Vice President for Student Life and Formation

Point Loma Nazarene University; California (MO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

A Christian university in California seeks a Vice President for Student Life and Formation to provide strategic leadership across campuses. The role involves overseeing spiritual formation and student affairs, ensuring holistic development of students. Ideal candidates will have a strong personal faith, an advanced degree, and significant leadership experience in student affairs. The university emphasizes community and empowers students to reach their potential.

Qualifications

• Deep personal faith in Jesus Christ with commitment to spiritual maturity and service.
• Proven success in team leadership and budget management.
• Significant leadership experience in student affairs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Student Life and Formation programming.
• Collaborate across university divisions for student support.
• Lead co-curricular strategies aligned with institutional goals.
• Lead development and assessment of co‑curricular strategies aligned with goals and outcomes.
• Steward budgets and resources to support operational efficiency and sustainability.

Skills

Visionary thinking

Strategic planning

Staff leadership

Intercultural competence

Communication

Education

Advanced degree in higher education administration, theology, educational leadership, student affairs, counseling, or a related field

Higher education administration focus

Theology degree or related field

Job description

Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) is looking for a mission-driven, spiritually grounded, and administratively gifted leader. Reporting directly to the President and serving on the President’s Cabinet, the VPSLF provides strategic, pastoral, and operational leadership for the holistic formation of PLNU students, primarily traditional undergraduates, across multiple campuses and delivery modalities.

The VPSLF oversees spiritual formation programming including chapel, worship, service opportunities, and short term missions to ensure cultivating theologically rich and experientially engaging opportunities for students to grow in their faith and deepen their relationship with Christ.

As the senior student affairs officer, the VPSLF oversees a broad portfolio of departments supporting residential life, housing, student conduct, new student programming, student leadership development, student government, medical and counseling services, behavioral intervention team, transfer student services, commuter student services, multicultural engagement and education, and study abroad programming.

What We’re Looking For:

• Visionary and strategic thinker, balanced by the practical wisdom needed for day-to-day university operations.
• A servant leader who fosters a culture of trust, accountability, and care.
• Engaging communicator and relational leader, with a heart for students and a collaborative spirit.
• Emotionally intelligent and interculturally competent leader, with the ability to build bridges across with students from diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic backgrounds and of varying abilities.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet, offering vision and counsel on matters related to student experience, formation, and support.
• Work closely with the Vice President for Mission and Calling to ensure that spiritual formation student initiatives reflects PLNU’s theological heritage and Christian formation framework.
• Collaborates across University divisions—including with the Vice President for Intercultural Engagement, Retention, and Community Success Initiatives, the Provost and Chief Academic Officer, and leaders in Academic Affairs and Enrollment—to foster a campus climate shaped by belonging, equity, and shalom, ensure continuity between academic and co‑curricular initiatives, and promote holistic student support throughout the student lifecycle.
• Lead the development and assessment of co‑curricular strategies aligned with institutional goals, student learning outcomes, and data-informed practices.
• Steward budgets, personnel, and resources responsibly, ensuring operational efficiency and sustainability in alignment with the university’s financial vision.
• Provide strategic oversight and leadership for chapel, discipleship, worship, service, and missions programming, guiding the integration of Upreach (worship), Inreach (discipleship), and Outreach (service) across all student affairs and ministry initiatives.
• Provide strategic oversight and leadership to all traditional undergraduate co‑curricular student affairs functions including residential life, housing, student conduct, new student orientation, student leadership development, multicultural engagement and education, student government, medical and counseling services, behavioral intervention team, study abroad programs.

Qualifications:

• Deep personal faith in Jesus Christ with a life rooted in spiritual maturity, discipleship, and service and active participation in a local church and ability to mentor others in faith and leadership.
• A deep theological understanding and a commitment to the Wesleyan‑Holiness tradition and the mission of the Church of the Nazarene to serve as the Vice President for Student Life and Formation (VPSLF).
• Acknowledgement of belief alignment and agreement to live according to PLNU’s Community Life Covenant.
• An advanced degree is required (Doctorate preferred) in higher education administration, theology, educational leadership, student affairs, counseling, or a related field.
• Proven success in team leadership, budget management, cross‑functional collaboration, and organizational development.
• Demonstrated significant leadership experience in student affairs, including positions of programming and oversight for campus ministry, Christian Higher education, or related areas with similar complexity.
• Understanding of student development theory and its application in student affairs.
• The job offer is contingent on the successful completion of a background check. PLNU will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local “Fair Chance” laws.

Physical Requirements:

• Work is primarily sedentary and may require sitting and standing for extended periods of time.
• Use of computer equipment: computer keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
• Vision to read documents, e‑mail and other correspondence, and reports on paper and computer monitor.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others in person and by phone.
• Will also stand, stoop, push, pull, and lift up to 10 pounds throughout the day.
• Travel: Ability to travel to multiple campus sites in San Diego County.

At PLNU, we believe in pursuing calling together. Deep and meaningful relationships between students, faculty, and staff is vital in nurturing our shared community and expressing God’s love. We are looking for enthusiastic candidates to join us in empowering our students to reach their greatest personal, spiritual and professional potential.

Point Loma Nazarene University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures.

PRIORITY REVIEW of Applications is July 11, 2025. Direct link to position posting: https://pointloma.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PLNUCareers/job/Vice-President-for-Student-Life-and-Formation_R0004056