Associate Director of (Closed Church) Property Administration

The Louisiana Conference is in search of an Associate Director of (Closed Church) Property Administration. This position comes with a diverse set of responsibilities. The job will oversee closed property matters in collaboration with various stakeholders, including district superintendents, legal counsel, the Director of Finance/Administration, and more. Key tasks include the maintenance of a digital database for closed church properties, generation of property reports, and ensuring compliance with Louisiana real estate laws and United Methodist Church polity.

This is a dynamic position that requires a versatile skill set, a deep understanding of property matters, and a willingness to learn and adapt to new policies and procedures. The salary for this position will be determined based on the candidate's level of experience, qualifications, and expertise, ensuring a fair and equitable compensation package.
 

Primary duties and responsibilities:

Coordinate and oversee closed property matters working with:

• District superintendent/Admin assistants
• Legal Counsel/Chancellor
• Extended Cabinet
• Director of Finance/Administration, and staff
• Conference Board of Trustees, ex-officio member, and of:
  • Property subcommittee
  • Cemetery subcommittee

• Local Church trustees
• Commercial and residential real estate brokers, oil and gas land personnel, as needed

Day to day duties – supervision from, and reporting to, the Director of Finance and Administration

• Oversight and upkeep of closed church property digital database, update daily as needed.
• Develop an inventory process of sold properties for which the CBOT still owns the oil and gas rights. 
• Maintain physical property records files (eventually all will be digitized and centralized under Conference umbrella).
• Generate periodic property reports to CBOT, Treasurer, Chancellor as requested
• Generate other ad hoc reports as requested
• Knowledgeable in basic Louisiana real estate ownership laws, cemeteries and burial sites, and specifies related to United Methodist Church polity for real property
• Travel to all areas of the State to locations for church property (reasonable expenses for travel and lodging will be reimbursed)
• Assist with assessing state of physical premises for repairs to maintain safety and protection to neighbors, incidental visitors.
• Field daily phone inquiries about all property matters, follow through to resolution/completion
• Communicate with Districts, Finance office, Trustees, legal counsel action items for property matters
• Obtain deeds, titles, and abstracts for owned property, both to be closed, and those currently closed.
• Work with legal team to obtain valid legal descriptions of closed church properties
• File legal documents for ownership, sales, donations in various parish courthouse conveyance records
• Work with title company as needed on title problems and unique situations
• Assess, arrange for major repairs, (possibly perform minor repairs) with qualified contractors/vendors
• Assist Finance Office with updating property damage and liability insurance policies
• Assess disaster events impact on property, and coordinate required repairs as needed
• Assist with developing, writing and refreshing policies and procedures for closing churches and their property related matters
• Other duties as assigned 

Interpersonal and technical skills

• Proficient in IT software, Word, Excel, Outlook, and other custom databases
• Good communication skills both, written and verbal
• Willingness to learn and open to training new policies/procedures
• Exhibit a “can do and will do” attitude for property and problem resolution
   

Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Benefits package includes: 

• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Paid health insurance for employee,
• Employee eligibility to participate in 403(b) plan after an initial probationary period,
• Employer non-matching 403(b) contribution after one year of full-time service short-term disability and life insurance coverage

 
To apply, all candidates are required to send their resume and cover letter to Sandy O'Brien at sobrien@la-umc.org. The deadline for applications is October 31, 2023.