Church Business & Operations Manager

Massachusetts Nonprofit Network; Walpole (MA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 51,000; Part time

Job summary

United Church in Walpole is seeking an experienced Business & Operations Manager to own the financial, administrative, and property functions of a three-property campus with a $750,000 annual operating budget.

This part-time, professional role emphasizes building systems, proactive planning, and cross‑functional collaboration with the Senior Pastor, lay leadership, staff, tenants, and volunteers to keep the church's operations running smoothly.

Qualifications

• Experience in nonprofit operations.
• Ability to build systems and processes.
• Strong financial literacy and budgeting.
• Capability to manage contracts and leases.
• Comfort working with volunteers and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Oversee business and financial operations.
• Develop and maintain organizational systems.
• Manage contracts, insurance, risk, and compliance.
• Oversee campus property management and planning.
• Coordinate vendor relationships and lease administration.
• Work with staff, volunteers, and tenants.

Skills

Financial operations

Budgeting

Operations management

Contract management

Vendor management

Financial reporting

Systems design

Communication with stakeholders

Facilities coordination

AI-assisted tools familiarity

Tools

Spreadsheet

AI-assisted tools

Job description

Church Business & Operations Manager

A senior part-time opportunity to own the business side of a thriving nonprofit congregation.

SCHEDULE: Approx. 25 hours/week

SALARY: $44,200 annually

LOCATION: Walpole, Massachusetts

We are looking for someone who does not simply complete assigned tasks. We are looking for someone who takes ownership of operations.

The Opportunity

United Church in Walpole is seeking an experienced Business & Operations Manager to take ownership of the financial, administrative, property, and operational functions of a thriving nonprofit congregation with an approximately $750,000 annual operating budget and a three-property campus.

This is not a traditional church secretary or administrative assistant position. It is a high-autonomy, part-time professional management role for someone who thinks like a nonprofit operations leader or small-business manager: someone who builds systems, anticipates needs, understands the numbers, develops strong relationships, solves problems, and takes pride in making a complex organization run exceptionally well.

Working closely with the Senior Pastor and lay leadership, you will become the person who knows how the business side of the church works — and makes sure it works well.

What You’ll Own

• Business and financial operations, including bookkeeping workflows, accounts payable/receivable, budgeting support, financial reporting preparation, invoice review, and operational controls.
• Organizational systems: contracts, records, recurring deadlines, renewals, documentation, administrative workflows, and process improvement.
• Contracts, insurance, risk, and operational compliance.
• The business management of a three-property campus, including preventive maintenance, inspections, long-range capital planning, and coordination with the volunteer Building & Grounds Team and professional vendors.
• Vendor and service-provider relationships, proposals, renewals, and follow-through.
• Lease administration and operational relationships with major tenants/building users, including a large childcare center and a thriving addiction recovery center.
• Short- and long-term building rentals and space-use administration.
• Operational planning that helps church leadership anticipate needs, understand costs, and make sound decisions.

Who We Hope to Find

• You may have worked in nonprofit operations, business management, finance and administration, school administration, property operations, or small-business management. Your exact background matters less than the way you work.
• You naturally take ownership. When something belongs to your portfolio, people trust that it will be handled.
• You can move comfortably between a budget spreadsheet, a vendor contract, a tenant conversation, an insurance renewal, and a building issue.
• You are financially fluent and comfortable with bookkeeping and budgets, even if you are not an accountant.
• You build systems so important work does not depend on someone remembering it at the last minute.
• You exercise sound judgment, know what you can decide, and know when something needs to be elevated.
• You communicate with warmth and professionalism across staff, volunteers, tenants, vendors, and public agencies.
• You enjoy improving processes and are comfortable using modern technology, including AI-assisted tools, thoughtfully and responsibly.
• You want meaningful responsibility without a traditional 40+ hour management schedule.

What This Job Is - and Isn't

Facilities management is an important part of this portfolio because UCW owns and operates a complex three-property campus. But this is not primarily a facilities job, and it is not a maintenance technician position. The successful candidate will manage the business systems around our properties - vendors, contracts, budgets, inspections, preventive maintenance, leases, risk, and long-range planning - as one part of a much broader nonprofit operations role.

Likewise, this role works closely with committed volunteer leaders without replacing them. You will provide the professional continuity, systems, information, and follow-through that allow volunteer leadership to thrive.

About United Church in Walpole

United Church in Walpole is a vibrant, progressive and inclusive United Church of Christ congregation in Walpole, Massachusetts. Our mission is "to reach out and change lives with the good news of God's love," and our vision is "Where faith becomes action and community becomes home." Our campus is busy throughout the week with worship, ministry, community programs, tenants, renters, and partner organizations.

Church employment experience is not required. We welcome candidates who can work respectfully and enthusiastically within the mission and values of an inclusive Christian congregation that is LGBTQ+ open and affirming and anti-racist.

Schedule & Compensation

This is a part-time salaried professional position with an annual salary of $44,200, designed around approximately 25 hours per week. The position offers meaningful scheduling flexibility while requiring regular weekday availability and sufficient on-site presence to manage relationships, facilities, and operations effectively. Occasional availability outside the regular schedule may be needed for significant building or operational issues, with healthy boundaries and schedule flexibility expected.