ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATION

The Catholic Diocese of Darwin spans the Northern Territory, serving as a truly missionary Church. With a strong presence across remote, regional, and urban areas, our Diocese is a place of rich cultural diversity and spiritual depth. We are blessed with vibrant communities that include Aboriginal Catholics, migrants, refugees, and people from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Our mission is to walk together in faith, nurturing a Church that is inclusive, responsive, and grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

ABOUT THE ROLE

To support this mission, we are seeking a Director of Pastoral Life and Mission who will lead and coordinate pastoral initiatives across the Diocese. This role is pivotal in shaping a culture of formation, participation, and outreach, particularly among Aboriginal communities and multicultural parishes. Working closely with the Bishop, the Director will accompany communities in living out their faith, build collaborative relationships with clergy and lay leaders, and animate diocesan priorities through strategic planning, formation programs, and pastoral support.

ABOUT YOU

We are seeking a practising Catholic with a strong personal faith and active participation in the life of a Eucharistic community. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to the teachings and mission of the Catholic Church and have significant leadership experience in Church, pastoral, or formation settings.

You will be a strategic and collaborative leader, capable of coordinating teams and driving pastoral initiatives across diverse communities. Your ability to develop and deliver faith formation programs, support ministry development, and accompany others in their journey of faith will be central to this role.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential, along with the ability to work respectfully with Aboriginal communities, multicultural parishes, clergy, and lay leaders. You will bring a capacity for reflective practice, use of data to inform planning, and a high level of administrative and organisational competence.

A tertiary qualification in theology, pastoral ministry, education, or a related discipline or extensive relevant experience is required.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential:

• A practising Catholic with a deep personal faith, active in the life of a Eucharistic community.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the teachings of the Catholic Church and its mission.
• Significant leadership experience in a Church, pastoral, or formation context.
• Strong capacity to coordinate teams, think strategically, and implement pastoral initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver faith formation programs.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to use data and reflective practice to inform planning and ministry development.
• A tertiary qualification in theology, pastoral ministry, education, or a related discipline or extensive experience in these areas.
• High-level administrative, organisational, and planning skills.

Desirable:

• Postgraduate qualifications in theology, ecclesiology, leadership, or missiology.
• Experience in cross-cultural ministry, especially in Aboriginal communities.
• Experience in professional supervision or pastoral care.

A position description is attached.

Queries on the role can be emailed to [email protected] using the subject line: Director of Pastoral Life and Mission enquiry via EthicalJobs.