Job Openings

JPCatholic is a mission-driven, 21st century university, committed to forming graduates to Impact Culture for Christ within the disciplines of the Creative Arts and Business Innovation. We are seeking a visionary and seasoned senior leader to serve as a Chief Academic Officer and ready to forge with us a fresh approach to academic innovation, growth, and strategic partnerships. Catholic higher education is in a time of unprecedented change, where societal and technological forces, such as AI challenge our business model and will radically change our curriculum.

The ideal candidate is that rare person, who is looking for a Christ-centered, purposeful, senior, strategic, and entrepreneurial opportunity, and are not seeking personal gain. This unique person will join our co-founder’s team and Board of Trustees. After a thorough due diligence, they will make a commitment to serve our mission and make an extraordinarily generous philanthropic gift, similar to our Founding President. They will derive deep fulfillment in crafting and executing strategies to propel JPCatholic into an ambitious era of mission-aligned innovation and growth, including the adaptation of rapidly emerging AI-driven technologies. This opportunity is NOT for individuals pursuing a traditional position in higher education.

The ideal candidate will have spent their career as a successful entrepreneur or senior corporate executive, where they gained significant financial independence. Higher education experience is not required of a candidate with a proven track record of successful executive experience. They will now have a deep sense of calling to serve Jesus and are seeking to a compelling “give back” and philanthropic opportunity in a stimulating and uplifting Christ-centered apostolate. They seek to use their finely honed skills in leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, organizational growth and as a builder of dynamic strategic partnerships to serve the Lord.

The Ideal Candidate has:

A profound, lived faith in Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church, seeking a culminating legacy role with transformative, Christ-centered purpose.
Exceptional leadership experience in entrepreneurship, strategic innovation, and organizational growth, that you would like to apply within a deeply Catholic environment.
A passionate, confident purpose-driven mindset, seeking intrinsic purpose beyond compensation — financial rewards—building on a distinguished career that has delivered substantial wealth, security, and independence.
A resilient innovator, a natural mentor, and an empathetic connector, who builds trust effortlessly, thrives in ambiguity, transforms obstacles into possibilities, embraces strategic pivots, and balances mission priorities above mere metrics.
A natural curiosity and keen interest in AI's transformative effects on creativity and innovation in the years ahead.
A proven dedication to service, evidenced by prior board service, philanthropy, or volunteer leadership that reflects a genuine zeal for societal good.

Key Responsibilities

The CAO will lead with visionary purpose, integrating faith, innovation, and service to advance JPCatholic’s mission of forming graduates to Impact Culture for Christ within the disciplines of the Creative Arts and Business Innovation. Primary responsibilities include:

Strategic Visioning and Academic Leadership: Shape and implement long-term academic strategies that propel JPCatholic into a bold era of mission-driven innovation, expansion, and growth—encompassing leadership, entrepreneurship, organizational development, and dynamic partnerships. Collaborate with the co-founding team and trustees to refine current programs, design new high-impact initiatives, and integrate transformative technologies like AI, equipping graduates for success in rapidly evolving industries. Guide the 2032 Strategic Plan process to address enrollment trends, technological advancements, and shifting student needs, while driving sustainable strategies for institutional viability, enrollment growth, and student achievement.
Program Delivery and Quality Assurance: Oversee the delivery and excellence of all degree programs, ensuring alignment with our Christ-centered mission to form graduates to Impact Culture for Christ in the creative arts and business. This includes curriculum design, program development, regulatory compliance with accreditors and agencies, and rigorous evaluation through assessments, ILO/PLO data analysis, student outcomes tracking, and the critical Program Review process.
Faculty, Staff, and Talent Development: Build collaboration across faculty and administration; recruit, evaluate, and mentor diverse teams; and foster professional growth through training, research support, and a culture of innovation—drawing on your expertise in high-performing teams to nurture changemakers and maintain teaching excellence.
Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Building: Forge strategic alliances with industry partners, academic consortia, philanthropists, corporations, and community leaders, leveraging your networks and negotiation skills to secure resources, amplify institutional reach, and enhance enrollment and retention efforts.
Resource Stewardship and Sustainability: Ensure fiscal health through careful oversight of academic budgets, resource allocation for departments, labs, and libraries—balancing constraints with mission priorities—while promoting student success via policies on advising, diversity, and learning support.
Impact Measurement, Storytelling, and Legacy Stewardship: Drive metrics-based evaluation of programs and outcomes, while crafting compelling narratives to inspire donors, stakeholders, and the community—ensuring every initiative resonates with purpose. Serve as a servant leader bridging current achievements to future aspirations, embodying resilient innovation to sustain organizational health and enduring legacy.

What JPCatholic Offers

Purposeful Leadership and Autonomy: The CAO role provides meaningful independence, influence, and profound fulfillment in a collaborative, Christ-centered Catholic institution—empowering you to craft faith-aligned initiatives alongside the co-founder leadership team and committed trustees.
Enduring Legacy: An opportunity to forge a legacy of impact that resonates with your entrepreneurial or corporate successes, cultivating the Kingdom of God within this vibrant corner of His vineyard.
Flexible remote/hybrid arrangements: The CAO will dedicate 60-70% of their time to visionary strategic leadership and 30-40% to practical program oversight with flexible remote/hybrid arrangements and minimal travel requirements.

How to Apply

If this purposeful “give back” and philanthropic pursuit resonates with you, submit your bio and a brief note on “why you” and “why now” to dconnolly@jpcatholic.edu. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, confidential inquiries welcome.

Salary

$0 – volunteers only need apply.

JPCatholic is accepting applications for a Financial Aid Assistant. The successful candidate will have strong attention to detail and interpersonal skills, and have the capacity to field routine questions from prospective and current students regarding all aid programs. Financial aid requires extensive attention to detail and the ability to work collaboratively with students and their families as well as internal staff and faculty, while following policies and procedures that comply with all necessary regulations. The candidate will assist in ensuring that student paperwork is completed properly and communicate when follow up is needed. This position will provide office and ad-hoc support for the Vice President of Financial Aid. Current financial aid programs include Federal aid, institutional aid, Veterans benefits, private loans, private scholarships, State aid, and monthly institutional payment plans.

The ideal candidate would also have the desire and capacity to cross-train and learn all aspects of the financial aid office. Success in these areas could lead to additional responsibilities and compensation.

Example of Duties

Assist students and their parents with questions regarding the various programs and application processes
Create folders and input data from institutional aid applications for the Financial Aid Committee
Schedule scholarships in Student Information System (Blackbaud) for billing
Assist in tracking outstanding tasks for prospective students and follow up to acquire any missing items
Compile a spreadsheet with rosters and students, follow up with professors for attendance at beginning of quarter or as needed
Assist with maintaining accurate record of EFA (Estimated Financial Assistance) in Regent by preparing uploads on at least a quarterly basis
Annual review of student (Admissions/Registrar) files to verify high school/undergraduate completion
Assist with review of required consumer information on an annual basis to ensure institution is meeting regulations
Assist with sending annual disclosure notice to all applicable students, staff, and faculty
Maintain current information in files, Student Information System (Blackbaud), and financial aid system (Regent)
Maintain list of private scholarships
Assist with reporting as necessary
Assist with periodic and ongoing data quality checks/audits
Assist in reviewing University Catalog, website, and other documentation for consistency and accuracy
Any other tasks as assigned

Essential Qualifications and Skills

All employees must affirm that JPCatholic is a Catholic organization. Catholic ethical, moral, and social values provide a guiding compass for everything we do.
All employees must support and agree with the vision of the University: To send innovative and determined graduates who know and live Jesus to boldly proclaim His Gospel in culture impacting fields
All employees must support and agree with the mission of JPCatholic: To impact culture for Christ by forming students as creators and innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs in the Creative Arts and Business Innovation and steeped in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition
Experience with the higher education financial aid process (either in a professional setting, as a student, or as a parent)
Demonstrable ability to use Excel (including basic understanding of functions) and other spreadsheets
Experience using computers and office equipment (scanner, copier, fax machine)
Meticulous attention to detail
Excellent written and oral communication skills: email, phone, in-person meetings, and other business writing
Ability to plan, organize, and multitask in a fast-paced and frequently changing environment
Ability to maintain confidentiality of student information

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

Bachelor’s Degree in area of Business/Finance/Law
Experience in service-based position or two or more years of experience in financial aid at a post-secondary institution
Knowledge of Federal and state aid practices and policies
Spanish fluency (ability to advise students/parents regarding sometimes technical financial aid information)
Experience with verification for Title IV aid
Experience with NSLDS enrollment reporting
Experience administering Cal Grant program
Experience with Blackbaud Student Information System

Note:
Position Type: Full-time, year round
Work Location: In person
Expected Starting Pay Range: $48,000 - $50,000 per year, depending on experience.
Exemption Status: Non-exempt
Application Deadline: Open until filled

John Paul the Great Catholic University (JPCatholic) is now accepting applications for a seasoned, motivated, energetic, and mission-driven Major Gifts Officer (MGO). The MGO will expand our current philanthropy team and work closely with university leadership to increase our philanthropic revenue stream to enable us to realize our growth potential. JPCatholic expects to raise $2M in FY24, and to grow it 15% annually in subsequent years.

JPCatholic uses a disciplined “Moves Management” process to qualify prospective donors; to create individualized proposals and asks to secure gifts; and to further steward donors and provide them the opportunity to give again. Our process is empowered by KEAP - a game changing all-in-one CRM, sales and marketing automation platform built specifically for growth-minded institutions like JPCatholic.

MGO Duties and Responsibilities:

The MGO will

Cultivate and grow a personal portfolio of individual, foundation, and corporate major donors and prospects using efficient and effective processes cognizant of their interests, motivations, giving patterns, and ask preferences to secure funds to advance our mission,
Create reasonable financial goals for each donor alongside stewardship and further cultivation plans in a timely and effective manner.
Create timely reports that reflect caseload and performance.
Execute JPCatholic’s Strategic Plan to meet short- and long-term goals.
Communicate efforts effectively with JPCatholic Trustees.
Collaborate with our marketing team on unified messaging and narratives.
Collaborate with faculty and staff to ensure timely communication of critical institutional project information, including budgets to donors.
Adhere to JPCatholic policies and procedures and values.
Maintain a positive, and collegial problem-solving attitude.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications, Competencies, and Strengths

Bachelor’s degree is required and a background in the Creative Arts is preferred.
Demonstrated history of successful fundraising experience is required.
Effective ability to use and learn data management systems at a high level of sophistication is required for the duties of the position. and organizational skills required.
A passion for helping donors fulfill their philanthropic interests.
Alignment with and passion for JPCatholic’s mission and the ability to articulate this mission to others.
Knowledge of the educational and philosophical landscape in which we operate.
Familiarity with “Moves Management” process.
Ability to build strong personal relationships.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Proven ability to present information in an informative and compelling manner.
A stamina to work hard and derive satisfaction from being productive.
Ability and desire to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven, entrepreneurial environment that rewards self-starters.

Note: This position is ideal for an early career professional seeking a challenging growth position within a Catholic Christian environment, where drive and a strong personal work ethic is welcomed and rewarded. It is also attractive to a late stage career professional, for whom giving back is a primary consideration in their job search.

Compensation Starting salary range is $64,000 - $75,000 per year, depending on experience.

Environment

JPCatholic is a lay run Roman Catholic institution with a primary focus on shaping future creators and innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs within a faith-filled Catholic campus environment. Our faculty and staff passionately support the mission and vision of the University; they transmit that passion to our students, and seek to Impact Culture for Christ. Our students have the opportunity to acquire a deep and personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. Catholic ethical, moral, and social values provide a guiding compass for everything we do. Our academic vision is to create a extraordinary university for students through degree programs in the Creative Arts and Business Innovation.

Please read our campus security report and disclosure information.

Application

Send your resume/CV and a cover letter to Anna Velasco, Vice President of HR, at avelasco@jpcatholic.edu or to: 220 W. Grand Ave, Escondido, CA 92025. In your cover letter, you should explicitly detail how you will support the mission of the University, why you are well suited for the position, and explain your competence and commitment. Your resume should detail your professional experience as it matches the position requirements described above. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Interviews and hiring dates are budget and student enrollment dependent. Please carefully read and understand our expectations with respect to fidelity to and respect for the teachings of the Catholic Church here.

JPCatholic is committed to creating an atmosphere that values human diversity. Equal employment opportunities shall be afforded to all individuals with respect to compensation and privileges of employment, benefits, and separation, as well as all other terms and conditions of employment.

John Paul the Great Catholic University strives to hire and promote the best-qualified individuals, and background and reference checks are an important part of these processes. When a background or reference check is needed with respect to hiring or other employment decisions, JPCatholic conducts such checks in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws. JPCatholic will make a conditional offer of employment prior to a background check being conducted. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the employment of a person who was conditionally offered the position.

Openings