JOIN for Justice Chief Advancement Officer

Positively Partners

Attleboro, MA, USA

Published: 6/14/2022

Full Time

Job Description

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

JOIN for Justice is the premier national Jewish organizing training institute in the United States, with over 25 years of experience training rabbis, Jewish leaders, and everyday people to be effective changemakers in order to create a more just world. We have trained and mentored nearly 10,000 Jewish leaders and community organizers through our clergy programs, fellowships, synagogue initiatives, online classes, and consulting work.

JOIN has earned the respect of the Jewish social justice field as an organization that many types of organizations and Jewish institutions regularly turn to for guidance on how to lead impactful organizing in a changing world. The leaders and institutions that learn from us know how to: build on relationships, leadership, mission, and action rather than programming, bureaucracy, and meaningless gestures; strategize and adapt to changing circumstances; build true public relationships and partnerships with organizations from other communities; and tap into Jewish tradition and history to ground their work.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.joinforjustice.org .

A Note About Organizational Context

JOIN is a "big tent" organization within the domestic Jewish community. Our staff, board, and constituency cross a broad spectrum of beliefs and backgrounds, including diverse perspectives on Israel/Palestine. We have intentionally created space for people with different perspectives to learn and organize together. The person who joins us in this role will help navigate and communicate this positioning, ensuring that potential partners and funders understand the unique and vital role JOIN plays in the Jewish social justice ecosystem.

THE POSITION

As Chief Advancement Officer, you will hold one of the most pivotal roles at JOIN for Justice, serving as both a strategic architect and a storyteller for an organization that has shaped Jewish social justice leadership for a quarter century. This is a newly created position that sits at the heart of JOIN's ambitious strategic plan: amplifying our voice, expanding our reach, and securing the resources needed to train the next generation of changemakers.

Your success in this role will directly determine how many more leaders JOIN can train and how deeply our organizing methodology spreads across the Jewish world and beyond. You will lead the effort to tell JOIN's story in ways that captivate audiences and inspire action. You will set the strategic direction for development efforts that fuel our growth. You will build partnerships that open new doors. And you will guide our Co-Executive Directors as they step more boldly into their roles as thought leaders and field experts. This is a hands-on leadership role in a lean, nimble organization. You'll set strategy and roll up your sleeves to execute. This is a role for someone who is a natural connector and relationship-builder. Someone who walks into a room and makes people want to work with them. We seek candidates with entrepreneurial energy and strategic vision. But the key to success will be the ability to authentically communicate the power of relational organizing and help others see themselves in JOIN's mission.

The CAO will serve as a key member of JOIN's management team and function as a strategic thought partner to the Co-Executive Directors. You will oversee both development and communications, leading a team that includes our Director of Development and communications staff. This leader will need to balance building JOIN's external profile with strengthening our fundraising capacity, ideally creating messaging that resonates with both partners and funders.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Communications & Thought Leadership

Develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy to elevate JOIN's visibility and influence across the Jewish world and beyond
Lead the organization's brand refresh and website redesign, overseeing consultants and ensuring alignment with JOIN's mission and strategic plan
Strengthen JOIN's ability to tell its story by capturing and sharing impact stories that help potential community members picture themselves in our work
Position JOIN's Co-Executive Directors as field experts on organizing in the Jewish world through strategic thought leadership initiatives
Guide and prepare the Co-Executive Directors for external-facing work, including speaking engagements, media opportunities, op-eds, workshops, and partnership meetings
Supervise and develop communications staff, building out the team's capacity over time
Invest in necessary marketing and analytics tools to track the reach and impact of communications efforts

Development & Partnerships

Set the overall strategic direction for fundraising, working closely with the Director of Development to implement the strategic plan's growth targets
Supervise the Director of Development and provide strategic oversight of the development team
Build and cultivate strategic partnerships with peer organizations, funders, and community partners aligned with JOIN's mission
Identify and pursue new fundraising opportunities emerging from the strategic plan, including expanding relationships with secular funders in the racial justice and community organizing space
Represent JOIN in high-level partnership and fundraising meetings, serving as a persuasive and authentic advocate for the organization's mission
Lead organizational gifted revenue increases of 10% annually during these first three years of our Strategic Plan.
Work with the senior management team to develop strategy for meeting and tracking Earned Income budget goals.

Organizational Leadership

Serve as a member of JOIN's management team alongside the Co-Executive Directors, Director of Development, Senior Director of Programs, and CFO
Function as a strategic thought partner to the Co-Executive Directors, bringing fresh perspectives and entrepreneurial thinking to organizational challenges
Help implement key elements of JOIN's strategic plan, particularly around building partnerships and expanding reach, including tapping into a significant alumni base
Model a culture of action, relationship-building, and authentic engagement that reflects JOIN's organizing values

QUALIFICATIONS

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. That said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below.

Required

Significant experience (a minimum of seven years) in communications, development, or advancement roles, with demonstrated strategic leadership
Proven track record of developing and implementing communications strategies that elevate organizational visibility
Experience in nonprofit fundraising, including foundation relations and individual donor cultivation
Strong storytelling abilities with experience translating organizational impact into compelling narratives
Experience partnering with and coaching executive leadership in external-facing work
Demonstrated people management skills with ability to supervise and develop staff
Strategic mindset with ability to see the "forest through the trees" and translate vision into action
Proven success in maintaining execution and administration responsibilities while simultaneously leading on strategy
Entrepreneurial orientation with comfort building new systems and approaches
Exceptional interpersonal skills—you build relationships naturally, captivate audiences, and speak persuasively and authentically about mission
Ability to build relationships across diverse stakeholder groups—from foundation officers to community organizers to board members
Commitment to racial justice and disability justice work
Alignment with JOIN for Justice's values and mission

Preferred

Experience or comfort working within the Jewish community
Familiarity with community organizing principles and practices
Experience working for a fully remote organization
Experience with website redesign and brand development projects
Relationships with secular and/or Jewish philanthropic funders
Experience advancing a simple to robust alumni database
Experience navigating complex organizational positioning or coalition-building across diverse constituencies

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Salary range for this role is $120,000-$130,000 and commensurate with experience. JOIN for Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

80% employer-paid health and dental insurance and HRA
5% 401(k) match after one year
Health & dependent care FSA accounts
Employer-paid life and disability insurance
Generous vacation time (12 days in first year, 15 days in second year.)
12 health & wellness days (sick time) per year
Generous Federal holiday schedule plus 13 Jewish holidays
Company computer, virtual phone line, and $85/month home office stipend

TIMELINE AND HIRING PROCESS

We will review and respond to all applications received. Candidates elected to advance through the process can expect:

Initial screening with Positively Partners
Hiring manager interview with a Co-Executive Director
Interview with key stakeholders, including the Co-Executive Directors, Director of Development, and board leadership
Comprehensive reference check process

The target start date for the CAO is Spring 2026.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and a thoughtfully written cover letter through our online portal. We will review and respond to all applications received. In your cover letter, please specifically address your experience with communications strategy and storytelling, as well as your understanding of or experience with nonprofit development and fundraising. For confidential inquiries or assistance completing the application, please contact the search team at Positively Partners.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

JOIN recognizes that the majority of its staff is white-identifying. We strive to deepen our accountability to and representation of historically oppressed and marginalized identities.

JOIN for Justice is an equal opportunity employer. Systemic inequities in hiring have caused many women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people to apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. If you have some but not all of the qualifications listed above and believe you would excel in this role, we strongly encourage you to apply.

We carefully consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status. You do not need to be Jewish.