Foothills Unitarian Church, located in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado, is seeking a full-time Music Director to join our creative, collaborative, and spiritually grounded team. We are looking for a heart-centered musician who understands that music is ministry; a spiritual practice that deepens connection, belonging, and collective courage.
This full-time, benefited role includes:
Leading and inspiring ensembles that include both professional musicians and the extraordinary singers and instrumentalists within our Foothills community.
Engaging and helping to guide the full arc of worship production - musical leadership plus aesthetic vision, creative collaboration, and attention to the emotional andspiritual experience of our services.
Cultivating congregational singing as a central spiritual practice: accessible, embodied, joyful, and theologically resonant.
Building loving, covenantal relationships across staff, choir, and congregation.
Bringing a justice-centered, progressive lens to the work, believing in the power of community, art, and partnership to transform lives.
Foothills Unitarian Church is a vibrant, progressive faith community of roughly 1200 people, with about 450 in-person and 100 online participants most Sundays, spanning ages from infants to centenarians. We center transformative partnership, joyful resilience, radical welcome, and collective courage. We are agile, joy-filled, theologically grounded, and deeply committed to issues of queer/trans and immigrant justice, reproductive and economic justice, and regenerative work in the face of climate change.
We bring energy, depth, and a willingness to play, to experiment, and to steward worship as both sacred and communal. We are a staff of 11 full-time and some part-time team members who deeply value this shared mission.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Minister of Music & Worship
Approaches music as ministry while honoring preparation, craft, beauty, and excellence Chooses music that invites participation, reflection, courage, and joy Brings pastoral sensitivity to music-making during times of grief, transition, celebration, and collective emotion Recognizes and holds strong musical preferences with care, grounding decisions in shared values and congregational needs Collaborates closely with ministers to align music with the theological and emotional arc of worship Brings a high level of musical expertise, discernment, artistic judgment, and cultural sensitivity, education, and responsibility to all aspects of worship Holds responsibility for the overall musical standard of worship at Foothills Choir Director & Leader of Solo and Ensemble Music
Serves as primary Choir Director, leading rehearsals and performances for the choir, soloists, and small group ensembles Cultivates a choir culture grounded in belonging, musical growth, care, and shared purpose Demonstrates excellence in rehearsal leadership, musical preparation, and presentation Selects repertoire with depth and intention Balances musical challenge with accessibility, supporting singers across a range of experience levels Leads additional vocal and instrumental groups throughout the year Sources arrangements and charts as needed to support worship and ensemble singing Curator of Musical Life
Selects music for meaning, singability, and spiritual nourishment Holds a wide musical palette, and the resources to continually expand it, honoring tradition while making room for the new Understands that sophistication and depth can live within music that welcomes broad participation Actively expands the church’s musical library to support evolving worship needs Gathers the wider community in song through community sings, jam sessions, and music-centered events Cultivator of Music Teams & Volunteers
Recruits, trains, mentors, and supports volunteer and staff musicians Creates rehearsal spaces that are organized, welcoming, and meaningful Establishes clear expectations rooted in covenant, respect, collaboration, and shared purpose Tends to group dynamics with compassion and clarity Leader of Musical Systems & Steward of Musical Resources Builds and maintains clear systems for scheduling, communication, preparation, and follow-through Partners with worship team to support high-quality in-person and livestreamed worship Plans ahead for high-impact seasons to ensure sustainability and care for staff and volunteers Oversees the music budget, library, instruments, and equipment Ensures copyright and licensing compliance (CCLI / OneLicense) Maintains organized physical and digital music systems Partners with leadership on long-range planning for music ministry vision and needs Desired Qualifications & Attributes
Bachelor’s degree in music or equivalent professional experience Minimum 5 years music leadership experience; congregational or community arts experience preferred Excellence in choral and vocal leadership; piano skills preferred Ability to lead a wide range of styles (folk, gospel, soul, contemporary, classical, UU hymnody) Strong organizational and communication skills Proactive, self-directed leader with strong system-building capacity Warm, relational presence with curiosity, adaptability, and a sense of humor Experience with or willingness to learn about Unitarian Universalism Commitment to anti-racism, inclusion, accessibility, culturally responsive and responsible leadership Comfortable with, or willingness to learn, technology used in worship production and planning 1815 Yorktown Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526
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Minister of Music & Worship
Approaches music as ministry while honoring preparation, craft, beauty, and excellence Chooses music that invites participation, reflection, courage, and joy Brings pastoral sensitivity to music-making during times of grief, transition, celebration, and collective emotion Recognizes and holds strong musical preferences with care, grounding decisions in shared values and congregational needs Collaborates closely with ministers to align music with the theological and emotional arc of worship Brings a high level of musical expertise, discernment, artistic judgment, and cultural sensitivity, education, and responsibility to all aspects of worship Holds responsibility for the overall musical standard of worship at Foothills Choir Director & Leader of Solo and Ensemble Music
Serves as primary Choir Director, leading rehearsals and performances for the choir, soloists, and small group ensembles Cultivates a choir culture grounded in belonging, musical growth, care, and shared purpose Demonstrates excellence in rehearsal leadership, musical preparation, and presentation Selects repertoire with depth and intention Balances musical challenge with accessibility, supporting singers across a range of experience levels Leads additional vocal and instrumental groups throughout the year Sources arrangements and charts as needed to support worship and ensemble singing Curator of Musical Life
Selects music for meaning, singability, and spiritual nourishment Holds a wide musical palette, and the resources to continually expand it, honoring tradition while making room for the new Understands that sophistication and depth can live within music that welcomes broad participation Actively expands the church’s musical library to support evolving worship needs Gathers the wider community in song through community sings, jam sessions, and music-centered events Cultivator of Music Teams & Volunteers
Recruits, trains, mentors, and supports volunteer and staff musicians Creates rehearsal spaces that are organized, welcoming, and meaningful Establishes clear expectations rooted in covenant, respect, collaboration, and shared purpose Tends to group dynamics with compassion and clarity Leader of Musical Systems & Steward of Musical Resources Builds and maintains clear systems for scheduling, communication, preparation, and follow-through Partners with worship team to support high-quality in-person and livestreamed worship Plans ahead for high-impact seasons to ensure sustainability and care for staff and volunteers Oversees the music budget, library, instruments, and equipment Ensures copyright and licensing compliance (CCLI / OneLicense) Maintains organized physical and digital music systems Partners with leadership on long-range planning for music ministry vision and needs Desired Qualifications & Attributes
Bachelor’s degree in music or equivalent professional experience Minimum 5 years music leadership experience; congregational or community arts experience preferred Excellence in choral and vocal leadership; piano skills preferred Ability to lead a wide range of styles (folk, gospel, soul, contemporary, classical, UU hymnody) Strong organizational and communication skills Proactive, self-directed leader with strong system-building capacity Warm, relational presence with curiosity, adaptability, and a sense of humor Experience with or willingness to learn about Unitarian Universalism Commitment to anti-racism, inclusion, accessibility, culturally responsive and responsible leadership Comfortable with, or willingness to learn, technology used in worship production and planning 1815 Yorktown Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526
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