Yetzirah: Managing Director Opportunity

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Yetzirah: A Hearth for Jewish Poetry

Organizational Overview
Yetzirah: A Hearth for Jewish Poetry, a national nonprofit with an increasingly international reach, is  dedicated to nourishing writers and readers of Jewish poetry now and for generations to come.  Founded in 2022, Yetzirah is the only national organization with a mission to support Jewish poets and Jewish poetry, creating a unique space for writers and readers of Jewish poetry to come together and engage at a high level with both poetry and Judaism, defining, redefining, exploring, inventing and reinventing what it means to be a Jewish poet and a Jew in the 21st century.

Yetzirah’s core programs and services include:

  • Jewish Poetry Conference (in-person)
  • Workshops (online)
  • Reading Series (online)
  • Book Club (online)
  • Regional Chapters (in-person)
  • Discover Jewish Poets Database (online)

For more information on Yetzirah please visit www.yetzirahpoets.org

The Opportunity
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced, multi-skilled professional to join Yetzirah as an operations, administrative and team leader and a key partner for the Executive Director.  Reporting to the Executive Director, the Managing Director will be involved in the design and implementation of organizational strategy and oversee and lead daily operations and related programs and initiatives.  The Managing Director will bring vision and attention to the day-to-day and will work closely with the Executive Director as a thought partner, supporting prioritization, and being an implementer of plans.

Yetzirah is looking for a collaborative, systems-minded and hands-on professional to serve as the primary internal steward of its operations and programs.  This professional will be a leader in defining and measuring impact and a distributor and supporter of Yetzirah’s collective and individual skills and who can help drive growth and sustainability.  The successful candidate will possess strong organizational and communication skills; the ability to prioritize and pivot between projects; and a comfort and enthusiasm for technology and managing systems.

This position is remote, with in-person attendance required at Yetzirah’s week-long summer conference, an annual weekend Board retreat in the northeast in the fall, and occasional work travel as needed.

Managing Director Priorities:

  • Work with Executive Director to assure stability and growth of Yetzirah and its related programs and communities for maximum impact
  • Effective day-to-day management of Yetzirah internal operations and administration including HR, IT and program and financial management
  • Manage and coordinate the professional team to enable collective and individual success, serving as guide, facilitator and distributor of resources
  • Help execute and advance organizational priorities, vision, and planning

 

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership:

  • Partner with and support the Executive Director in organizational leadership – preparing agendas, leading meetings, setting goals and creating follow-up plans for execution and accountability
  • Collaborate with the Executive Director and help facilitate big-picture conversations and ensure that Yetzirah’s work is consistent and aligned with organizational priorities
  • Facilitate regular Executive Director meetings focused on status of organizational priorities, programs and services, and support in advancing strategic conversations and initiatives

Operations & Administration:

  • Serve as lead professional responsible for managing all aspects of internal operations and administration
  • Ensure daily operations and project management processes are effective and sustainable
  • Manage and implement continuous improvement and regularly update internal systems, standard operating procedures, and strategies related to organizational practices and policies, HR, IT, and financial management with an eye towards future needs
  • Develop and regularly update annual and individual/program workplans
  • Work with Executive Director and Treasurer on budgeting, forecasting and monitoring
  • Manage organization’s day-to-day finances, cash flow and reporting/annual audit
  • Manage external financial consultants and banking relationships
  • Coordinate IT including assuring effective use of CRM, internal communication/collaboration tools, document sharing and archiving, other technology and liaison with vendors
  • Support financial resource development activities including logistical and back-end resources for institutional fundraising, campaigns/appeals and events
  • Collaborate on grant proposal preparation and manage the calendar and submissions for grant reporting
  • Manage and prepare monthly financial, fundraising, and membership reports

Program Administration & Staff Management:

  • Collaborate with program staff to support marketing/publicity, community outreach, and recruitment to assure robust programming, attendance, and increase market penetration
  • Lead a process to develop and implement methods for performance measurement to track outputs and outcomes as a tool for evaluation and continuous improvement
  • Supervise direct and dotted-line reports, providing guidance and support and ensuring the team understands and is aligned with expectations and organizational priorities
  • Be a resource and champion for professional development and growth
  • Facilitate regular staff meetings, identify appropriate methods for sharing and balancing workloads and create follow-up plans to ensure accountability and execution
  • Foster a culture of teamwork, cooperation and cross-functional support; enable collaboration between staff and between staff and volunteers

Board & External Engagement:

  • Staff the Board and Senior Partners Council as needed; prepare and disseminate board meeting agendas and related materials, follow-up plans and reports, and help manage and support on-going and special initiatives
  • Cultivate and maintain positive connections with the Board, Senior Partners Council, institutional funders and other key stakeholders to enhance overall stakeholder engagement and community-building
  • Represent Yetzirah at conferences, meetings and other public venues

 

Qualifications – Competitive candidates will possess most, if not all, of the following:

  • Record of success and impact in managing non-profit operations and administration, program management and building and maintaining organizational systems
  • Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide array of people
  • Highly organized; strong attention to detail, accuracy, timeliness, and maintaining a budget
  • Prior experience managing staff, contractors, volunteers and cross-functional teams
  • Comfort and confidence as a change agent, able to combine innovation and sound decision making
  • Ability to juggle multiple and diverse projects and responsibilities concurrently and work in a complex, multi-faceted, fast-paced environment
  • Collaborative outlook and approach to work, colleagues and stakeholder engagement
  • Experience and comfort with information and software technology including CRM/databases
  • Professional and persuasive written and verbal communication skills; experience designing basic communications and marketing materials, a plus
  • A deep appreciation for Jewish pluralism, Yetzirah’s pluralistic principles, and cultivating a community of inclusion and respect
  • Ability to exhibit and project both confidence and humility as a manager

Projected compensation range: $75,000 to $100,000, depending on experience, skills and readiness plus benefits reimbursements and PTO/leave policies.

To apply, recommend candidates or, for more information please contact:

Daniel B. Ripps, Managing Partner
Gabai Strategic Advisors
daniel@gabaistrategic.com

This position description is based on material provided by Yetzirah.  Yetzirah does not dis­crim­i­nate on the basis of race, reli­gion, col­or, gen­der expres­sion or iden­ti­ty, sex­u­al ori­en­ta­tion, nation­al ori­gin, cit­i­zen­ship, age, mar­i­tal sta­tus, dis­abil­i­ty sta­tus, or any oth­er characteristic protected by law.