Organizational Overview
Birthright Israel began with a bold idea in 1999 — to offer young Jewish adults a life-changing trip to Israel to build their Jewish identity and, by doing so, transform the Jewish future. Since its founding, Birthright Israel has evolved into an organization that provides a suite of experiential educational opportunities to Jewish young adults: the "Classic" Birthright Israel program, which has sent over 850,000 young adults to Israel; Birthright Israel Excel, which brings college-aged Jewish young adults to Israel for summer internships at elite corporations; Birthright Israel Onward, which provides the opportunity for thousands of participants to intern or participate in a fellowship; and the Birthright Israel Volunteer in Israel program.
On the cusp of its 25th year, the work that Birthright Israel does is more important than ever, especially in a post-October 7th world. The Jewish community in Israel and in the diaspora face numerous challenges and Birthright Israel seeks an Executive Director, United States who will rise to the occasion and help us meet those challenges head-on.
Position Summary
The Executive Director, United States for Birthright Israel North America, Inc. ("BRINA") — a US-based subsidiary of Birthright Israel International ("Taglit") — will develop, oversee, and help implement strategic relationships with US campuses, communities, and organizations all for the purposes of elevating Birthright Israel's national profile, expanding recruitment for and participation in the suite of Birthright Israel programming, and engaging alumni with ongoing opportunities to connect to Birthright Israel.
To be successful, the Executive Director must have a deep sociological understanding of who American Jewish young adults are today and where they are heading, in order to make positive differences in the lives of young Jewish adults.
Location
- New York, NY (On-Site)
Reports To
- International CEO, Taglit-Birthright Israel
Compensation
- $225,000-$260,000
- FLSA: Exempt
Key Responsibilities
- Support the VP of Birthright Israel North America in the implementation of all responsibilities and by serving as the number two BRINA executive, including participating as a member of Taglit's International Senior Management team.
- Engage with campuses, communities, and Jewish organizations such as Hillel, Chabad on Campus, JFNA, BBYO, Foundation for Jewish Camp, OneTable, Moishe House, and other major Jewish organizations.
- Establish alliances with organizations to provide Taglit with potential participants and alumni engagement possibilities.
- Form and maintain strategic partnerships with non-funding organizations.
- Serve as representative of Birthright Israel's educational programs and as Birthright Israel's brand ambassador at organizational convenings.
- Liaise with influencers as well as Jewish and Israel educators to assist Birthright Israel with maximizing the efficacy of its engagement efforts.
- Monitor trends and sentiments on campuses, in American media, and within the Jewish political sphere.
- Develop and maintain relationships with Jewish politicians and Israeli embassies/consulates.
- Work through the Birthright Israel Foundation ("BRIF") to steward foundations, Federations, donors, and funding partners on relevant topics, including:
- Providing updates on Birthright Israel programming.
- Preparing for and participating in Federation allocation meetings and presentations.
- Presentations to key stakeholders, donors, and BRIF staff.
- Providing BRIF with the necessary updates and materials to prepare grant proposals and updates.
- Work with Birthright Israel Beyond on alumni engagement to ensure that content is relevant to US audiences.
- Leverage our research and understanding of the young Jewish adult cohort to ultimately assist the entire Jewish community in complementary and forward-thinking planning.
Qualifications & Skills
- BA degree required.
- Related Master's degree preferred, although experience in Israel Education, Communal Service, and/or Marketing and Communications may be considered in lieu of an MA.
- 10+ years' work experience required.
- Working knowledge of Hebrew.
- In-depth experience of being on the ground/living in Israel, whether through extensive travel, educational experiences, or work.
- An understanding of the US Jewish community as well the Jewish communal landscape and its major stakeholders.
- An understanding of the dynamics of the US-Israeli relationship and the dynamics of the political landscape in Israel.
- Excellent oral and written communications skills, with the ability to effectively present information to major donors, foundation professionals, top management, and staff.
- Comfort with social media, CRM, generative AI, and online technologies.
- Outstanding people skills including the ability to engage and motivate others.
- Ability to work collaboratively within the context of a highly professional team.
- Positive, energetic, and creative.
- Excellent attention to detail, responsiveness, and creative problem-solving skills.
- Skilled at multi-tasking; able to organize, manage, prioritize, and execute responsibilities in the face of conflicting priorities and unexpected situations.
- Superior professional presentation and interpersonal skills.
- Passion for the mission of Birthright Israel.