Chaplain

University of California - San Francisco

58,109 - 123,505

United States, California, San Francisco

1855 4th Street (Show on map)

Jun 10, 2026

Job Function Summary:

Involves the facilitation and nurturing of personal religious rituals and spiritual practices for patients, their families, staff, faculty, allied health students (as applicable), and other health care team members. Provides spiritual care and emotional support, including exploration of issues that are of meaning and value and / or issues causing moral or spiritual distress to patients, their families, staff, and others. Serves as a bridge to patient's religious community or congregation and to appropriate clergy or religious / spiritual leaders. Offers education and fosters conversation and clarification on cultural, ethical, religious, and other topics / dynamics that can affect patient care, family interactions, and staff performance.

Generic Scope:

Professional who applies acquired job skills, policies, and procedures to complete substantive assignments / projects / tasks of moderate scope and complexity; exercises judgment within defined guidelines and practices to determine appropriate action.

Custom Scope:

Applies acquired skills and experience as a spiritual care specialist to respond to the spiritual needs of patients and their families, faculty, staff, allied health students (as appropriate), and other health care team members.

% of time	Essential Function (Yes/No)	Key Responsibilities (To be completed by Supervisor)
90	Yes	Spiritual, Existential and Emotional Care for Patients and Visitors Under general supervision, provides spiritual, emotional and existential support and guidance to patients and their families; triages needs as appropriate. Assesses need for spiritual care, and, working with supervision, charts a course of action that may involve individual and group counseling, prayer sessions, meditations, discussions, or other forms of spiritual care and guidance. Offers appropriate emotional and social support as well as relevant behavioral counseling to patients with challenging health conditions. Works with interdisciplinary team to ensure the highest quality of care in meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and families. Assists in officiating interfaith, ecumenical, or religiously specific rituals / services for patients and families as appropriate. May officiate at events on- site, such as memorial services, weddings, baptisms, and blessings.
10	Yes	Spiritual, Existential and Emotional Care for Staff & Education/Orientation Serves as an educational resource regarding spiritual care in the medical setting. Provides contacts and information on additional spiritual resources in the community as needed. Provides spiritual and emotional support to front-line staff, as well as faculty, allied health students (as appropriate) and other health care team members. Assist in clinical orientation/mentoring of chaplain learners as requested.
100%		(To update total %, enter the amount of time in whole numbers (without the % symbol - e.g., 15, 20) then highlight the total sum (e.g., 1%) at the bottom of the column and press F9. The total sum should add up to 100%.)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities	Req / Pref
Working knowledge of the clinical environment, and of the counseling and behavioral practices used in providing spiritual care to patients and family members.	Req
Working knowledge of a variety of religious and spiritual traditions, and of giving appropriate spiritual care in a multi-faith clinical setting.	Req
Working knowledge of the ethical and confidentiality issues involved with clinical chaplaincy.	Req
Flexibility and adaptability to remain calm, and deal effectively with changing situations involving crises and stress.	Req
Interpersonal skills and ability to work with and accept people of diverse beliefs, cultures, ethnicities, ages, and health conditions, as well as with colleagues on an interdisciplinary healthcare team.	Req
Organizational, prioritization, and decision-making skills.	Req
Written and verbal communications skills, computer proficiency, and working understanding of medical records.	Req
Working knowledge of spiritual assessment models, solid spiritual assessment skills, and the ability to communicate, verbally and in writing, spiritual assessments of patients and families to the health care team.	Req
Ability to establish connections with key persons quickly and function well in crisis / trauma situations, demonstrating compassion, flexibility, sensitivity, and command when needed.	Req
Excellent spiritual care judgment and triage skills.	Req
Two (2) or more years of directly related experience	Req

Education	Req / Pref
Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience /	Req
Master's degree in theology, divinity, religious studies, or its equivalent in relevant training / experience.	Pref
Completion of at least 1 unit and preferably 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education, accredited by the ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education.	Req

Licenses	Req / Pref
Endorsement, ordination, commissioning or official recognition by one's affiliation group to function as a professional chaplain. Maintains good standing in the affiliation group.	Pref

Certifications	Req / Pref
Eligible for certification with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: the Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), or the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) preferred	Pref

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world's leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence - also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity - both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available here.

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Salary Information

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

Your placement within the salary range is dependent on a number of factors including your work experience and internal equity within this position classification at UCSF. For positions that are represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range will be guided by the rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities	Req / Pref
Working knowledge of the clinical environment, and of the counseling and behavioral practices used in providing spiritual care to patients and family members.	Req
Working knowledge of a variety of religious and spiritual traditions, and of giving appropriate spiritual care in a multi-faith clinical setting.	Req
Working knowledge of the ethical and confidentiality issues involved with clinical chaplaincy.	Req
Flexibility and adaptability to remain calm, and deal effectively with changing situations involving crises and stress.	Req
Interpersonal skills and ability to work with and accept people of diverse beliefs, cultures, ethnicities, ages, and health conditions, as well as with colleagues on an interdisciplinary healthcare team.	Req
Organizational, prioritization, and decision-making skills.	Req
Written and verbal communications skills, computer proficiency, and working understanding of medical records.	Req
Working knowledge of spiritual assessment models, solid spiritual assessment skills, and the ability to communicate, verbally and in writing, spiritual assessments of patients and families to the health care team.	Req
Ability to establish connections with key persons quickly and function well in crisis / trauma situations, demonstrating compassion, flexibility, sensitivity, and command when needed.	Req
Excellent spiritual care judgment and triage skills.	Req
Two (2) or more years of directly related experience	Req

Education	Req / Pref
Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience /	Req
Master's degree in theology, divinity, religious studies, or its equivalent in relevant training / experience.	Pref
Completion of at least 1 unit and preferably 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education, accredited by the ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education.	Req

Licenses	Req / Pref
Endorsement, ordination, commissioning or official recognition by one's affiliation group to function as a professional chaplain. Maintains good standing in the affiliation group.	Pref

Certifications	Req / Pref
Eligible for certification with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC), Neshama: the Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC), or the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC) preferred	Pref