Senior Director of High School Ministry

College Ave Church | San Diego, California

Full-Time | Exempt

Salary: $75,000 - $100,000 depending on experience

About College Ave

College Ave Church is a rapidly growing, multi-generational church in the heart of San Diego, just blocks from San Diego State University. We are a diverse church family with a simple mission: to know, love, and follow the real Jesus.

Purpose of the Role

The Senior Director of High School Ministry will provide vision, leadership, pastoral care, and oversight for College Ave's High School Ministry, serving students in grades 9–12.

This is a leadership role for someone who can think beyond weekly programming. We're looking for a ministry leader who can build a healthy and effective high school ministry, develop staff and volunteers, disciple students and families, and lead the ministry with excellence within a large and growing church.

The Senior Director will directly oversee the Director of High School, who will carry out much of the ministry's day-to-day programming and execution.

This role also has the opportunity for a significant teaching capacity on Sunday mornings and other teaching opportunities at College Ave.

What You'll Do

Lead and Develop the High School Ministry

• Provide overall vision, direction, and leadership for the High School Ministry.
• Build a ministry culture that continually reaches, disciples, develops, and empowers high school students as followers of Jesus.
• Lead the Director of High School Ministry through clear expectations, coaching, encouragement, accountability, and development.
• Establish ministry goals and strategies that align with the overall vision of College Ave Church.
• Evaluate and continually improve the effectiveness of the High School Ministry.
• Develop a healthy ministry structure capable of supporting a growing student population.

Disciple Students and Families

• Invest relationally in students and families and provide pastoral leadership and biblical counsel as appropriate.
• Help students take meaningful next steps in their relationship with Jesus.
• Champion evangelism, discipleship, service, missions, and spiritual formation within the High School Ministry.
• Encourage students to become active participants in the life and mission of the broader church.
• Celebrate and communicate stories of students coming to faith, growing in Christ, being baptized, and serving others.

Lead and Develop Volunteers

• Recruit, equip, shepherd, and empower adult volunteers who invest in high school students.
• Create a healthy volunteer culture characterized by ownership, discipleship, teamwork, and spiritual maturity.
• Develop leaders who can disciple students rather than simply facilitate programs.

Oversee Programs and Ministry Strategy

• Provide leadership and oversight for Sunday and midweek high school programming.
• Oversee camps, retreats, special events, service opportunities, and mission experiences.
• Ensure that programming is biblically faithful, relationally engaging, missionally effective, and aligned with the overall direction of College Ave.
• Work with other ministry leaders to coordinate calendars, curriculum, events, and church-wide initiatives.
• Maintain relationships with local high schools and pursue appropriate opportunities to reach and serve students in the community.
• Oversee the High School Ministry budget and ensure responsible stewardship of ministry resources.

Contribute to the Broader Church

• Serve as part of the pastoral/ministry leadership team at College Ave.
• Participate in staff meetings, retreats, conferences, and church-wide events.
• Build healthy relationships across the staff and contribute to a strong, collaborative church culture.
• Teach and preach in Sunday services several times throughout the year, as opportunities arise and as assigned by church leadership.
• Bring the perspective and experience of student ministry into the broader discipleship and pastoral ministry of College Ave.

Character & Spiritual Qualifications

The Senior Director of High School Ministry should demonstrate the biblical qualifications and character expected of a ministry leader, including spiritual maturity, humility, integrity, teachability, accountability, sound judgment, and a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

We are looking for someone who genuinely loves the local church, values people over programs, and desires to serve rather than simply build a platform.

The successful candidate will be expected to embrace College Ave Church's Statement of Faith, Vision, Values, Employee Handbook, and standards for staff conduct. All College Ave staff members are expected to maintain a high biblical standard of personal conduct and lifestyle.

What College Ave Offers

For eligible full-time staff, College Ave provides a comprehensive benefits package that may include:

• Competitive salary: $75,000-$100,000 depending on experience
• Medical, dental, vision, and orthodontic insurance options
• Life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 403(b) retirement savings program with church contributions that increase with tenure
• Flexible Spending Account options
• Paid holidays
• Unlimited PTO for eligible exempt employees after the introductory period
• Pastoral benefits, where applicable, including study leave, conference/training leave, books/materials reimbursement, housing allowance eligibility, and other benefits according to church policy and position classification
• Potential relocation assistance, subject to church approval

Benefits are subject to eligibility, church policy, and the terms of employment.

Why San Diego? Why College Ave?

College Ave is located in one of the most unique ministry environments in San Diego. Our campus sits within a mile of San Diego State University and serves a diverse community of people from throughout the city and surrounding neighborhoods.

If you're an experienced high school pastor, youth pastor, student ministry director, or teaching pastor who wants to help lead a thriving student ministry while contributing to the broader life of a growing local church, we'd love to hear from you.

Who We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is someone who is an experienced church leader and teaching pastor who can lead a significant high school ministry within a growing church.

You should have:

• Significant experience leading a high school or student ministry in a growing or large local church.
• Experience supervising, developing, and coaching ministry staff.
• A demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and lead adult volunteers.
• Experience building ministry systems and structures that can support growth.
• Strong pastoral instincts and the ability to disciple students, families, volunteers, and staff.
• Demonstrated preaching and teaching experience in a local church setting.
• The ability to communicate God's Word with clarity, conviction, warmth, and relevance.
• Experience preaching to a broader Sunday congregation is strongly preferred.
• Strong organizational, relational, leadership, and communication skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively with pastors, ministry directors, and church leadership.
• A heart for reaching teenagers and helping them become lifelong followers of Jesus.

**REQUIRED: Please upload a brief video of yourself (90 seconds or less) telling us why you’re interested in joining the College Ave team.

**If available, please share links to any video recordings of your speaking or teaching engagements (e.g., sermons, presentations, or other speaking engagements).