Elementary Director

Princeton Alliance Church; Plainsboro Township (NJ); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO (vacation leaves)

Health insurance

401(k) match

Education benefits

Sabbatical

Paid holidays

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Princeton Alliance Church in Plainsboro, NJ, is seeking a dedicated Elementary Ministry Leader to oversee weekend programming, safety, and volunteer development for K-5 ministries. You will recruit, train, and mentor a growing team, collaborate with family life staff, and ensure age-appropriate discipleship across environments.

Responsibilities include curriculum planning, check-in systems, event coordination, budget stewardship, and partnership with parents to support children's faith formation

Qualifications

• Personal, growing Christian faith and alignment with PAC's mission.
• 3+ years of experience in children's ministry, elementary education, or a closely related field, including direct experience leading volunteers.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, and retain a volunteer team.
• Working understanding of how elementary-age children learn, and of age-appropriate classroom and behavior management.
• Organization and follow-through that hold up across weekly rhythms and large seasonal events.
• Consistent, detail-faithful implementation of child safety and check-in procedures.
• Strong communication with parents, volunteers, and staff peers.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office, and comfort learning church management software.
• Successful completion of a background check and PAC's child safety training.

Responsibilities

• Lead weekend Elementary ministry, including large-group and small-group programming, worship, classroom readiness, and safety procedures.
• Recruit, approve, train, and develop the volunteer teams that staff Elementary, growing assistants into teachers and building depth.
• Disciple and care for volunteers; lead the Sunday huddle and routine trainings, adjusting based on feedback.
• Lead the Elementary worship and tech team, training volunteers and preparing alternate worship when needed.
• Prepare and distribute curriculum weekly for large and small groups to ensure lessons and materials are ready.
• Schedule Sundays via Planning Center; follow up when volunteers decline or are absent, and coordinate guest speakers for large group.
• Plan and run PACKids Summer Camp with Family Life Team Leader; manage registrations and safety teams.
• Plan and execute PAC Kids Elementary events (Good Friday, Easter, Christmas); share leadership with Family Life events.
• Manage ministry use of Planning Center Online; check-in stations, registrations, lists, and reports.
• Partner with parents through registration and check-in; develop Parent Handbook and monthly updates.
• Meet with families about baptism with Family Life Team Leader.
• Partner with Early Childhood Director and the Youth Pastor on shared systems and transitions.
• Partner with Buddies Specialist to include children with special needs in Elementary environments.
• Steward the Elementary budget within approved limits; reconcile receipts in Blackbaud.

Skills

Volunteer management

Staff training

Child safety

Communication

Organization

Budgeting

Team leadership

Education

Associate's degree or higher in education/child development

Tools

Planning Center Online

Google Workspace

Microsoft Office

Church management software

Job description

PRIMARILY SERVES

Elementary-Age Children | Parents & Families | Ministry Volunteers

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Every weekend, Elementary rooms are staffed, set, and secure before the first family arrives, and parents hand over their kids with confidence.


• Teachers and small group leaders have their lessons and materials in hand well before Sunday.


• Volunteers are known and cared for, assistants grow into teachers, and the bench is deep enough that a last-minute call-out doesn't pull the director into the classroom.


• PACKids Summer Camp and Elementary events run on documented systems, so each year is easier to run than the last.


• Families move from Early Childhood into Elementary and on to Youth as one continuous ministry.


• Parents know what their kids are learning and have practical support for discipling them at home.


• Children with special needs are included and served well in every Elementary environment.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead weekend Elementary ministry, including large-group and small-group programming, worship, classroom readiness, and consistent implementation of all child safety and check-in procedures.


• Recruit, approve, train, and develop the volunteer teams that staff Elementary, growing assistants into teachers and building enough depth that the ministry doesn't depend on any one person's presence.


• Disciple and care for volunteers, leading the Sunday huddle, Elementary's kickoff training, and regular teacher, assistant, and greeter meetings, and adjusting the ministry when volunteer feedback points to a better way.


• Lead the Elementary worship and tech team, developing the volunteers who lead kids worship and run the room's technology, and preparing alternate worship when no team is available.


• Prepare and distribute curriculum weekly so large group and small group leaders have their lessons, supplies, and information well before Sunday, and teach large group when needed.


• Schedule and cover every Sunday through Planning Center, following up personally when volunteers decline or don't show, and scheduling guest speakers for large group.


• Plan and run PACKids Summer Camp alongside the Family Life Team Leader, including registration, volunteer placement and training, check-in and safety teams, rosters, vendors, and supplies.


• Plan and execute all PAC Kids Elementary ministry events, including programming for Good Friday, Easter, Christmas, and summer large group, while sharing leadership of Family Life events with the Family Life Team Leader and the Early Childhood Director.


• Manage ministry’s use of Planning Center Online, including check-in stations and labels, registrations, lists, and reports for Sundays, events, and camp.


• Partner with parents through registration and check-in, classroom behavior conversations, and parent development for the elementary years, collaborating with the Family Life Team Leader and the Early Childhood Director on the Parent Handbook and monthly parent updates.


• Meet with families about baptism for elementary-age children, in collaboration with the Family Life Team Leader.


• Partner with the Early Childhood Director and the Youth Pastor on shared systems and transitions, so families are handed forward rather than handed off.


• Partner with the Buddies Specialist so children with special needs are included and served well in Elementary environments.


• Steward the Elementary budget within approved limits, including curriculum, supplies, and event expenses, and reconcile receipts in Blackbaud.

PASSIONATE ABOUT

• Believing a second grader can know and follow Jesus, and structuring lessons accordingly.


• Watching a nervous volunteer become a confident teacher.


• Encouraging the kid having a hard time even when it’s challenging.


• Building systems good enough that next summer's camp is easier than this one.

REQUIREMENTS

• Personal, growing Christian faith and alignment with PAC's mission and beliefs.


• 3+ years of experience in children's ministry, elementary education, or a closely related field, including direct experience leading volunteers.


• Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, and retain a volunteer team.


• Working understanding of how elementary-age children learn, and of age-appropriate classroom and behavior management.


• Organization and follow-through that hold up across weekly rhythms and large seasonal events.


• Consistent, detail-faithful implementation of child safety and check-in procedures.


• Strong communication with parents, volunteers, and staff peers.


• Proficiency with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office, and comfort learning church management software.


• Successful completion of a background check and PAC's child safety training.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate's degree or higher in education, child development, or a related field.


• Experience with Planning Center Online, particularly Services, Check-Ins, and Registrations.


• Experience planning large children's events or a day camp.


• Experience serving children with special needs or disabilities.


• Experience leading or developing children's worship.

LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS

• Growing Christian faith and character.


• Commitment to the mission of the church.


• Call to ministry within a diverse congregation.


• Lifestyle congruent with the biblical requirements for leaders (1 Tim. 3:1-13; 2 Tim. 2; Titus 1:5-9).


• Member of PAC within 6 months of start date.


• Commitment to give faithfully to the Local and Global Ministry Funds.


• Participation in a Community Group.


• One-on-one discipleship.

TIME COMMITMENT

This position includes weekend services as well as office hours. Staff is expected to attend weekend services and church-wide events as assigned, and to promptly communicate schedule changes to other staff and direct reports.

This role requires attendance at all Sunday services, Good Friday, all Easter services, all Christmas Eve services, and the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's. It also includes weekly and biweekly department and staff meetings. Evenings and weekends are required as ministry needs arise, including Elementary programming, Family Life events, and PACKids Summer Camp. Planned retreats, workshops, and training outside standard business hours are also a part of normal ministry rhythms.

WORK ARRANGEMENT & FLEXIBILITY

This role is primarily on-site. Weekend ministry, volunteer development, and family presence require regular in-person availability, and Elementary programming cannot be led remotely.

Planning, curriculum preparation, and administrative work may be done remotely up to one day per week with supervisor approval, scheduled so it doesn't conflict with weekend preparation, events, or PACKids Summer Camp.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

PAC offers competitive benefits for full-time employees, including:

• Generous Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick, Personal, Mission Trips, Parental Leave, Personal Solitude Days)


• Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA); PAC subsidizes 85% of employees' insurance premiums!


• 403(b) Retirement Plan with up to 3% employer matching contribution (after 6 months of service)


• Continuing Education Benefits


• Sabbatical/Extended Rest after 5 years of service


• 11 Paid Holidays/year


• Relocation Reimbursement