Job Description

Start Date: September 2025 (flexible)

Shattuck-St. Mary’s School (SSM), an Episcopal, coeducational, independent boarding and day school for grades 6–PG, seeks a mission-driven, relational, and reflective Chaplain. This full-time position integrates three essential dimensions of student support at SSM: spiritual leadership, inclusive community building, and mental health and emotional wellness.

As part of our counseling and student support team, the Chaplain plays a critical role in promoting the well-being of our diverse student body, serving not only as a pastoral presence but also as a collaborative partner in emotional care and crisis response. This individual will lead the school’s chapel and spiritual life programs, guide service and cultural initiatives, support students’ emotional and social development, and work alongside other caregivers to help every student feel seen, supported, and safe.

Key Responsibilities

Spiritual Leadership

• Lead inclusive and meaningful chapel services grounded in the Episcopal tradition, affirming the dignity of all faiths and backgrounds.
• Offer pastoral care to students, faculty, and families in times of transition, grief, or spiritual questioning.
• Teach a course in religion, ethics, or reflective practice that supports students’ inner lives and moral development.
• Represent the school to the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota and within the wider interfaith community.

Community Life & Belonging

• Champion school-wide efforts that foster belonging, empathy, and mutual respect.
• Mentor and support student-led cultural and identity-based groups.
• Help coordinate community programming that highlights student voices and celebrates the richness of diverse traditions.
• Partner with residential life and academic teams to ensure inclusive and affirming experiences for all students.

Counseling & Emotional Wellness

• Serve on the school’s counseling team alongside licensed counselors, nurses, and deans, contributing to holistic student care.
• Provide pastoral counseling and support to students in emotional distress, in partnership with mental health professionals.
• Participate in school crisis response and support planning.
• Support faculty and staff in creating emotionally safe and responsive classroom and residential environments.

Service Learning & Civic Engagement

• Lead service learning programs that connect students to local and global communities through hands-on service and ethical reflection.
• Foster opportunities for students to explore their roles as contributors, advocates, and bridge-builders in the world.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as a member of the school’s administrative team.
• Offer perspective on community health, justice, and culture in strategic conversations.
• Advise on school climate, advisory programming, and culturally responsive practices.

Required Qualifications

• Ordained Episcopal priest in good standing.
• Bachelor’s degree; Master’s in divinity, education, pastoral care, counseling, or related field preferred.
• At least five years of experience in parish ministry, school chaplaincy, or youth-serving roles.
• Demonstrated ability to work with students from diverse cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Experience providing emotional support and crisis response, especially for adolescents.
• Warm, empathetic presence with strong communication and listening skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background or training in mental health care, counseling, or adolescent development (e.g., pastoral counseling certification, clinical pastoral education [CPE], or similar experience).
• Prior work in a boarding school, residential program, or student life setting.
• Experience leading or advising identity-based student groups or cultural programs.
• Comfort facilitating conversations around grief, trauma, identity, inclusion, and spiritual growth.
• Familiarity with principles of trauma-informed care and restorative practices.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work across roles in a multidisciplinary care team.

Community Context

SSM serves students from more than 40 US states and over 20 countries. About 38% of students identify as people of color, and almost 20% live outside the United States. As we seek to become a more inclusive and reflective institution, we are mindful of the gaps that remain in representation and cultural fluency among faculty and staff. We are looking for a pastoral and relational leader who can help bridge those gaps, building trust across our community and offering deep care for the hearts and minds of our students.

Shattuck-St. Mary’s faculty salaries are based on experience and range from $38,000 for beginning teachers to the mid-70s for our most experienced faculty members. In addition to cash salaries, SSM faculty are eligible to receive generous benefits including family housing and meals on campus.

To Apply

Please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to: Erin Sellner, Human Resources Director, HR@s-sm.org

Your cover letter should speak to your spiritual and pastoral philosophy, your experience supporting adolescent well-being, and your approach to inclusive community-building.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

 

Job Tags

Full time, Local area, Flexible hours

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