Principal [United Theological College (UTC)]

Lead education and formation across Specified Ministries including candidates for ordination, lay preachers, pastors, and church-wide leadership and ministry.......

About Uniting Church

The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) is a uniquely Australian Christian Church that began in 1977 with the union of the Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian movements. It is one of the largest religious organisations in Australia, with over 400 congregations and faith communities, and engages hundreds of thousands every week through its missions, schools and agencies across NSW and ACT.

The Synod of NSW and ACT is the regional council of the Uniting Church, and its staff and ministers are guided by the values of Integrity, Respect, Collaboration, and Compassion. The Uniting Mission and Education (UME) teams and Synod Mission Services (SMS) teams provide strategic, pastoral, and operational support to enable vibrant congregations, vital leadership development, and transformative community engagement.

About United Theological College (UTC)

Located within the Synod of NSW and the ACT, United Theological College (UTC) is the Assembly-approved college and a key expression of the Church’s commitment to theological education and ministry formation. It operates within an evolving national vision toward a coherent, integrated theological education framework, including current collaborations working toward one tertiary education provider.

About the Role

The Principal of UTC is a senior strategic leader responsible for shaping theological education, ministry formation, and lifelong learning across the Uniting Church. Overseeing UTC’s academic programs, faculty, research, student experience, and operational stewardship, the Principal also plays a key national role in theological education partnerships and ecumenical engagement. This position is ideal for a visionary educator and collaborative church leader who can guide innovation, uphold academic excellence, and form leaders for a changing church and world.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead education and formation across Specified Ministries including candidates for ordination, lay preachers, pastors, and church-wide leadership and ministry.
• Develop coherent, contemporary formation pathways that reflect the Church’s theological, cultural, and people diversity.
• Partner with Presbyteries to deliver distributed formation models.
• Provide senior leadership of UTC’s academic programs, research, faculty, student experience, and operational and financial management.
• Oversee administration, student services, the Camden Theological Library, and quality assurance across all delivery modes.
• Strengthen UTC’s academic integrity and partnership with Charles Sturt University, ensuring compliance with higher education standards.
• Support faculty development, research and teaching excellence, and integration of academic and formational outcomes for Specified Ministries.
• Serve as line manager for faculty and academic staff
• Represent the Synod nationally and ecumenically in theological education and formation conversations.
• Build strong relationships with Synods, theological institutions, ecumenical partners, and public bodies.
• Lead church-facing education strategy, including lifelong learning within Presbyteries, leadership development, and accessible training pathways for lay and specified ministry.
• Ensure education offerings are contextually relevant, intercultural, intergenerational, and aligned with Synod mission priorities.
• Drive innovation in micro‑credentials, scalable formation models, and blended learning ecosystems.
• Embed contemporary adult learning principles and digital integration across programs, ensuring responsiveness to emerging ministry needs.
• Steward UTC’s budget and resources responsibly, ensuring alignment with Synod and provider policies.
• Optimise resources across education and formation to support sustainable growth.

About You

Educational and Theological Leadership

• Ability to nurture and grow theology and biblical education through UTC, with Congregational and church agency leadership across the Synod of NSW and the ACT
• Capacity to lead formation frameworks across diverse, evolving church structures and councils
• Confidence in offering theological leadership across Presbyteries of Synod of NSW and the ACT
• Preparedness to work, support, and promote the polity and ethos of the Uniting Church in Australia

Formation and Educational Design

• Deep understanding of ministry formation (ordained and lay specified ministries) in the Uniting Church.
• Experience designing and delivering accessible, high-quality learning environments

Collaborative and Distributed Leadership

• Ability to work effectively across councils of the Church
• Ability to provide leadership, manage and motivate faculty, staff and key relationships
• Experience co‑designing formation pathways with Presbyteries

Academic and Institutional Leadership

• Demonstrated senior leadership within theological education
• Capacity to lead faculty and maintain academic standards, including active research

Leading Through Change

• Experience leading alongside significant institutional change
• Experience in staff support, budget management, and achieving formation outcomes in complex or liminal environments
• Structured and methodical with a focus on timely management and accurate reporting.
• Ability to implement new educational models, delivery models, and formation pathways

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Advanced theological qualifications (PhD, PhD Candidate or equivalent)
• University partnership experience as Principal, head of school, academic dean or equivalent
• Demonstrated leadership in theological education and/or formation
• Strong knowledge of UCA theology, polity, and governance
• Experience working within complex organisational environments
• Proven ability to work effectively across diverse teams, theologies, cultures, and backgrounds
• Demonstrated capacity to lead teams and support the development of staff and faculty

Desirable

• PhD in a theological discipline
• Ordination in the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA)
• Experience in:
• Online and blended learning environments
• Education with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse peoples
• Micro-credential and non-awarded educational development
• National church and/or senior church leadership

Why Join Us?

If this opportunity resonates with you, we would love to hear from you. To apply, please submit your resume and a two‑page cover letter via the 'Apply to this Job' button below.

Applications close Friday 12 June 2026.