Senior Director, Core Systems and Applications in CHICAGO, Illinois at Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

This posting will close September 24, 2026, at 11:00 pm central time.

About the ELCA

The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 3 million members in more than 8,700 worshipping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). With a vision to live in a world experiencing the difference God’s grace and love in Christ makes for all people and creation, the ELCA strives to be a welcoming, thriving, and connected church that introduces people to Jesus so they can discover community, justice, and love.

The Lutheran Center (national office) is located in Chicago, Illinois. A staff of 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 Mission Investment Fund

The Mission Investment Fund (MIF), a financial ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, supports the establishment and growth of ELCA congregations, synods, and affiliated ministries by providing loans for capital projects for congregations and ministries. To fund these loans, MIF offers a variety of investments to ELCA members, congregations, and ministries.

The ELCA Federal Credit Union, a financial ministry partner of the Mission Investment Fund, offers financial products and services to members, pastors, congregations, synods, affiliated ministries, and their employees. The portfolio of products includes low-cost loans, deposit accounts, credit cards, and other solutions within a not-for-profit, cooperative structure.

Values - MIF's values are rooted in Christian faith, Lutheran traditions, and our identity as a ministry of the ELCA; Integrity, Customer Focus, Inclusion and Diversity, Faithful Stewardship, Courage and Openness to Change.

About the Position

The Senior Director, Core Systems and Applications leads the strategy, delivery, and day-to-day leadership of the core banking platforms and business applications that run MIF and the ELCA Federal Credit Union. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, this role makes the technology decisions and roadmap that keep both entities’ systems stable, integrated, secure, and appropriately scaled to the size and needs of the organization. The emphasis is on disciplined execution and fit-for-purpose solutions: making and carrying out the platform and integration decisions in front of us, simplifying and streamlining technology where appropriate, partnering with operations, lending, and compliance, and coordinating with ELCA IT on shared infrastructure and services, to deliver dependable, robust, secure platforms and technology. This role leads a small application support team and manages the vendor relationships that underpin the technology environment, as well as manages the relationship with ELCA IT.

This is a full-time, regular, exempt (salaried), Chicago-based hybrid position. This position has responsibilities that will require being in the office on a weekly basis. This could mean 2-3 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. Lead and Deliver Core Systems and Applications: Leads the operation, support, and roadmap for the core banking platforms and business applications that run MIF and the ELCA Federal Credit Union, including Fiserv DNA, CU*Answers/CU*BASE, Salesforce, and supporting applications. Keeps systems stable, well-supported, and integrated, and delivers dependable results prioritized to the organization’s actual needs.

2. Manage and Implement Platform and Architecture Decisions: Resolves and carries out the core platform, account-structure, and integration decisions needed to move the technology environment forward. Maintains a clear, right-sized technology roadmap, and brings open decisions to resolution with operations and leadership rather than letting them stall.

3. Integration, Data, Security, and Controls

Oversees system integrations and money-movement processes with sound controls and auditability, and reduces manual or unsupported workarounds. Responsible for data security and access controls across systems, including identity and access management and role-based access controls, to protect sensitive financial and member information. Ensures technology operations are well-controlled and meet both ELCA's IT and security standards and the standards expected by the organization's regulators and auditors.

4. Vendor Management, Budget, and a Right-Sized Operating Model: Manages core and application vendor relationships, contracts, and service levels for value and continuity, and manages the technology operating and capital budget, including technology purchases and cost, value, and risk tradeoffs. Aligns the team, tools, and sourcing to the size of the organization, and simplifies or consolidates where systems or processes have grown beyond what the organization needs.

5. Lead the Team and Partner with ELCA IT: Leads, develops, and sets priorities for the applications team, keeping it focused and right sized for the work. Serves as the primary liaison with the ELCA churchwide organization’s IT leadership and team, monitoring the services covered by the shared services agreement and ensuring effective coordination of MIF and FCU technology activities.

6. Other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities

1. Systems/Applications Administrator

2. Senior Business Systems Analyst and Administrator

3. Business Systems Analyst

1. 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.

2. Minimum of 8 to 10 years in technology leadership roles, including vendor and staff management, in banking, credit union, or financial services.

3. Track record of stabilizing, integrating, and right-sizing systems in a smaller or mid-sized organization, matching technology investment and complexity to the actual size and needs of the business. Experience defining and running a lean, fit-for-purpose technology operating model, including roles, governance, and sourcing decisions sized to the organization.

4. Working knowledge of system integration and data movement, including sound controls and auditability for money-movement processes.

5. Experience establishing data security, identity and access management, and appropriate security and access controls in a regulated financial environment, protecting sensitive financial and member information.

6. Experience leading a team of IT professionals.

7. Effective vendor, contract, and technology budget management, including holding partners accountable to service levels and deliverables.

8. Strong cross-functional partnership with operations, lending, and compliance, and effective coordination with ELCA churchwide IT.

9. Sound judgment and problem-solving, with a bias toward simplification and dependable execution over added scope.

10. Willingness to be available for occasional after-hours support of critical systems, as needed.

11. Appreciation for the mission, vision, and values of the ELCA and Mission Investment Fund.

12. Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism.

Required or preferred education, certifications, or licenses:

- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field.

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. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Travel

Minimal and generally not required to perform duties.

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 11 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.