Job Description

This posting will close November 26, 2026, at 11:00 pm central time.

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,600 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.

The Lutheran Center (national office) is located in Chicago, Illinois. A staff of approximately 400, under the leadership of the Presiding Bishop, serve as administrators, advisors, conveners, partners, and resource people for the ELCA and its ministries. Staff lead the work of national, domestic, and global ministries and programs including Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA World Hunger, Service & Justice, Christian Community and Leadership, and Innovation. We are also home to five of our separately incorporated ministries: The Mission Investment Fund of the ELCA, Women of the ELCA, Lutheran Men in Mission, the ELCA Foundation and the ELCA Federal Credit Union.

About the ELCA Foundation

As a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the ELCA Foundation works with individuals, congregations, synods, the churchwide organization, and all other ELCA-related entities to develop gifts and oversee the management of assets that sustain and grow ministries of the ELCA. With over $1.5 billion in gifts and assets managed on behalf of the ELCA, the Foundation provides gift planning, endowment management, investment services, and donor engagement rooted in stewardship, integrity, and service.

About the position

This position analyzes business needs and supports the analysis and implementation of software enhancement projects, working in close coordination with internal stakeholders and third-party vendors to ensure solutions are delivered accurately, on time, and to specification. Success in this role requires strong stakeholder engagement and the persistence to build alignment across teams with differing priorities and rigorous review standards — communicating with confidence, working through complex requirements collaboratively, and driving initiatives through to completion.

This is a full-time, regular, exempt, Chicago-based, hybrid position. This position has responsibilities that will require being in the office on a weekly basis. This could mean 2 days most weeks and possibly more days when meetings and other events are happening that this position supports.

The eligibility of a candidate for remote or hybrid positions may depend on the residency of the candidate, and the budget for the role, including salary or pay, insurance coverage, and/or tax burden. Candidates for this position must reside within the fifty United States or the District of Columbia and be authorized to work lawfully in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

1. Gather, document, and analyze business and functional requirements.
2. Translate business needs into technical specifications and acceptance criteria.
3. Serve as liaison with third-party vendors and implementation partners.
4. Manage third-party relationships across the project lifecycle (scope, timeline, quality).
5. Engage closely with internal stakeholders across the organization, building alignment on requirements, working through differing priorities, and driving initiatives through to completion.
6. Supervise, mentor, and support one IT team member, providing direction, prioritization, and performance feedback. Establish priorities, provide technical and professional guidance, and ensure technology initiatives align with organizational objectives.
7. Configure, test, and support enterprise platforms including HubSpot and Workday.
8. Design and execute test plans (functional, integration, regression, UAT).
9. Support data mapping, migration, and validation.
10. Maintain system documentation and training materials.
11. Recommend process improvements and provide post-implementation support.
12. Other duties as assigned.

Supervision

1. Systems Analyst

Requirements

1. 7+ years of experience in information technology, including 5+ years as a Systems Analyst, Technical Project Manager, or in a comparable IT analysis role. College degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
2. Hands-on experience with HubSpot and Workday.
3. Proven experience coordinating third parties on software enhancement projects.
4. Strong requirements-gathering, process-mapping, and documentation skills.
5. Full software implementation lifecycle experience, including testing and UAT.
6. Strong analytical and communication skills.
7. Experience supervising, mentoring, or leading team members.
8. Demonstrated ability to influence, negotiate, and build consensus across stakeholders, and to keep initiatives moving forward to completion.
9. Appreciation for the mission, vision, and values of the ELCA and ELCA Foundation.
10. Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism.
11. Minimum Technical Competency: Computer knowledge that enables you to operate a Windows Computer and follow basic troubleshooting instructions. Software skills to efficiently use computer programs and applications. Ability to leverage computer knowledge and software skills to understand new software, follow process, and identify opportunities for improvement. Experience using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, etc.) preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Familiarity with integration tools, APIs, SQL, and reporting/analytics platforms.
2. Relevant certifications (HubSpot, Workday, CBAP, PMP, or Agile/Scrum).
3. Experience serving as a technical project manager, leading cross-functional teams and vendors through the software delivery lifecycle.

Core Competencies:

1. Vendor and stakeholder management
2. Analytical thinking and structured problem solving
3. Project coordination and organization
4. Adaptability across multiple platforms and priorities
5. Accountability and follow-through
6. Diplomatic persistence — influencing without authority and building alignment across teams

Physical

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear, use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone. This position requires sitting for long periods of time. May be required to lift boxes of materials/resources. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Travel

Position requires minimal travel. Valid driver’s license preferred.

Benefits

The ELCA offers a competitive benefits package for eligible employees, including employer paid health premiums for employees, health and dependent care FSA’s, a health savings account (HSA) with an employer contribution, life insurance, and a substantial employer contribution to 403b retirement plan (no match required). We also offer a generous paid time-off policy including 17 paid holidays. All benefits commence on your start date.

Contact

If you have questions about this job or your application, please complete this form to contact Human Resources.

Salary

Commensurate with qualifications and relevant experience.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and prohibit discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. As a religious organization, we reserve the right, where permitted by applicable federal and state law, to employ individuals who share and support our religious beliefs, mission, and values.