J Street Hiring Director of Operations- DC

[Emily Koppel]

Position Title:             Director of Operations    

Reports to:                  Chief of Staff

Start Date:                  January 1, 2015

Location:                     Washington DC

 

 

J Street seeks a highly experienced manager to oversee several key functions of a vibrant and growing mid-sized advocacy organization. 

 

This new position – Director of Operations – will be a member of the organization’s senior staff and part of the Executive/Administrative and Development teams. The Director of Operations will provide experienced management of critical areas including back-office development operations, management information systems and human resources. 

 

J Street is seriously committed to goal-oriented management and planning – with a five-year operational plan, management indicators to track its progress and a system for tying employee performance evaluations to organizational goals.  The Director of Operations, working closely with the Chief of Staff, will help ensure that the entire organization works effectively and smoothly to achieve its goals, including making J Street a great place for its employees to work.

 

Along with management experience in the non-profit sector, the Director of Operations should have very strong interpersonal and communications skills and a familiarity with the specific needs of non-profit organizations in development and management systems.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

 

1.     Development Operations

• ·      Line manage three-person Development Operations team. Ensure procedures and systems provide field-based Development team full service (data entry/report generation, gift acknowledgement, prospect research, donor services, foundation grant and report writing, etc.).
  
• ·      Consult and provide strategic input on organization’s direct marketing/small donor fundraising strategy including direct mail, online fundraising and efforts to create pipeline of smaller donors with capacity to contribute more.
  

 

2.     Data and Information Systems

• ·      Ensure that J Street information systems meet operational needs of J Street teams and staff.
  
• ·      Like many non-profits, J Street has numerous management information/data systems that serve the needs of individual departments. The Director of Operations, in the first year, will lead a review of satisfaction with and performance of existing systems and of options that other comparable organizations are using to meet similar needs.  J Street seeks to upgrade and integrate its systems in 2016 and the Director of Operations will lead this critical project through planning and implementation.
  
• ·      The Director of Operations is not expected to solve technical issues directly but to find and retain the services of those who can meet J Street’s needs.
  

 

3.     Human Resources

• ·      The Director of Operations will oversee the organization’s human resources functions including recruitment, on-boarding, benefits administration, performance evaluation, professional development and training.
  
• ·      Serve as ombudsperson for employee concerns.
  
• ·      Act as primary point of contact with Executive staff for organization’s employee-driven Continuous Improvement Team.
  

 

4.     Management Systems

• ·      J Street has established a performance management system to track progress toward organizational goals and to tie larger goals to monthly indicators of departmental success and annual employee performance evaluation.  The Director of Operations will be responsible for coordinating organizational goal-setting under the organization’s five-year operating plan, managing indicator reporting and integrating indicators into departmental plans and employee evaluations.
  

 

5.     Special Projects

• ·      Own organization-wide special projects assigned by either President or Chief of Staff.  Projects assigned to the Director of Operations will be operational, not policy-related, and will generally require the cooperation of more than two departments to succeed. 
  

 

 

DESIRED SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

 

The ideal Director of Operations candidate will possess the following:

 

• ·      Significant experience as a senior manager in the non-profit field, preferably in Administration, Operations and/or Development. 
  
• ·      Familiarity with development operations of non-profit organizations either as a fundraising professional or a line manager working closely alongside a development team.
  
• ·      Superior organizational skills and a commitment to results-driven management.
  
• ·      Passionate about effective operations.
  
• ·      Knowledgeable about the management information systems needs of non-profits from constituent management, to online advocacy and development.
  
• ·      Familiarity with basics of human resources administration a significant plus, but not required. 
  
• ·      Highly organized, able to prioritize multiple tasks.
  
• ·      Familiar with and committed to J Street’s mission; issue expertise not a requirement.
  
• ·      Comfortable in fast-paced, energetic work environment that is only a few years past early start-up phase.
  
• ·      Outgoing and positive attitude, interested in mentoring and inspiring co-workers to improve J Street.
  

 

COMPENSATION AND HOURS

 

This is a full-time position. Salary will be commensurate with senior staff salaries at Washington-based non-profits, depending on skills and experience.

 

Benefits include paid vacation and sick leave, paid time off on federal and Jewish holidays, health and dental insurance, company paid life insurance, 401k and flexible spending account.

 

To apply for the position, please send an email to res...@jstreet.org with “Director of Operations” in the subject line and resume and cover letter attached.

ORGANIZATION

J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans working for the future of Israel as the democratic homeland of the Jewish people. The organization believes that preserving Israel’s Jewish and democratic character depends on achieving a two- state solution, resulting in a Palestinian state living alongside Israel in peace and security.

 

Launched in 2008 with four staff and a limited budget, J Street is now an $8 million organization with a national staff of 60. J Street has an expansive network of supporters engaged in pro-Israel, pro-peace activism in their communities, promoting active US leadership to achieve a two-state solution.

 

J Street focuses its work on three main areas: (1) Lobbying and advocating for Middle East policy changes in Congress, the media, and the Jewish community; (2) Endorsing and raising money for federal candidates who share J Street’s agenda; and (3) Educating the public and raising awareness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the two-state solution.

 

The J Street family of organizations is comprised of J Street, JStreetPAC, and the J Street Education Fund. J Street is a 501(c)(4) organization and registered lobby that seeks to complement the work of existing organizations and individuals that share J Street’s agenda through lobbying and advocacy efforts. JStreetPAC is the largest pro-Israel, pro-peace Political Action Committee in the US and the first PAC formed to endorse and raise money for federal candidates who champion pro- Israel, pro-peace policies, including a two-state solution. In 2014, JStreetPAC distributed a record high of $2.4 million to 95 endorsed candidates, which led to 79 electoral victories.

 

The J Street Education Fund (JSEF), a legally independent 501(c)(3) organization that works to open up the conversation on Israel in the American Jewish community, educate Americans and elected officials about the urgent need for a two-state solution, and organize Americans in support of active US leadership to achieve this objective. JSEF’s operations include its national Field, J Street U, Rabbinic and educational programs.