The posting
Job Description
The Area Director, Global Engagement and Operations, is a critical member of BYU-Pathway Worldwide’s U.S. and Canada Field Operations team and provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for assigned Church areas. The Area Director works closely with Area Presidencies, Church leaders, Church departments, missionaries, government and educational partners, and community stakeholders to expand access to education and help BYU-Pathway fulfill its mission of bringing affordable, spiritually based higher education to the “hidden many” wherever the Church is organized.
The Area Director leads and develops a team of leaders and provides strategic direction and operational oversight for a geographically dispersed workforce of approximately 200 to 400 senior service missionaries, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and consistent execution across assigned areas. Serving as BYU-Pathway’s senior operational representative within designated regions, the Area Director establishes and maintains trusted relationships with Area Presidencies, Welfare & Self-Reliance Services, Seminaries & Institutes, the Missionary Department, and other Church Educational System (CES) partners.
Through strategic leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and partnership with ecclesiastical and educational leaders, the Area Director advances student recruitment, enrollment, retention, and spiritual and temporal outcomes. The role also represents the organization with government, educational, religious, and community leaders.
This full-time, hybrid position, with typically works (Monday – Friday between the hours of 8 am - 5 pm).
By applying for this position, you are indicating that you are currently authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship, are willing to physically reside and perform the work in Utah, and are willing to come into the BYU-Pathway Worldwide headquarters in Salt Lake City 1-3 days per week.
If you are a current BYU-Pathway student or recent graduate who lives anywhere other than Utah, please reach out to the CAREER SERVICES team for opportunities in your area. Follow this link: https://www.byupathway.edu/career-services
Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership and Area Operations
- Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for assigned Church areas, ensuring alignment with BYU-Pathway Worldwide priorities and objectives.
- Develop and execute strategic plans that support organizational goals, enrollment growth, student success, and long-term sustainability.
- Provide strategic direction and operational oversight for a geographically dispersed workforce of 200-400 senior service missionaries. Lead through a multi-level structure of senior service missionaries in leadership assignments, equipping and supporting them to coordinate the broader missionary workforce, translate area priorities into local action, and achieve desired outcomes.
- Ensure leaders effectively execute area-level strategies and achieve key performance indicators.
- Monitor organizational performance across assigned areas and implement corrective actions or improvement plans as needed.
- Identify opportunities for innovation, process improvement, and operational efficiencies that enhance organizational effectiveness and scalability.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for significant operational, partner, and student experience issues within assigned areas.
- Relationship Management and Stakeholder Engagement
- Establish and maintain trusted, strategic relationships with Area Presidencies, Area Seventies, Welfare & Self-Reliance Services, Seminaries & Institutes, the Missionary Department, and local ecclesiastical leaders.
- Serve as BYU-Pathway's principal representative within assigned Church areas.
- Participate in key strategic, operational, and leadership meetings as a liaison between BYU-Pathway Worldwide and area leadership.
- Foster strong partnerships that advance enrollment, student success, program quality, and organizational objectives.
- Guide and support the workforce in strengthening relationships with local priesthood leaders, institute directors, self-reliance managers, and other educational institutions.
- Promote shared accountability among ecclesiastical and educational leaders for the growth and success of BYU-Pathway initiatives.
- Develop and oversee relationships with external partners, including government agencies, civic and community organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), educational institutions, and other external partners.
- Represent BYU-Pathway in key engagements and guide senior service missionary leaders and teams in building local partnerships, identifying opportunities, and carrying out shared initiatives.
- Enrollment Growth and Awareness
- Oversee execution of Area Presidency and organizational directives designed to identify individuals who would benefit from BYU-Pathway and encourage participation.
- Direct area-wide enrollment growth strategies and initiatives across assigned regions.
- Ensure effective implementation of communication, recruitment, and awareness campaigns.
- Analyze enrollment, retention, and participation trends and develop strategic action plans to improve outcomes.
- Champion initiatives that promote spiritual and temporal self-reliance through educational opportunities.
- Representation and Advocacy
- Represent BYU-Pathway Worldwide, under the direction of Area Presidencies and organizational leadership, with government, educational, religious, and community leaders.
- Promote BYU-Pathway's mission, programs, and impact with external audiences and key stakeholders.
- Strengthen the organization's reputation and influence throughout assigned areas.
- Collaborate with Church and community leaders to identify opportunities that expand access to educational programs.
- Strategic Initiatives and Program Development
- Collaborate with stakeholders to develop and implement area-specific initiatives and strategic projects.
- Support initiatives such as EnglishConnect, returned missionary engagement efforts, FSY and YSA conferences, self-reliance programs, and other organizational priorities.
- Evaluate growth opportunities and recommend new approaches to increase program reach and effectiveness.
- Provide oversight for significant area-level projects from planning through implementation and evaluation.
- Ensure strategic initiatives support both local area priorities and broader organizational objectives.
- CES and Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with leaders throughout the Church Educational System, including BYU, BYU-Idaho, Ensign College, BYU-Hawaii, Seminaries & Institutes, and BYU-Pathway Worldwide departments.
- Foster collaboration among CES institutions to support student success and organizational effectiveness.
- Engage stakeholders in collaborative problem-solving and decision-making processes for assigned areas.
- Partner with Admissions, Student Services, Advising, Communications, Curriculum, Field Support, Operations, and other departments to ensure coordinated execution of initiatives.
- Identify and remove barriers to successful collaboration and operational performance.
- Senior Service Missionary Leadership
- Ensure service missionaries are effectively supporting student recruitment, student communications, weekly gatherings, enrollment growth, and retention efforts.
- Establish priorities, expectations, and performance objectives for missionary engagement initiatives.
- Oversee training, development, and support programs that increase missionary effectiveness.
- Partner with the Field Support Director to ensure operational processes, training programs, and best practices are consistently implemented across areas.
- Evaluate missionary engagement outcomes and implement improvements that increase organizational impact.
- Student Success and Program Effectiveness
- Monitor performance metrics related to enrollment, retention, persistence, and student satisfaction.
- Review area performance data and identify opportunities to improve student outcomes and program quality.
- Collaborate with organizational leaders to address systemic challenges affecting students and field operations.
- Champion continuous improvement efforts that strengthen the effectiveness, reach, and impact of BYU-Pathway Worldwide programs.
- Organizational Leadership
- Contribute to organizational planning, strategy development, and policy implementation.
- Provide recommendations to executive leadership regarding operations, stakeholder engagement, growth opportunities, and organizational priorities.
- Lead through influence and collaboration across multiple functions and regions.
- Model organizational values and leadership principles while fostering a culture of accountability, partnership, innovation, and service excellence.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree preferred; a bachelor’s degree with extensive relevant experience may be considered.
- Approximately 13 years of progressively responsible experience in executive or senior leadership, higher education, business development, nonprofit leadership, Church education, or a related field, including at least 5 years leading geographically distributed teams.
- Demonstrated ability to set strategic direction, anticipate organizational needs, lead complex initiatives, interpret performance data, and deliver meaningful organizational or growth outcomes.
- Experience leading teams and collaborating across departments, institutions, cultures, and groups to solve complex problems and manage competing priorities.
- Proven ability to build trusted relationships and influence effectively across complex organizations, including when working without direct authority.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate recommendations clearly to senior leaders and deliver engaging presentations to diverse audiences.
- Advanced proficiency in creating polished, audience-focused slide decks and other presentation materials.
About Us
Church employees find joy and satisfaction in using their unique talents and abilities to further the Lord’s work. From the IT professional who develops an app that sends the gospel message worldwide, to the facilities manager who maintains our buildings— giving Church members places to worship, teach, learn, and receive sacred ordinances—our employees seek innovative ways to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. They are literally working in His kingdom.
Only members of the Church who are worthy of a temple recommend qualify for employment. Apart from this, the Church is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its employment decisions on any basis that would violate U.S. or local law.
Qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, national origin, color, gender, pregnancy, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or other legally protected categories that apply to the Church. The Church will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities.
