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 multifaith 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 audiences with authenticity and respect.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate communities of belonging, facilitate dialogue, and support constructive engagement across religious, ideological, and cultural differences.
• Ability to integrate spirituality, ethics, meaning-making, and religious literacy into the intellectual, civic, and student life of the University.
• Demonstrated judgment, emotional steadiness, discretion, and professional boundaries in high-stress, grief-stricken, polarized, or rapidly changing environments.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with autonomous affiliated religious organizations while maintaining institutional clarity, trust, and accountability.
• Ability to shape a forward-looking model of religious and spiritual life that reflects Brown’s legacy while responding to the evolving needs of today’s students and higher education.

Isaacson Miller has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Ernest Brooks is leading this search with Alycia Johnson and Lisa Landis. Applications received by November 15, 2026, will receive priority consideration. Inquiries, nominations, and CVs with cover letters should be submitted via the Isaacson, Miller website: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/brown-university/chaplain

Background Check: All offers of employment are contingent upon a successful criminal background check and education verification satisfactory to Brown.

Additional Information: Please submit a resume and cover letter when applying for this position. To learn about benefits at Brown University, visit the Brown University benefits page.

Benefits of Working at Brown:

Please review additional information on the Benefits of Working at Brown.

Recruiting Start Date:

2026-10-14

Job Posting Title:

University Chaplain and Director of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life

Department:

AVP Campus Life Engagement

Grade:

Grade 13

Worker Type:

Employee

Worker Sub-Type:

Regular

Time Type:

Full time

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

37.5

Position Work Location:

Hybrid

Submission Guidelines:

The designated Position Work Location for each position determines the approved modality of work. Positions are classified based on the operational and business needs of the department and may be designated as on-site, hybrid, or remote.

Employees with a designated position work location as remote must reside and perform their work in a state where Brown University is registered to do business. Brown University is a registered employer in the following states: Rhode Island, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, D.C.

Please note that to be considered for a staff position at Brown University, you must submit a separate application for each position you wish to be considered for. Applications are reviewed only for the specific position to which they are submitted and are not automatically considered for future openings.  

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Still Have Questions?

If you have any questions you may contact [email protected].

Brown is an E-Verify Employer.

EEO Statement:

Brown University provides equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based upon a person’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law, in the administration of its policies, programs, and activities. The University recognizes and rewards individuals on the basis of qualifications and performance. The University maintains certain affirmative action programs in compliance with applicable law.