavior.
Other Skills and Abilities:
The Assistant Director of Spiritual Life must possess excellent client service skills.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to listen, physically direct, and speak. The employee is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet; however, variations in noise level may occur when the employee attends school functions such as assemblies and other events.
Other Qualifications:
All prospective employees must be able to clear a background check.
Details of Faculty position:
Salary: Commensurate with experience and education;
Willing to negotiate a full or part-time schedule based on the preference of a highly qualified candidate.”, school year
Benefits:
Pension (403b): PAS contribution of 10%; employee contribution of 1%, after 2-year waiting period (waived with prior educational experience)
Health insurance: United Healthcare; Waive, $3,100 stipend
Dental insurance: Delta Dental
Life insurance: equal to one year’s salary
Short-term disability (TDI): paid by employee and administered by State of RI
Long-term disability: 90-day qualifying period; 60% of salary; $7,500 maximum monthly benefit (conversion privilege)
AD&D: per policy
Employee Assistance Program: attached
Tuition remission: 100% tuition remission
Position open until filled.
Please send letter of interest and resume to: humanresources@portsmouthabbey.org. No phone calls please.