Who We Are

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Monica is a vibrant home for liberal religion on the Westside of Los Angeles. Each week, about 150 adults and children attend our Sunday worship services, including music and religious education programming. Our congregation strives to be an agent of transformation, central in individual people's lives and in the community at large. We desire to reflect our larger community and its diversity and to be a place where people feel welcome, well connected, valued, and loved.

Music is vital to the ministry of this congregation. Sunday worship service includes congregational singing of hymns, meditations, rounds, and/or sung refrains. Each service also includes music on piano, silence and sometimes additional instruments. Four paid staff singers/section leaders sing weekly; a volunteer adult choir, supplemented by the paid section leaders, sings 2-3 services a month. There are weekly rehearsals. Occasional services include visiting choirs from local congregations or guest musicians.

Who We Seek

We seek an experienced and highly skilled Director of Music with the ability to skillfully conduct the choir and lead congregational singing. The successful candidate will have a compelling and collaborative leadership style, excellent communication skills, great conducting ability, a working knowledge of vocal technique, basic keyboard proficiency, and a stylistically diverse repertoire of music literature appropriate for Unitarian Universalist worship.

The Director of Music directs the choir, including weekly choir rehearsal, selection of thematically appropriate music for worship, and performance. The Director of Music leads the congregation in singing during the Sunday morning services. The Director of Music works with the Music Committee to plan musical events at the church and supports the participation of children and youth in the musical life of the church. The Director of Music reports to and works closely with the Minister; together they collaborate with lay church leaders to create Sunday worship (Worship Associates Team). Must be authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Time Commitment

• Part-time non-exempt hourly position of 20 hours per week

• Year-round with 2 weeks paid vacation in the summer

• Sunday Services meets 10:30-11:45 am; service preparation at 9:30 am

• Thursday rehearsals: 7:30 pm until 9:15 pm (September-June)

• Weekly meetings with the Minister

• Annual Choir Retreat, Christmas Eve Services, Fall and Spring Concert, and other musical fundraisers and presentations as appropriate

• Quarterly meetings with the music committee, other meetings as necessary

• Monthly or quarterly full staff meetings

• Optional: Attend Association for UU Music Ministries (AUUMM) conferences

Responsibilities and Duties

• Supervise, direct, and evaluate all personnel reporting to the Director of Music including Church Accompanist and paid Choir Section Leaders

• Direct the choir at weekly rehearsal, Sunday morning services 2-3 times a month, and occasional special performances

• Collaborate with tech team to create slides for hymns, provide appropriate music credits, and make sure audio equipment is well-maintained, able to provide music to the online stream

• Supervise and oversee maintenance of church musical instruments, including but not limited to the piano and organ

• Attend weekly planning meetings with the Minister

• Select and procure appropriate choral music and coordinate with the Minister on selection of music for the Sunday morning services and other performances

• Plan and direct music for Christmas Eve services and other special annual events in coordination with the Minister

• Organize and lead Choir Retreat

• Maintain the music library and/or recruit volunteers to do so

• Develop and manage budgets for the music program

• Oversee professional substitutions for scheduled absence of paid musical personnel

• Remain a member in good standing of the Association for UU Music Ministries and comply with the Code of Professional Practices

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading a church music program

• Experience as a choral director

• Experience as a professional church musician (section leader, accompanist, or staff singer)

• Familiarity with traditional, contemporary, and stylistically diverse repertoire of choral literature

• Skillful leadership of congregational singing in a variety of styles

• Excellent sight reading skills

• Basic piano proficiency

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

• Ability to provide music in a multi-platform worship environment

• Willingness to learn new technology

• Ability to inspire, motivate, support, and manage music staff and volunteers

• Respect for Unitarian Universalist values and principles

• Bachelors Degree in Music or equivalent

Additional Desirable Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Music or equivalent

• Familiarity with UU beliefs and shared values

• Familiarity with UU hymnals Singing the Living Tradition, Singing the Journey, Las Voces del Camino, and the new digital hymnal Sing Out Love

Job Type: Part-time at 20 hours per week

Applications are currently being accepted and will continue to be accepted until the position is filled. Candidate screening will begin September 1, 2026. We hope our new Director of Music will begin in early October 2026. Salary is $32-$36/hr (commensurate with experience); this is within Unitarian Universalist Association guidelines and on par with regional compensation. Interested persons should send a cover letter, resume, and list of two references to employment@uusm.org.