Director of Jewish Communal Strategy and Engagement

Position Title: Director of Jewish Communal Strategy and Engagement
Reports to: Chief of Staff
Start Date: Immediately
Location: Washington, DC preferred; or any city with a J Street office (Boston, NYC, Chicago) - Currently remote or hybrid

Do you want to work in an exciting, fast-paced, mission-driven organization? Are you interested in joining an organization that is changing the way people think and talk about Israel and U.S. Middle East policy in the Jewish community?

Position
J Street, the pro-Israel, pro-peace lobby, is seeking a Director of Jewish Communal Strategy and Engagement: an experienced manager, thought leader and public spokesperson with significant experience and relationships in the organized American Jewish community, who can take our communal relations work and strategy to the next level. The successful candidate will be a strategic and resourceful leader who seeks to engage with leaders of the Jewish community, through developing and implementing a strategy that advances a more nuanced conversation on Israel in Jewish communal institutions.

The ideal candidate would have: a strong background in Jewish communal organizations and institutions, stakeholder engagement; an interest in serving as a senior face of the organization in the Jewish community; issue advocacy experience; strong management skills; and professional familiarity/experience with the role of Israel and the US-Israel relationship in American politics, foreign policy and the American Jewish community. The ideal candidate would be passionate about promoting peace and diplomacy, and helping to secure a better future for the United States and Israel.

A strong work ethic, progressive values, and positive demeanor highly valued!

Key Duties and Responsibilities
Leadership and Management:

• The Director will set priorities for and manage the Communal Relations team. This includes the development and implementation of a national and local communal engagement strategy, as well as helping the team project-manage to hit goals. The Director will also serve as a mentor for the team and invest in their professional development.
• The Director will serve as a member of J Street’s senior management, collaborating with the President and Executive Team in setting communal strategy and making organizational decisions through an informed Jewish communal lens.
• The Director will serve as a universal team player and thought partner to staff across the organization-- and also to various stakeholders (e.g. Board, lay leaders, student activists).

National and Local Communal Engagement Strategy:

• The Director will be responsible for crafting and executing strategies that expand and deepen our relationships with Jewish institutions and lay leaders on the national and local levels.
• The Director will shape and drive a vision for engagement of clergy, growing and leveraging the impact of the 1000+ member strong Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet.
• The Director will manage and implement a strategy for enhancing J Street’s presence at synagogues across the country, through cultivating relationships with local community leaders.
• The Director will work closely with J Street’s Communal Advisory Committee in order to grow J Street’s communal representation and leadership across the country.
• The Director will work to create opportunities for J Street and the Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace perspective to be part of national and local community conversations.
• The Director will serve as a thought-partner on the development of all organizational programming, targeted at engaging a Jewish communal audience.

J Street’s lead Communal Spokesperson:

• The Director will serve as national public face, voice and thought leader for J Street on matters relating to the Israel conversation in the organized Jewish community.
• The Director will work with the Communications department to develop and implement a strategy for communicating publicly about J Street’s communal impact.
• The Director will serve as the in-house expert on all matters related to the organized Jewish community, ensuring that our staff and leaders communicate J Street’s work in a matter that optimizes our communal impact.
• The Director will oversee the development of resources and materials that can be utilized by key Jewish communal stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• At least 10 years of relevant experience within the Jewish community
• Strong familiarity with Jewish institutional landscape and basic Jewish literacy
• A strong commitment to J Street’s mission and the future of Israel as a national homeland of the Jewish people and a state of all its citizens
• Management or supervisory experience
• Strong written, verbal, and presentational skills
• Understanding of and fluency in the policy issues on which the organization works: foreign policy, the Middle East, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Desired Qualities

• A strategic and innovative thinker and doer with a professional track record
• Highly motivated and ambitious
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and presence, discretion and mature judgment
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, while identifying and focusing in on priorities
• A big picture strategist with an eye and affection for the details
• A great teammate who is committed to contributing to, building on and amplifying the successes of those around them
• Good humor, perseverance and patience

Compensation
Salary for this full-time exempt position will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, starting at $90,000. Hours and duties may fluctuate based on J Street events and staff travel schedules. Our comprehensive benefits package includes paid unlimited personal time off, paid sick leave, generous parental and family leave, paid time off on many federal and Jewish holidays, health and dental insurance, company-paid life insurance, a generous 401k match program, commuter benefits, and a flexible spending account.

To Apply
We are excited to receive applications from a broad range of applicants as we grow our organization to better reflect the diversity of the communities that care about our mission. Please submit the items listed below:

1. Cover Letter that explains why you are interested and qualified
2. Resume
3. List of Three References

This position is available immediately. Applications are being accepted now and the position will be filled as quickly as possible.

At J Street we value an inclusive, welcoming, and diverse workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to understanding and valuing each other’s perspectives at all levels of the organization thereby creating a culture that allows us to better serve our employees, and the communities we work with. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment and fellowship, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.