Director-Ethics

Mercy; Springfield (MO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

Tuition support

Matched retirement plans

Job summary

Mercy is seeking a Director of Ethics to provide strategic leadership for a robust culture of ethics across our hospitals and clinics. This role embeds Mercy’s Catholic identity, mission, values, and charism in daily decision‑making and guides ethical discernment at all levels.

You will partner with caregivers, physicians, leaders, and community partners to foster trust, accountability, and moral courage, translating ethical principles into workable policies and programs while coaching others.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in bioethics or related field required.
• Doctoral preparation in moral theology/philosophy preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for ethics culture across Mercy.
• Collaborate with caregivers, physicians, leaders, and community partners.
• Lead ethics education, consultations, and decision‑making processes.
• Translate ethical principles into operational policies and practices.
• Coach and mentor teams in ethical discernment and dialogue.

Skills

Catholic healthcare ethics

Ethical leadership

Strategic planning

Culture change

Stakeholder facilitation

Mentoring and coaching

Education

Master's degree in Bioethics, Moral Philosophy, Moral Theology, or related discipline

Doctoral preparation in moral theology, moral philosophy, or healthcare ethics

Job description

Find your calling at Mercy!

Overview –

The Director - Ethics provides strategic leadership for the development, sustainability, and integration of a robust culture of ethics across Mercy. This role is fundamentally oriented toward shaping organizational culture, strengthening ethical capacity at all levels, and ensuring that Mercy’s Catholic identity, mission, values, and charism are deeply embedded in daily decision‑making.

Required

The director serves the whole community (hospital and clinics) and partners closely with caregivers, physicians, leaders, and community partners to move ethics upstream—anticipating ethical challenges, equipping others with skills for ethical discernment, and fostering shared ownership of an ethical culture. Guided by Mercy’s vision for ethics, the director leads initiatives that cultivate trust, dialogue, accountability, and moral courage throughout the ministry. This vision informs the leadership posture, priorities, and competencies required for this role:

This leader serves as a visible and trusted collaborator with senior leadership, local leaders and peer ethics leaders, helping Mercy live its healing mission in complex clinical, organizational, and social contexts.

Position Details

Qualifications

Education

• Master’s degree in Bioethics, Moral Philosophy, Moral Theology, or related discipline required.
• Doctoral preparation (Ph.D., D.Be., or equivalent) in moral theology, moral philosophy, or healthcare ethics preferred.

Experience

• Demonstrated experience in clinical ethics consultation within a healthcare setting.
• Evidence of strategic leadership, organizational influence, or culture‑change work strongly preferred.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders and interdisciplinary teams.

Skills & Competencies

• Deep expertise in Catholic healthcare ethics, the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, and Catholic moral and social teaching.
• Ability to lead culture change, not simply resolve individual ethical issues.
• Strong systems thinking and capacity to translate ethical principles into operational realities.
• Exceptional relationship‑building, facilitation, and influence skills.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and empower others in ethical discernment.
• Comfort navigating complexity, ambiguity, and conflict with prudence and compassion.
• Technological fluency to support ethics education, consultation, and collaboration.

Preferred Certification: Healthcare Ethics Consultant–Certified (HCE-C)

Why Mercy?

From day one, Mercy offers outstanding benefits - including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, tuition support, and matched retirement plans for team members working 32+ hours per pay period.

Join a caring, collaborative team where your voice matters. At Mercy, you'll help shape the future of healthcare through innovation, technology, and compassion. As we grow, you'll grow with us.