Planning & Agency Relations Associate

About the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit:

As the major instrument of Jewish philanthropy and engagement in the Detroit area, Jewish Federation is a community-driven organization committed to taking care of the needs of the Jewish people and building a vibrant Jewish future, in Metropolitan Detroit, in Israel and around the world. The Planning Associate works in partnership with the Director of Planning and Agency Relations, serves as a liaison to Federation’s constituent agencies for community planning and funding, and interfaces with other Jewish organizations and related agencies in the community on planning and special projects to enhance overall service and collaboration in our community.

Responsibilities:

The Planning Associate is a critical member of the planning team with responsibilities for supporting vital projects. Key responsibilities include:
• Serving as staff liaison to assigned agencies of the Local Agency Planning Division which includes scheduling and preparing for site visits and assisting in the annual allocations process which culminates in making allocation recommendations to the Boards of Jewish Federation and the United Jewish Foundation.
• Working with lay leadership on relevant planning committees to gauge information needs and prepare materials that assist with planning-related decision making.
• Collecting, preparing and monitoring statistics and agency performance metrics that help determine agency resource and funding needs.
• Managing Millennium Endowment Funds and associated grant making committees.
• Updating the planning team’s Inventory of Community Needs on a regular basis which includes interfacing with community agencies to understand their needs and funding requirements.
• Assisting the Youth Mental Health Coordinator with implementation of Federation’s Youth Mental Health Initiative.
• Conducting or assist with community planning projects such as population studies and community needs assessments.

Required skills:

The ideal candidate is a hard worker and critical thinker, a self-starter and able to manage a diverse portfolio of projects while operating with the highest degree of integrity. Other required skills include:
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Superb interpersonal skills and proven ability to build trusting relationships with colleagues and lay leaders.
• Demonstrated experience with managing confidential and sensitive information and data.
• Proficiency reading, analyzing and interpreting financial data.
• Capacity to stay highly organized, multitask and prioritize competing priorities.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suit of tools that include Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Jewish community, its customs and practices, Federation and the Jewish nonprofit world.