Internship and Residency Director

Willow Creek Community Church is an egalitarian non-denominational, multi-site church in and across Chicagoland passionate about helping people take next steps to love God, love people, and change the world. As a staff, we aim to foster a culture that has open hands to do whatever it takes to serve and support that mission, serving with humility and open hands. The number of young people stepping into vocational ministry is declining, but we're committed to a future filled with strong, Spirit-led leaders. We're building a leadership pipeline to equip Kingdom workers so the Church flourishes and the mission of Jesus advances.

As the Internship & Residency Director you will be the primary facilitator, guide, and champion for our interns weeks in the summer) and residents (1-2 year program) at Willow. You will use your innovation and galvanizing skills to assist in expanding our current internship program and developing a residency program. 

From application to completion, you will determine the appropriate trajectory for each resident and be responsible for bringing it to fruition. Collaborating with Willow's staff and volunteers, you will create an immersive ministry experience to cultivate the essential character, skills, and vision required for a lifetime of effective ministry.

The salary range for this position is around $66,000 - $90,000 depending on experience and skill set. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, retirement savings plan with company match, parental leave, generous paid time off, mental health counseling reimbursement, tuition reimbursement and more.

Job Responsibilities

• Guide and lead all staff in the vision of raising up the next generation of Kingdom Workers.
• Design, implement, and execute the program's schedule, ensuring it includes regular culture-building events, unique ministry and development experiences, one-on-one coaching, and external theological training that are integrated into one cohesive experience.
• Recruit a qualified pool of candidates for the internship and residency programs each year. Empowering and collaborating with ministry departments when applicable.
• Oversee the program's application process, filtering candidates, conducting initial interviews, and making hiring recommendations while collaborating with Human Resources to follow appropriate hiring and onboarding practices.
• Intentionally place each intern/resident on the team that matches their interest and with well-trained, culture-building coaches who will serve as mentors for the experience. 
• Oversee the program's intern/resident request process, vetting the different internal coaching applicants, and equipping and supporting coaches for success.
• Collaborate with individual ministry areas of Willow to integrate interns/residents into the day-to-day functions of their departments.
• Build, establish, and maintain strong partnerships with higher education institutions that fuel the internship/residency's key strategies. 
• Collaborate with institutions that provide theological training for the interns/residents to ensure comprehensive and effective ministry experience.
• Develop and manage assessment tools for tracking both participant and staff coaches' leadership, participation, growth and overall effectiveness.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations and provide constructive feedback and support, where appropriate, ensuring participants are held to high ethical and spiritual standards and create systems for evaluation so that each intern/resident has a clear next step out of the program.

Staff Values:

• Believing the Best | Trust is our default
• Commit to Candor | Kindness is our way
• Embrace Challenge | Grit is our style
• Setting the Tone | Joy is our attitude
• Choose Unity | Diversity is our strength

Success is Defined As…

• Each person who goes through our program will be developed as a leader and become more grounded in faith, shaped by wisdom, and empowered to lead with courage. 
• Intern/resident coaches are well prepared to lead and develop the interns/residents entrusted to their care.  
• Interns complete the program with a clearer understanding of their calling.
• Residents complete the program with practical ministry experience and are poised for a long, healthy ministry career.

Preferred Skills and Experience

Skills/Competencies:

• Excellent communication skills (verbal & written)
• Detail oriented
• Project management skills
• Administrative & organization skills
• Interpersonal and organizational savvy
• Builds effective teams
• Strong talent development skills

Personal Characteristics:

• Developer: Passionate about the growth and development of new ministry workers 
• Galvanizer: Can cast vision for and recruit both partners and participants in the program
• Strategic Leadership: Innovate and improve internship and residency models based on best practices and ministry trends.
• Relationship Building & Networking: Developing and maintaining meaningful relationships and creating a web of contacts.
• Currently or willing to become a regular attender of a Willow Creek Community Church campus and part of our church family.

Education and Experience:

• Managerial experience
• Internship and/or Residency Leadership: Church internship/residency experience preferred
• Ministry experience in a large, multi-site church preferred

Salary : $66,000 - $90,000