A senior part-time opportunity to own the business side of a thriving nonprofit congregation.

SCHEDULE: Approx. 25 hours/week
SALARY: $44,200 annually
LOCATION: Walpole, Massachusetts

 

 

United Church in Walpole is seeking an experienced Business & Operations Manager to take ownership of the financial, administrative, property, and operational functions of a thriving nonprofit congregation with an approximately $750,000 annual operating budget and a three-property campus.

This is not a traditional church secretary or administrative assistant position. It is a high-autonomy, part-time professional management role for someone who thinks like a nonprofit operations leader or small-business manager: someone who builds systems, anticipates needs, understands the numbers, develops strong relationships, solves problems, and takes pride in making a complex organization run exceptionally well.

Working closely with the Senior Pastor and lay leadership, you will become the person who knows how the business side of the church works — and makes sure it works well.

·   Business and financial operations, including bookkeeping workflows, accounts payable/receivable, budgeting support, financial reporting preparation, invoice review, and operational controls.

·   Organizational systems: contracts, records, recurring deadlines, renewals, documentation, administrative workflows, and process improvement.

·   Contracts, insurance, risk, and operational compliance.

·   The business management of a three-property campus, including preventive maintenance, inspections, long-range capital planning, and coordination with the volunteer Building & Grounds Team and professional vendors.

·   Vendor and service-provider relationships, proposals, renewals, and follow-through.

·   Lease administration and operational relationships with major tenants/building users, including a large childcare center and a thriving addiction recovery center.

·   Short- and long-term building rentals and space-use administration.

·   Operational planning that helps church leadership anticipate needs, understand costs, and make sound decisions.

You may have worked in nonprofit operations, business management, finance and administration, school administration, property operations, or small-business management. Your exact background matters less than the way you work.

·   You naturally take ownership. When something belongs to your portfolio, people trust that it will be handled.

·   You can move comfortably between a budget spreadsheet, a vendor contract, a tenant conversation, an insurance renewal, and a building issue.

·   You are financially fluent and comfortable with bookkeeping and budgets, even if you are not an accountant.

·   You build systems so important work does not depend on someone remembering it at the last minute.

·   You exercise sound judgment, know what you can decide, and know when something needs to be elevated.

·   You communicate with warmth and professionalism across staff, volunteers, tenants, vendors, and public agencies.

·   You enjoy improving processes and are comfortable using modern technology, including AI-assisted tools, thoughtfully and responsibly.

·   You want meaningful responsibility without a traditional 40+ hour management schedule.

Facilities management is an important part of this portfolio because UCW owns and operates a complex three-property campus. But this is not primarily a facilities job, and it is not a maintenance technician position. The successful candidate will manage the business systems around our properties — vendors, contracts, budgets, inspections, preventive maintenance, leases, risk, and long-range planning — as one part of a much broader nonprofit operations role.

Likewise, this role works closely with committed volunteer leaders without replacing them. You will provide the professional continuity, systems, information, and follow-through that allow volunteer leadership to thrive.

United Church in Walpole is a vibrant, progressive and inclusive United Church of Christ congregation in Walpole, Massachusetts. Our mission is “to reach out and change lives with the good news of God’s love,” and our vision is “Where faith becomes action and community becomes home.” Our campus is busy throughout the week with worship, ministry, community programs, tenants, renters, and partner organizations.

Church employment experience is not required. We welcome candidates who can work respectfully and enthusiastically within the mission and values of an inclusive Christian congregation that is LGBTQ+ open and affirming and anti-racist.

This is a part-time salaried professional position with an annual salary of $44,200, designed around approximately 25 hours per week. The position offers meaningful scheduling flexibility while requiring regular weekday availability and sufficient on-site presence to manage relationships, facilities, and operations effectively. Occasional availability outside the regular schedule may be needed for significant building or operational issues, with healthy boundaries and schedule flexibility expected.

Please submit a resume and a brief cover letter explaining why this particular role interests you and how your experience has prepared you to take ownership of a broad nonprofit business and operations portfolio. Send application materials to apply@unitedwalpole.org with “Business & Operations Manager” in the subject line.

Applications will be reviewed as received. United Church in Walpole welcomes qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive workplace.