Program Director

Servant•Marion, IN

11h

About The Position

The Program Director of VIA Journeys is responsible for launching, piloting, and operationalizing VIA Journeys as a flagship initiative within the Strategic Innovations (SI) unit. This role exists to ensure that strategy becomes reality. The Program Director brings entrepreneurial leadership, technical fluency, and execution discipline to move VIA Journeys from concept to functioning pilots, platforms, and participant experiences. The Program Director is empowered by the Executive Director of SI to focus fully on delivery, experimentation, and learning, while operating within clear strategic guardrails.

Requirements

Master’s degree in related fields
Ten plus (10+) years of demonstrated experience launching or scaling initiatives, programs, products, or platforms
Strong technical fluency—able to work effectively with developers, platforms, data, and digital tools
Proven ability to operate in ambiguity and drive execution from zero to launch
Entrepreneurial or startup experience
Experience working with pastors, churches, ministry organizations, or higher education
Familiarity with digital learning platforms, SaaS models, or ecosystem-based initiatives
Technical fluency (able to lead AI-enabled initiatives in partnership with technical experts)

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end launch of VIA Journeys, including pilots, operational workflows, and participant experiences
Translate strategic direction into executable plans, timelines, milestones, and deliverables
Ensure VIA Journeys progresses from idea to active implementation with momentum and clarity
Operate with an entrepreneurial mindset—testing assumptions, learning rapidly, and iterating responsibly
Design and manage pilots that validate participant value, operational feasibility, and program design
Build repeatable processes that support early scaling while preserving quality and trust
Serve as the primary program lead coordinating technical and platform-related work
Partner with internal and external technical teams to translate program needs into platform requirements
Support integration with Lantern and other Seminary systems, ensuring usability, reliability, and data integrity
Coordinate pilot partners, churches, advisors, and ministry leaders
Build feedback loops with pastors and participants to inform continuous improvement
Ensure participant experience reflects pastoral sensitivity and theological integrity
Define and track operational, learning, and pilot metrics
Provide clear updates, dashboards, and insights to the Executive Director and Seminary leadership
Ensure lessons learned inform future decisions and phases
Supervises any part-time or full-time personnel assigned to the VIA Journeys initiative