The Chief Sponsorship Officer serves as the senior executive responsible for the system-wide sponsorship function, ensuring alignment between the priorities of Bon Secours Mercy Ministries (BSMM) and the mission, values, and Catholic identity of Bon Secours Mercy Health. Provides strategic oversight of the relationship between Bon Secours Mercy Ministries, system leadership, governance, and global entities. Safeguards canonical responsibilities and reserved powers while guiding executive decision-making and organizational strategy. Promotes and supports the successful functioning of BSMM. Leads ministry formation, global ministries, and mission integration across the United States, Ireland, and international operations. Acts as a key advisor influencing culture, governance, and strategic direction to reflect the ministry’s purpose and Church expectations. 

Essential Job Functions

• Leads the enterprise sponsorship function across the United States, Ireland, and global entities, ensuring alignment with sponsor expectations and Church accountability.
• Safeguards and operationalizes reserved powers, including oversight of governance decisions, major transactions, and key organizational actions.
• Serves as the primary liaison between sponsorship, system executive leadership, and boards to ensure alignment of mission, governance, and strategy.
• Partners with governance to recommend and support sponsor-appointed board directors and strengthen board effectiveness across all entities.
• Ensures integration of Catholic ethical and religious directives into policies, operations, and clinical decision-making processes.
• Oversees the design, implementation, and advancement of enterprise ministry formation programs for leaders, governance, and associates.
• Collaborates with executive leadership to align enterprise strategy, partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions with Catholic social teaching and sponsorship principles.
• Shapes organizational culture, leadership practices, and decision-making frameworks to reflect mission, values, and commitment to vulnerable populations.
• Provides executive oversight of the Mission function in Bon Secours Health System Ireland, ensuring integration, assessment, and advancement of mission activities, spiritual care, ethical standards, leadership development, and Catholic identity across the market’s operations, strategy, and culture in partnership with the Market President.
• Leads and develops sponsorship, ministry formation, and global ministries teams while representing the organization in national and international forums.
• Builds strong partnerships with ministry partners by aligning Bon Secours Mercy Ministries (BSMM) to strategic priorities and ensuring the successful operational functioning

Minimum Position Requirements

• Required Education: Master’s Degree in Theology, Religious Studies, Health Care Administration, or related field
• Required work history: 8+ years of executive leadership experience in Catholic health care, sponsorship, or governance roles, with experience working with boards, Church leadership, and complex health systems
• Preferred Experience: Advanced theological or canonical training

Skills

• Practicing member of the Roman Catholic Church
• Capacity to apply principles of Catholic theology and spirituality, including Catholic Social Teaching, to system discernment and decision making
• Knowledge of Catholic health ministry in the United States and Europe
• Understanding of significant issues in the health care environment and their impact on system operations
• Understanding and appreciation of other faith traditions and their contributions to Catholic health care
• Executive understanding of complex health care issues and their impact on ministry, operations, and system strategy
• Knowledge of sponsorship governance, canonical responsibilities, and board-level advisory practices, including distinction between governance and management responsibilities
• Demonstrated capability in sponsorship leader competencies, informed by Catholic Health Association sponsorship competency standards Capacity to apply effective strategic thinking to the work of BSMM and to system initiatives requiring BSMM oversight
• Ability to inspire and influence others, including strong team building and collaboration skiils
• Capacity to gain trust and respect of key leadership across the organization
• Experience in contributing to the creation of new organizational structures to ensure the vitality of mission, vision and values of the system
• Strong communication, organization, human relations, and planning skills
• Ability to navigate complex and ambiguous situations

About Bon Secours Mercy Health

On September 1, 2018 Bon Secours Health System and Mercy Health combined to become the United States’ fifth largest Catholic health care ministry and one of the nation’s 20 largest health care systems. With 48 hospitals, thousands of providers, over 1,000 points of care and over 60,000 employees Bon Secours Mercy Health serves communities across seven states and Ireland. We are dedicated to continually improving health care quality, safety and cost effectiveness. Our hospitals, care sites and clinicians are recognized for clinical and operational excellence. By utilizing robust measurement and reporting processes, we hold ourselves accountable for enhancing care and improving outcomes for our patients, residents and clients.

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