Hospital Chaplaincy Manager

General

Min 2 Years

General roles at Mercy Ships are a wonderful way to serve. From hospitality to communications, finance to sanitation, we have a host of roles to match your skills and experience.

Please carefully read the role description below to verify that you meet the requirements. The apply button can be found at the bottom of this page.

Driven to provide hope & healing.

Mercy Ships is an international charity that brings hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor through state-of-the-art hospital ships. Since 1978, our volunteer crew—made up of medical professionals and skilled workers from over 60 nations—has delivered free surgeries and medical care to over 2.8 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, transforming lives one patient and one port at a time. Join our global team of over 3,000 volunteers and help us change lives daily.

About This Role
The Hospital Chaplaincy Manager (HCM) oversees the Hospital Chaplaincy team (both crew and day crew) ensuring they provide holistic spiritual care that includes the emotional, relational and urgent social needs of patients and their caregivers. The HCM is responsible for ensuring good communication and collaboration between the hospital chaplains and all Medical and HOPE Center team leads and staff.

This position may qualify for a family cabin. If you have school-age children, learn more about Mercy Ships Academy.

Requirements
Each role with Mercy Ships calls for a unique blend of experience, skills, and qualifications. The info below outlines what's needed to serve effectively in this position—to meet operational standards and to help you thrive as part of the team.

Commitment Min 2 Years

What you will contribute

• Ensure Hospital Chaplaincy teams are fully staffed with well-oriented, mission-aligned chaplains who demonstrate vibrant, gospel-shaped lives ensuring that holistic spiritual care flows from that authentic foundation.
• Make sure that all admitted patients are invited into a setting where the hope and grace of the gospel message is shared through faith-based activities and at least one personal encounter with a Hospital Chaplain.
• See to it that all prospective patients who receive a "no" response (at preop surgical screening) are counselled and ministered to by experienced hospital chaplains.
• Verify that Patient/Caregiver feedback indicates a high level of satisfaction and spiritual encouragement reflecting the holistic care received.

Please note that this role is primarily administrative and managerial in nature. While there will be occasional opportunities to interact directly with patients, the core focus is on ensuring that hospital chaplaincy services run smoothly and the hospital chaplaincy team is well cared for and supported in their roles.

For This Role, You Will Need

• Successful completion of Mercy Ships On Boarding program
• Formal theological education, training in hospital chaplaincy, pastoral care, counseling, or a related ministry field.
• Demonstrated ability to provide cross-cultural ministry within diverse faith and cultural contexts.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to deliver sensitive information clearly and compassionately.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary medical environment.
• Bi-lingual (English/French) is preferred. Fluency in written and oral English is required.
• Alignment with Mercy Ships' mission, values, philosophy, code of conduct, and statement of faith.

About The Team
You'll be part of a Volunteer Team that's most relevant to your role, working side by side with a diverse community of volunteers using their skills to serve, and supporting daily life on board.

Apply Now

Full Job Description Available Upon Request.
Proceed to Application

Frequently asked questions.

We are so excited that you are interested in learning more about serving with us. These are the most common questions we receive for this department. Please contact us if you have additional questions.

SCAM ALERT: Please be aware of recruitment scams. Mercy Ships will never charge any fees as a part of the recruitment process. For more info click here.

What are the medical requirements to serve with Mercy Ships?

Click here for a list of medical requirements to serve, including required immunizations.

What kinds of positions are available?

The complex nature of Mercy Ships projects and programs demands a wide range of skills. We need biomedical technicians, sterilization technicians, marine officers, engineers and ratings, teachers, mechanics, and photographers, and so much more.

For a current list of opportunities, please click here .

How much does it cost to serve with Mercy Ships?

• Crew fees are currently paused. Volunteers will be notified of any changes six months prior to crew fee reinstatement.

Volunteers pay for their transportation to and from the ship's location as well as monthly crew fees and all personal expenses.
Crew fees
are paid by every adult crewmember and vary depending on the length of commitment as well as the volunteer's country of residence.

Click here
to see a sample budget.

Typical expenses include crew fees, travel to and from the ship, personal expenses for socializing / stocking up on toiletries, travel insurance, and lattes from the cafe

We are excited to offer financial aid to crew with commitments of 24+ months and for any crew in qualifying maritime roles.

What languages do I need to know?

English proficiency is required
for all positions in Mercy Ships, and fluency is required for some positions.
French is beneficial
, but not required unless stated on the job description.

For English proficiency, while Mercy Ships does not currently require proof of examination, we use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) as a reference for English proficiency. All volunteers must be at level B1 on the CEFR scale (Independent User – Threshold or Intermediate) or higher in order to join on board.

Level B1 Summary:

• Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
• Can deal with situations likely to arise while traveling in an area where the language is spoken.
• Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.
• Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes, and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

You may refer to the full summary of each level by clicking here

How far in advance should I apply to volunteer with Mercy Ships?

If possible, applications should be sent in for processing at least 6 to 8 months in advance. For some positions and for some time periods, additional time is required. If you wish to apply as a family, we recommend applying at least one year in advance of when you would like to join.

Is this a volunteer position?

Yes, all Mercy Ships ship-based positions are unpaid, volunteer opportunities.

Who can apply?

Mercy Ships welcomes a wide range of skills and demographics – we have a place onboard for you Here are a few details to keep in mind: All Volunteers must be aged between 18 and 79 years. Applicants aged between 70-79 years can serve for up to 6 months at a time before they must have a health review. (The minimum age for a child accompanying parents is 6 months old.) Married couples and families are welcome to apply

Where are the ships? How do I travel to a ship?

Mercy Ships primarily delivers care and service in West Africa. All volunteers fly into an airport close to a ship's port location and are transported to their ship by a Mercy Ships representative. (Don't worry Our team will guide you when the time comes to book your air travel.) Sailing isn't involved unless your service dates line up with a sail – we remain in port for 10 months. For more info on our ships, visit Our Ships

Looking for more information? View our general FAQs to learn about life on board, volunteering, and more.

General FAQs

The experience of a lifetime is calling.

More than 1,200 volunteers from over 60 nations serve with Mercy Ships each year.
At Mercy Ships, we are proud to be recognized around the world for the life-changing surgeries and training we deliver. We could not achieve this without our dedicated community of talented volunteers.

Imagine finishing your shift and stepping onto deck as the sun sets—knowing that today you've helped transform the lives of those who need it most. Apply now to start a journey that will reshape the lives of those you serve—and your own.

Captain Perez, Africa Mercy & Global Mercy

Rachel Lubitz, Project Assistant, Global Mercy

Find Your Place On Board

Faith-Led Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

Mercy Ships is a faith-based organization welcoming volunteers from diverse backgrounds and experiences who are committed to our mission and values. All qualified applicants will receive consideration.

Beware of Imposters: Confirm All Volunteer Communications

Volunteer opportunities and invitations to serve will always come directly from Mercy Ships' official volunteer engagement teams. Never provide personal information to anyone without confirming their connection to Mercy Ships.

Apply Now

Full Job Description Available Upon Request.
Proceed to Application

"I think you get lifelong friends in a different way than I've done back home. I like the variety of people, cultures, and views."

Maria Ekstrand — Dining Room Team Leader

"The more I'm seeing peoples' lives being transformed, the more I realize this isn't me giving away two years, it's me gaining two years. For me, it's more like a gift."

Eugene Ampadu (Videographer,
Africa Mercy
, Senegal.)