Manager, Chaplaincy

The Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

UVA Health in Charlottesville seeks a Chaplaincy Manager to lead Chaplaincy Services and the ACPE Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program, advancing whole-person care across the health system.

The role requires strategic leadership, operational oversight, and collaboration with physicians, nurses, and leaders to renew CPE, grow the department, and align with organizational goals.

Qualifications

• Master of Divinity or equivalent from CHEA/ATS-accredited program.
• Completion of four units of CPE as certified by ACPE/NACC/CASC-ACSS.
• Five years' experience as a professional chaplain (post-CPE).
• Two years' experience managing a professional chaplaincy department.
• Ordination or equivalent endorsement; ACPE Educator preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and supervision for Chaplaincy Services.
• Oversee daily operations and strategic initiatives.
• Lead redevelopment and implementation of the CPE program.
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare disciplines.
• Align program practices with accreditation standards and organizational goals.

Education

Master of Divinity or equivalent

Four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

Five years post-CPE chaplain experience

Two years as chaplaincy department manager

Ordination or equivalent endorsement

ACPE Educator certification (preferred)

Job description

Lead the Future of Spiritual Care in an Academic Medical Center

UVA Health seeks an experienced, visionary Chaplaincy Manager to lead our Chaplaincy Services and Pastoral Education department and help shape the future of spiritual care across the health system. This is a unique opportunity for a strategic leader who excels at operational management, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting compassionate, patient-centered care.

The ideal candidate is a chaplain who thinks like a healthcare executive-someone who honors the sacred, deeply personal nature of spiritual care while bringing the operational, financial, and leadership expertise needed to build programs, advocate for resources, and align departmental priorities with organizational goals.

This position offers the opportunity to lead a respected spiritual care department, help resume our ACPE Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programs, support patients and caregivers throughout the healthcare journey, and strengthen chaplaincy within a nationally recognized academic medical center.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

Make a Lasting Impact

As Chaplaincy Manager, you will influence the experience of patients, families, team members, healthcare leaders, and future chaplain learners. Your work will directly support whole-person care and advance the mission of UVA Health.

Rebuild and Shape a CPE Program

This role offers a rare opportunity to lead the renewal of the ACPE Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program, develop future chaplains, and build a sustainable educational infrastructure.

Lead a Growing Department

The Chaplaincy team is expanding and preparing for continued growth. The successful candidate will onboard new staff, nurture current staff, refine current structures, strengthen interdisciplinary partnerships, and lead strategic initiatives that increase the reach and visibility of spiritual care across the organization.

Be Part of What's Next

With planned growth-including the South Tower expansion, chapel improvements, and enhanced departmental workspace and resources-this is an exciting time to join UVA Health and help shape the future of spiritual care services.

Join a Collaborative and Supportive Culture that values

• Collaboration
• Transparency
• Inclusion
• Innovation
• Integrity
• Professional growth
• Shared ownership

Team members are encouraged to share ideas, lead initiatives, and help shape the department's future.

Position Summary

The Chaplaincy Manager provides leadership and operational oversight for Chaplaincy Services and the ACPE Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program. This leader ensures high-quality spiritual care, supports chaplain staff, fosters interdisciplinary partnerships, manages departmental operations, oversees chaplaincy education, and advances strategic initiatives that strengthen whole-person healthcare.

A key priority will be re-establishing and strengthening the academic excellence of our ACPE Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education programs while supporting clinical excellence across the chaplaincy department. This work will include oversight of any future ACPE Certified Educators, developing a robust curriculum and educational framework, creating a strong preceptorship cadre, supporting future chaplain learners, aligning program practices with new accreditation standards, and fostering a culture of reflective learning, professional growth, and high-quality spiritual care.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, supervision, and support for Chaplaincy Services.
• Oversee daily departmental operations and strategic initiatives.
• Lead the department in defining areas for improvement and growth utilizing national chaplaincy accreditation standards, quality improvement methodologies, and strategic planning.
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, social workers, and other healthcare disciplines as well as healthcare leaders.
• Promote integration of spiritual care within patient-centered care models.
• Support staff wellness, resilience, and professional development.
• Manage departmental budgets, resources, and operational processes.
• Lead the redevelopment and implementation of the ACPE Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program.
• Partner with organizational leaders, consultants, the Professional Advisory Group, and stakeholders to advance departmental goals.
• Develop and maintain strong interdisciplinary relationships throughout the health system.
• Represent spiritual care as an essential component of whole-person healthcare.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Master of Divinity degree or equivalent educational qualifications as evidenced by a graduate-level theological degree from a college, university or theological school accredited by a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Completion of four units of clinical pastoral education (CPE) - as certified by one of the following: the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE); National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC); Canadian Association for Spiritual Care/ Association Canadienne De Soins Spirituels (CASC/ACSS).

Experience

• Five Years experience as a professional chaplain (post-CPE)
• Two Years of experience as the manager of a professional chaplaincy department.

Certification, Ordination, and Ecclesiastical Endorsement

• Fully recognized spiritual care leader in a specific faith tradition through ordination or equivalent.
• Endorsement from a specific faith tradition to serve in a specialized setting as a healthcare chaplain, and as an ACPE Certified Educator, if applicable.
• Board Certified by one of the following: Association of Professional Chaplains (APC); National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC); Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC); The Canadian Association for Spiritual Care/Association Canadienne des Soins Spirituels (CASC/ACSS), or the Spiritual Care Association. Board certification must be maintained for continuing employment.

Preferred Qualifications

Education (Preferred)

Strong preference for advanced graduate education beyond the M.Div. including additional graduate level work in a related field.

• Ph.D. preferred, but Th.D., D.Min., Ed.D., M.P.H. or other graduate degrees considered.
• Graduate work or professional certificates in chaplaincy research and/or clinical ethics preferred.

Professional Experience (Preferred)

• Preferred: Three years of post-CPE chaplain experience in an academic medical center and Level 1 trauma center.
• Preferred: Three Years of experience as the manager of a professional chaplaincy department in an academic medical center and Level 1 trauma center.

Certification, Ordination, and Ecclesiastical Endorsement (Preferred)

• Preferred: ACPE Certified Educator.
• Preferred: ACPE National Faculty. If not ACPE National Faculty, must achieve National Faculty status within two years of hire date.

Research, Scholarship & Teaching (Preferred)

Experience with:

• Authoring peer-reviewed articles, chapters, or books
• Professional presentations at regional and national meetings
• Chaplaincy research as a collaborator or Principle Investigator.
• Experience working with IRBs.
• Demonstration of research literacy and thorough familiarity with evidence-based spiritual care practices
• Interprofessional education
• Healthcare ethics education
• Residency or learner development programs
• Chaplaincy preceptor training and development
• Graduate level teaching

Development and Fundraising (Preferred)

Preferred experiences include:

• Budget management
• Successful Grant proposals and acquisition
• Foundation and/or corporate funding acquisition
• Program development support
• Partnership with institutional advancement teams in gift acquisitions

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be:

• A respected spiritual care professional.
• A strategic healthcare leader.
• Skilled at navigating both executive, academic, and clinical environments.
• Passionate about education and program development.
• Experienced in building relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Comfortable leading through growth and change.
• Able to align mission, patient experience, staff support, operational excellence, and organizational strategy.
• Committed to advocating for chaplaincy as an essential profession within healthcare.

Above all, this leader is an effective advocate for the value of spiritual care across a complex health system and clearly articulates the evidence supporting its essential role in whole-person healthcare.

Work Schedule & Environment

• Full-time, exempt leadership position
• Primarily Monday through Friday schedule
• Shared weekend leadership call rotation among department leaders