Director of Leadership Development

Organizational Overview

Leadership Roundtable partners with lay, ordained, and religious leaders to advance best practices in leadership, management, and governance — helping Catholic leaders across every sector of the Church build a culture of operational excellence and co-responsible standards-driven leadership.

We exist because we believe that well-run Catholic institutions thrive when leaders identify and uphold high standards, include laity and clergy together in decision-making, and build a holistic culture of operational excellence grounded in transparency and accountability. Institutions like these are the Church's best opportunity to grow and further engage the faithful to forward the mission of evangelization, service to human flourishing, and spiritual enrichment, and faithfulness to Christ's message.

We envision a Catholic Church renowned for excellence in leadership, governance, and effectiveness — one in which co-responsibility, transparency, and accountability strengthen trust and thereby enliven the Church's mission in the world.

Position Overview

The Director of Leadership Development helps Catholic leaders realize their full potential so that the Church can carry out its ministries more effectively. This role delivers management and leadership formation, grounded in Leadership Roundtable's programs, tools, and support services, to the most senior leaders in the Catholic Church.

This person accompanies Catholic leaders (bishops, vicars general, chancellors, congregational leaders, and senior lay leaders) through Leadership Roundtable’s standards-based consulting and training services, both in person and virtually.

This person should have demonstrated consulting and presenting experience: synthesizing client data into themes and insights, translating those insights into practical recommendations, supporting clients through implementation, and initiating and expanding engagements.

Key Responsibilities

• Service Delivery and Accompaniment
• Plan, lead, and deliver Leadership Roundtable’s core programs and services, in person and virtually, and develop the presentations and materials that support them.
• Lead clients through a full planning process of priority identification, goal setting, and short- and long-term implementation planning; partner with them through execution and assess outcomes.
• Deliver leadership, management, and soft-skills training to adult learners using a variety of instructional techniques and formats, including facilitated team exercises, role play, group discussion, and case work.
• Collect, analyze, and synthesize client data; draw conclusions, identify possible action steps, and help clients understand the data and reports.
• Lead prayer and other spiritual practices for groups in order to ground and center client change and work in Christ.
• Client Relationships and Development
• Maintain trusted relationships with Church leaders across the United States.
• Initiate relationships and promote Leadership Roundtable support services among dioceses, religious institutes, Catholic charities, foundations, seminaries, and national Catholic organizations.
• Renew and expand existing engagements; pursue follow-on opportunities that surface during delivery.
• Lead initial exploratory and assessment conversations with prospective clients; diagnose need and scope an appropriate engagement.
• Write proposals, working with the Executive Partner on scope pricing and terms.
• Represent Leadership Roundtable at conferences and professional associations.
• Attend and contribute to Leadership Roundtable convenings, including the annual Summit and other special gatherings.

Requirements

• Successful Candidates Must Have/Be: Required
• Substantial senior leadership experience — roughly fifteen years of progressively responsible leadership — either within Catholic institutions or in mission-driven organizations, foundations, or professional services, paired with demonstrated fluency in the structure, culture, teachings, and governance of the Catholic Church.
• A practicing Catholic in good standing. This role represents Leadership Roundtable to bishops, clergy, religious, and lay leaders across the Church; credibility and personal witness within the Catholic community are essential to it.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust with senior leaders across very different worlds — clergy and lay, ecclesial and corporate and build trust and relationships across ideological divisions turning them into concrete collaborations.
• Strong judgment, discretion, and diplomacy, with a track record of handling sensitive matters and confidential information.
• Proven ability to direct complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives through others, including large convenings.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills, including editing and proofreading.
• Ability to travel approximately 30% of the time, including multi-day trips.
• Genuine commitment to Leadership Roundtable's mission and values.
• Preferred
• Master's degree in a related field: nonprofit management, business, pastoral ministry, theology, communications, or public policy.
• Prior work in a diocese, Catholic nonprofit, Catholic university, foundation, apostolate, bishops' conference, or national Catholic organization.
• Existing relationships across Catholic dioceses, ministries, or philanthropic networks.
• Experience planning conferences, retreats, bishop briefings, advisory councils, or high-level convenings.
• Fundraising, sponsorship, or donor-relations experience.