Associate Director, Religious Liberty

At the direction of the Committee for Religious Liberty and under the supervision of the Executive Director of the Secretariat of Justice and Peace, the Associate Director directs/serves/coordinates the efforts of the Office of Religious Liberty, which develops and disseminates resources to promote the Bishops’ vision of religious liberty among various audiences, with special emphasis on the Catholic faithful, as well as the theological and philosophical aspects of religious liberty and analysis of policies and regulations. The Associate Director works in an integrated way with the entire Secretariat of Justice and Peace to collaborate in sharing the Church’s social mission as it relates to the religious liberty priorities of the bishops. The Associate Director is a practicing Catholic, registered in a Catholic parish or regularly attending a Catholic parish or Catholic faith community, who embraces, upholds, and promotes in every aspect of his/her work the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church.

The Associate Director serves as lead staff to the Committee for Religious Liberty, in collaboration with and under the supervision of the Executive Director, including:

1. serving as principal staff contact with Bishop-Chair and other Committee members;
2. planning, coordinating, and staffing regular meetings of the Committee and of staff;
3. drafting and coordinating drafting of correspondence and more substantial documents for the Chair and Committee;
4. working with General Counsel to assure coordination of the work of the Committee with the legal positions of USCCB on religious liberty issues;
5. working with staff and Bishops in other Committees and Offices within USCCB where religious liberty issues arise (e.g. education, immigration, pro-life/family, social services, ecumenical/interfaith, racial justice, etc.);
6. participating in communicating the Bishops’ vision of religious liberty to various audiences outside the Conference (the faithful, general public, and Catholic academy, etc.);
7. participating in the ongoing development of Conference strategies to address religious liberty issues, and of the institutional forms the Conference will use to implement those strategies.
8. serving as a resource for Bishop’s offices and their staff to help them address religious liberty issues locally as they arise;
9. working with education and communications staff in the Secretariat of Justice and Peace to share catechetical and educational materials on religious liberty (domestic and international).
10. collaborating with the Committee on International Justice and Peace on issues related to international religious freedom.
11. assisting diocesan offices and identified national organizations to address issues which authentically promote the positions of the Committee for Religious Liberty.
12. participating in work with interfaith and ecumenical partners to promote the Bishops’ vision of religious liberty;
13. participating in work with academic institutions (think tanks and universities, both Catholic and non-Catholic) to promote the Bishops’ vision of religious liberty;
14. contributing to formation in Catholic social teaching, especially as related to the dignity of the human person, in initiatives of the Secretariat of Justice and Peace.

Other Specialized Training:

• • Knowledge of the Catholic Church.
  • Experience in the fields of evangelization and catechesis, and the ability to address issues associated with religious freedom as this is expressed in the authentic teaching of the Church.
  • Knowledge of catechetical and theological language at the post-graduate level.
  • Knowledge of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as papal documents and documents of the Conference pertinent to religious freedom.
  • Familiarity of and appreciation for the concerns of the U.S. bishops in defense of religious freedom.
  • Working knowledge in several professional disciplines, including the ability to integrate information from a variety of diverse sources, and the ability to work collaboratively with all elements of the staff on a variety of joint tasks and projects.

Type and Nature of Professional Experience:

• • Experience in catechetical work at the parish and/or diocesan level
  • Experience as a teacher or catechist of the Catholic faith
  • Academic expertise in theological disciplines related to religious freedom as expressed in the authentic teaching of the Church
  • Excellent writing and editing skills
  • Excellent verbal communication skills
  • Demonstrable commitment to sound and effective catechesis
  • Experience in Church systems and structures
  • Ability to deal with confidential and sensitive communications
  • Experience in administration or other supervisory experience

Education Level: Graduate level, minimum of M.A. or M.Div

Major Field/Specialty: Theology

Foreign Language: Knowledge of Spanish would be helpful

Number of Years Required: 7 - 8 years

Salary Range for this position is $102,000 to $105,000

Applicants please apply on USCCB Careers page:

Careers at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)