Vice President, Jewish Engagement & Education

Vice President, Jewish Engagement & Education

About UJA Federation of Greater Toronto

At UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, our vision is to lead the most vibrant Jewish community in North America - a community characterized by its diversity, unity, compassion, generosity and commitment to Jewish values. Together with our philanthropic, volunteer and professional leadership, we’re changing lives and informing community.

As one of North America’s leading Jewish non-profits, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto works to preserve and strengthen the quality of Jewish life in Greater Toronto, Canada, Israel and around the world. UJA advances this mission through fundraising, research, strategic philanthropic investments, and community capacity building focused on our strategic pillars: growing Jewish education and identity fighting poverty and improving well-being, countering antisemitism and hate, and strengthening connections with Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.

About the Opportunity

The Community Capacity Building (CCB) team’s mission is to ensure the vibrancy and vitality of the Toronto Jewish community by strengthening the essential infrastructure necessary for our community, addressing the most pressing challenges of the day, and looking forward to ensure the community is prepared for future challenges.  The Jewish Engagement & Education team leads UJA’s planning, strategy development and granting opportunities in the areas of Jewish engagement and education, caring for the vulnerable and making Jewish life affordable.

The VP, Jewish Engagement & Education is responsible for creating and actualizing UJA’s strategy to support the Jewish community today and into the future.  Focus will be on strengthening the Jewish identity of Toronto’s Jewish community through the strategies deployed by the Engagement and Education department.  Our objective is to reach the greatest number of Toronto Jews with meaningful and impactful Jewish experiences and empower them to lead a Jewish life and lead our community into the future. 

The VP’s work is underpinned by an evidence-based approach, partnerships with a wide range of local, national and international organizations, and deep relationships with philanthropic partners.  Drawing on deep experience in leading, navigating complex environments with multiple stakeholders and change management, the VP, Jewish Engagement and Education will partner with an internal professional team, UJA lay leaders, and educational program providers to develop strategies and reach our goals in the field of Jewish engagement. The VP may participate in several lay committees such as the Jewish Engagement Committee and will support team members in leading lay working groups relevant to their portfolios. While not directly responsible for fundraising, the VP will work closely with the Integrated Development department in stewarding and cultivating donors.

Current projects emanating from the Jewish Engagement department include:

• Strengthening fields including Jewish summer camping, Jewish day schools, teen engagement, early childhood education, and part time Jewish education
• JCC Program Grants
• Hillel Ontario
• Arts Agency Grants
• March Break Experiences

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Planning & Organization

• Use an evidence-based approach to develop the strategy to strengthen the Jewish engagement and education system in Toronto taking into consideration the evolving needs of the current and future Toronto Jewish community
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure engagement and commitment to the strategic plan for the education and engagement department that clearly defines the key objectives the department is seeking to achieve
• Define the metrics that will be used to measure success in achieving departmental goals, with clear KPI’s that align to overall objectives; support individual business units within the department to do the same

Data, Intelligence & Analytics

• Utilize analytics and insights to identify and determine areas in which interventions may be needed to address the most pressing challenges facing the Jewish community
• Oversee the gathering and analysis of information which informs departmental decisions

Budgets & Approvals

• Plan, direct, control, implement, evaluate, monitor, and forecast the annual budget for the department, including managing decision rights and approvals relating to expenditures
• Review monthly financial reports and quarterly financial statements with Finance using key metrics such as year-to-date expense, operating variance to budget, return on investment, etc. to identify trends in financial performance and make necessary adjustments to align with financial and departmental objectives

Relationship Management

• Build strong relationship between UJA’s engagement and education team and other departments

• Collaborate with the Integrated Development Department and others on stewarding and cultivating donors

People Management

• Manage, motivate, develop and a team of professional to deliver impactful results; champion a flexible, agile and inclusive work environment, prioritizing health and well-being of team

Qualifications:

• Post-secondary degree in education, business, non-profit management or related field, or equivalent experience; graduate degree preferred
• Experience in the field of Jewish education and engagement.
• 10+ years’ relevant work experience
• Previous experience managing and developing talent; passionate about helping people learn and grow
• High degree of integrity and dedication to fostering a positive work culture
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to quickly build rapport with colleagues and stakeholders, donors, lay leadership, community, etc., including comfort in cultivation and stewardship of prospective funders
• Proactive with excellent organizational, prioritizing and time-management skills
• Experience in stakeholder and change management
• Experience in evidence-based strategy development
• A self-starter able to leverage his/her knowledge, skill and experience to manage complex change from start to finish
• Ability to manage complex projects and budgets, working collaboratively with staff as well as with multiple stakeholders to deliver results
• Sound analytical thinking, planning, prioritization, and execution skills
• Able to identify key issues; creatively and strategically overcome internal challenges or obstacles
• Effective delegation skills, with a strong focus on operations and business processes
• PMP or other project management qualification considered an asset; strong project reporting skills, with a focus on interdepartmental communication
• Experience with budget management and operations management
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making and analytical capabilities with excellent attention to detail
• Enthusiasm, creativity, innovation and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Maintain a high degree of discretion and confidentiality
• Strong awareness of the Jewish community, its demographics and organizational structure

• This is a full-time permanent position. At UJA we support a flexible work schedule and all of our employees engage in hybrid work. Engagement and connection are key to supporting the best employee experience and we want to ensure that this puts balance and well-being at the forefront of our approach to ways of working. In addition to a rich time off policy, UJA’s offices are closed on all Jewish holy days (yom tov) and we support early office closures to observe the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat). 

We look forward to connecting with you to understanding what you can bring to the UJA team and how we can support your career goals. Qualified applicants are invited to submit a cover letter and resume. Only those applicants invited for interview will be contacted.

Commitment to Inclusion and Accessibility:

UJA Federation supports a diverse candidate and employment experience. We are proud of our dynamic professional team, which reflects the diversity of the Jewish community and general community alike in Greater Toronto. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all communities. We encourage you to follow us to get regular updates on open roles. We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace and believe this is essential to ensure that every member of our team can thrive.

We adhere to barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs.