Congregation Rodeph Shalom is pleased to work with DRG to conduct this search.
RS seeks a new Executive Director who will partner with clergy and congregational leadership to provide visionary guidance, exceptional management, and commitment to the community.
BACKGROUND
The Organization
Rodeph Shalom (RS) is a Reform congregation, founded in 1795, that serves as a vibrant hub for Jewish life in Philadelphia, fostering meaning, connection, and community. RS’ awe-inspiring sanctuary, built in 1928, stands as a testament to its enduring legacy. In recent years, a building addition has provided expanded social, office, and classroom areas and improved security and barrier-free accessibility. Today Rodeph Shalom is a vibrant congregation serving more than 1,070 member units, with the following vision:
Immersed in Jewish time,
Guided by enduring values,
Compelled to moral action,
We create profound connections.
Rabbi Jill Maderer, Rabbi Eli Freedman, and Cantor Bradley Hyman form a dynamic and collaborative clergy team. Together, they cultivate a welcoming environment that is safe, non- judgmental, and open to meaningful discussion. Each clergy member brings unique strengths, connecting with different constituencies. Through their guidance, congregants support one another in times of joy and sorrow, strengthening the bonds of community.
RS is a diverse, urban congregation, and its members come from a wide range of socio- economic backgrounds; a large percentage of families are interfaith; RS has a significant LGBTQ membership; some congregants live outside the city or in neighborhoods far from the synagogue. While this varied constituency has diverse needs, preferences, beliefs and opinions, it has made RS a much more vibrant, tolerant and justice-oriented congregation.
The RS community offers many opportunities for engagement, including the Buerger Early Learning Center, the dynamic religious school (Berkman Merkaz Limud), social justice initiatives, and many other programs.
For more information on Rodeph Shalom go to: https://rodephshalom.org/
The Position
The Executive Director reports to the Board President with a dotted line to the Senior Rabbi and is responsible for the overall management and day-to-day operations of the synagogue. In partnership with professional and lay leadership, the ED addresses the Synagogue’s operational needs, financial management, philanthropic goals, and strategy design and implementation. The ED manages a strong team of 8 people that support this work.
ROLE OVERVIEW
Organizational Leadership
- Foster a culture of teamwork, respect, and compassion for members, employees and volunteers.
- Assess the organizational structure and cultivate a collaborative culture
- Operationalize the organizational vision and strategies
- Represent the Synagogue externally
- Innovate to optimize resources
- Manage Human Resources-related functions including hiring, compensation, evaluation, training, and development
- Supervise IT infrastructure
- Design and implement administrative business systems and processes
- Enforce employment and office policies and procedures
- Create the conditions to enable positive organizational change
Financial Management
- Partner with the board president and treasurer to ensure the financial health and sustainability of the synagogue, which has a $3.6 million annual budget
- Prepare and maintain the annual budget and associated financial reports, in concert with the finance staff and committee
- Assure compliance with tax and regulatory requirements
- Provide regular reports to the finance committee and board of trustees
- Negotiate and approve contracts with outside vendors, contractors, consultants, and other service providers
- Monitor investments and the relationship with asset manager
- Oversee senior accounting/finance manager
Development Planning & Implementation
- Help foster philanthropic participation. Ensure appropriate donor cultivation, stewardship, and recognition
- Hire and oversee philanthropy manager
- Establish relationships with existing and potential donors, engaging the next generation of donors
Facilities Stewardship
- Oversee director of operations to ensure the maintenance, cleanliness, preparedness, security, and safety of physical facilities
- Make recommendations to the board regarding physical improvements and repairs
- Maintain master calendar
- Protect equipment and physical assets
- Engage in major synagogue events
Community Engagement & Communications
- Support membership manager in creating plans to foster and support membership and congregational programs
- Develop capacity for communicating effectively with the congregation
- Collaborate with marketing and communications manager, clergy and lay leaders to create public communication and maintain social media presence
- Promote positive image of the synagogue among staff, congregants, and the community
- Interact and develop rapport with members of the congregation
- Work with the board to develop the next generations of lay leaders
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
About You
- You are a community-focused leader with strong business acumen
- You demonstrate strong leadership through empathy and emotional intelligence, fostering meaningful connections and a supportive environment
- You are approachable and want to develop relationships with staff, congregants, and the community surrounding Rodeph Shalom
- You effectively communicate and facilitate difficult conversations
- You have experience managing organizations including operations, finance, fundraising, facilities, HR, and staff culture
- You are team minded and work to maximize each staff person in their role
- You are organized and prioritize many responsibilities while effectively managing your team, delegating as needed
- You can directly and respectfully communicate difficult decisions
- You believe in social justice and want to work somewhere that embodies this value
- You have a deep passion for the Jewish people and Jewish values
- You are mission-driven and understand the important role of the synagogue in 21st century Judaism
Additional Qualifications
- Five years minimum of formal staff management experience and demonstrated ability to set clear priorities, delegate, and supervise direct reports
- History of creating effective working relationships with diverse internal and external colleagues
- Demonstrated financial acumen, analytic and problem-solving skills
- Sound professional judgment, decision-making capability with a reasoned approach to problem solving, objectivity, tact, humility, and flexibility in attitude and openness to differing points of view.
- Familiarity with Reform Judaism preferred
WHO WE ARE
EID Task Force Mission
The Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Task Force, mindful that its initials, EID, form the Hebrew word “witness”, shall inspire the Rodeph Shalom community to act with loving accountability toward each other, by treating every person –clergy, staff, congregants, guests and neighbors—with honor, respect and dignity.
Pursuing a Jewish future that is multiracial and multicultural, and ensuring Jewish renewal and regeneration, we are Jews of color, interfaith families, individuals seeking Judaism, persons on the margins of Jewish life, and every race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, income level, physical, mentor or developmental ability and family structure.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Salary: $160,000-$180,000
The benefits package is robust and includes insurance, retirement plan, paid time-off, professional development, and more.
TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS
All applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application.
We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply even if you do not meet all the qualifications outlined above. We recognize that no one excels in every area, we value individuals who bring expertise in key areas and demonstrate a willingness to grow and develop in others. If you are selected to move forward for an initial screening call, we expect you to hear from us by the end of March.
