Assistant Director for Leadership Development and Engagement

The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

22 days of paid time off

11 sick days

up to 21 paid holidays

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Job summary

The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago is seeking a mission-driven leader to manage leadership development programs and donor engagement. You will coordinate events, engage volunteers, and support a broad leadership pipeline across the Chicago Jewish community.

Responsibilities include logistical planning, stakeholder collaboration, and alignment with organizational goals. A strong background in events, fundraising, and relationship management is essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in event planning, program management, and/or fundraising.
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Manage leadership development programs and related events end-to-end.
• Provide logistical, operational, and relationship support for leaders institute activities.
• Coordinate with internal/external stakeholders to ensure impactful programs aligned with goals.
• Support JUF participation in national leadership events and conferences.
• Help maintain leadership pipeline tracking and donor engagement strategies.

Skills

Event planning

Program management

Relationship-building

Interpersonal skills

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

Are you looking for a mission-driven non-profit where your skills can help people in need around the world? At the Jewish United Fund (JUF), we take pride in our mission and in having a work culture that fosters a sense of belonging and feels rewarding, supportive, and inclusive. We have a hybrid schedule and offer generous benefits including a 401(k) match, 22 days of paid time off, 11 sick days, and up to 21 paid holidays. The salary range for this role is $70,000-$78,000.

What you’ll be responsible for:

Working closely with the Associate Vice President of Leadership Development & Engagement, you will help advance JUF's work identifying, developing, and engaging emerging and established volunteer leaders throughout the Chicago Jewish community. Through programming, relationship management, and leadership pipeline tracking, you will connect participants with meaningful opportunities within JUF and the broader Jewish community. This role plays an important part in developing future leaders by helping participants deepen their engagement and take on greater volunteer leadership and philanthropic involvement.

What you’ll be doing:

• Manage and Support Leadership Development Programs
  • Support planning, execution, and ongoing management of core leadership development programs, including but not limited to: JFNA National Young Leadership Cabinet, JUF’s Davis, Gidwitz & Glasser Young Leadership Award, and additional leadership cohorts, initiatives, trainings, and engagement opportunities as assigned.
  • Provide logistical, operational, and relationship-management support for Jewish Leaders Institute (JLI), including participant engagement, communications, recruitment support, and program coordination.
  • Partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure leadership programs are impactful, well-executed, and aligned with organizational goals.
  • Support JUF participation in Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) General Assembly, including logistics, recruitment, and participant experience.
• Manage Leadership Pipeline
  • Support and maintain leadership pipeline tracking and succession planning systems.
  • Assist in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding prospective volunteer leaders.
  • Design and implement strategies to deepen engagement of leadership development program alumni into volunteer leadership opportunities.
  • Assist in developing and implementing leadership training and educational opportunities for volunteer leaders.
• Cultivate Strategic Relationships
  • Manage a portfolio of donors, integrating leadership development opportunities with philanthropic engagement.
  • Work closely with supervisor to advance departmental goals and leadership development strategies.
  • Partner with colleagues across Campaign, Leadership Engagement, Governance, and agency systems to strengthen leadership identification, cultivation, and engagement efforts.
  • Serve as a collaborative resource for leadership development initiatives across the organization, helping ensure a coordinated and seamless volunteer experience.
  • Support Annual Campaign priorities and participate in Campaign-related activities throughout the year, contributing to fundraising and engagement goals.

What you need to succeed:

• 5+ years of experience in event planning, program management, and/or fundraising. Must have strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage stakeholders of all ages.
• Exceptional organizational and project management abilities with attention to detail and follow-through.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, sound judgement, and politically savvy when navigating complex stakeholder relationships.
• A collaborative mindset, strong emotional intelligence, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for leadership development, volunteer engagement, and strengthening the Jewish community.
• Familiarity with the Chicago philanthropic landscape is a plus.
• Proficient in all Microsoft Office Suite of Products; Salesforce experience preferred.
• Experience in data analysis, reporting, and key performance indicator measurement preferred.
• Knowledge of Jewish community, culture, and communal service strongly preferred.
• Ability to travel locally to meet with agency and volunteer leadership.

What you’ll love about us:

At JUF, you can be part of one of the largest non-profit social welfare institutions in Illinois. We provide food, refuge, healthcare, education, emergency assistance, and essential services to 500,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and millions of Jews around the world. We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) with base contribution and match, additional health and wellness benefits, financial benefits, professional training, tuition reimbursement, paid family leave, and much more.

Our Hybrid Schedule:

We have a hybrid work policy to allow staff the flexibility to work from home / remotely on Mondays and Fridays. Tuesdays-Thursdays, the standard work location is 30 South Wells Street in Chicago, and staff are expected to work in person. We have a 36.5 hour work week, not a 40 hour work week. Our work hours are 8:30am-5pm Monday-Thursday and 8:30am-4pm Friday with a daily 1 hour lunch break.