[Hiring] Senior Church Engagement Strategist @IMB (International Mission Board)

Role Description

The International Mission Board is seeking a Senior Church Engagement Strategist to assess, strengthen, and grow relationships with key Southern Baptist churches, ensuring strategic alignment and maximizing partnership effectiveness in support of global missions.

This high-impact role is responsible for building trusted relationships with pastors, missions leaders, and key church influencers while helping churches deepen their involvement in praying, giving, going, and sending for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Beyond managing a portfolio of influential church partners, the Senior Church Engagement Strategist provides leadership across the Church Engagement team by mentoring peers, identifying regional opportunities, informing engagement strategies, and helping coordinate resources that strengthen church partnerships and missionary impact worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for a portfolio of highly engaged Southern Baptist churches.
• Develop deep, trust-based partnerships with pastors, missions leaders, and church staff.
• Create customized engagement strategies aligned with each church's missions vision, capacity, and goals.
• Deliver responsive, proactive, and concierge-level support that strengthens long-term partnership.
• Inspire churches to increase participation in global missions through prayer, financial support, missionary sending, and field partnerships.
• Connect church leaders with missionaries, field personnel, and strategic mission opportunities.
• Facilitate complex partnerships involving multiple churches and ministry stakeholders.
• Recommend strategic initiatives that increase church participation and impact.
• Provide insights and recommendations that strengthen regional and national engagement efforts.
• Mentor and coach Church Engagement Strategists.
• Share best practices and help strengthen team effectiveness.
• Support onboarding and development of new team members.
• May provide direct supervision to Church Engagement Strategists, including performance support and professional development.
• Collaborate across teams to align resources around strategic church partnerships.
• Serve as a bridge between churches, missionaries, and internal ministry teams.
• Communicate mission impact stories and field needs that inspire greater engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and seminary training (MDiv or MRE) or equivalent missionary experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in ministry, nonprofit leadership, church relations, strategic partnerships, business development, or constituent engagement, with demonstrated impact on organizational growth and mission advancement.
• Proven ability to cultivate, influence, and steward high-value relationships with executive leaders, key stakeholders, and strategic partners.
• Exceptional executive communication and presentation skills, with the ability to inspire, influence, and engage diverse audiences.
• Strong strategic planning, analytical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities, with a track record of identifying opportunities and driving organizational objectives.
• Demonstrated success leading through influence, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and aligning stakeholders around shared goals and priorities.
• Ability to navigate complexity, balance competing priorities, and execute effectively in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
• Experience leveraging CRM platforms, performance metrics, and data insights to inform strategy, measure outcomes, and support decision-making.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively, including domestic and international travel, to strengthen partnerships and advance organizational initiatives.
• Working knowledge of Southern Baptist churches, ministry ecosystems, and church-based missions strategies, with the ability to translate that knowledge into effective engagement approaches.
• Experience coaching, developing, and mentoring team members, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and growth.
• Demonstrated success designing and executing scalable engagement, partnership, or growth strategies that expand influence, deepen stakeholder commitment, and advance organizational impact.

Benefits

• Medical insurance with choice of 3 plans, dental, vision, HSA and FSA benefit plans (and more!)
• Short- and long-term disability and basic life insurance coverage (employer paid) - with supplemental coverage available.
• 403(b) Retirement Plan Savings - with 5% employer contribution plus up to a 4% matching contribution, fully vested after 3 years.
• 21 days of paid time off accrued in the first year, plus 11 paid holidays and the week between Christmas and New Years.
• Volunteer Mission Trip Benefits so you can experience mission life first hand by working with our teams overseas.
• Access to tuition discounts.
• See a summary of our comprehensive benefits package for full time regular and contract employees here.