Director of Frontline Engagement

The New Orleans Jewish Community Center; Los Gatos (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Jewish Silicon Valley seeks a strategic, relationship-driven leader to head community relations, public affairs, civic engagement, and antisemitism response efforts in partnership with the Chief Community Officer and CEO. The role focuses on building partnerships with K-12 districts, educators, and community organizations to support Jewish students and address bias.

Reporting to the Chief Community Officer, the candidate will coordinate with campus partners and local agencies to strengthen

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; public speaking experience.
• Proven track record of building cross-sector coalitions and navigating complex community dynamics.
• Familiarity with Jewish community ecosystem and public policy issues relating to antisemitism and educational inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Build relationships with local K-12 districts, administrators, and educators.
• Address antisemitism and bias in educational settings; support related educational initiatives.
• Align K-8 school engagement with Youth/Camp teams and support youth programming.
• Coordinate with Jewish Leadership Committees and educational partners on holidays and accommodations.
• Engage government officials and public agencies; support CEO/state/federal advocacy priorities.
• Support executive leadership and lay collaboration to drive community relations and public affairs.

Skills

Cross-sector coalition building

Public speaking

Stakeholder collaboration

Strategic advocacy

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Director of Frontline Engagement

Jewish Silicon Valley / Addison-Penzak JCC

14855 Oka Road

Suite 200

Los Gatos, CA 95032

Position: Director of Frontline Engagement

Department: Community Outreach

Classification: At-Will, Full time, Exempt, fully benefited position

Salary: $3,541.67-$4,166.67 PPP, estimated annual $85,000 - $100,000.00/year

About Jewish Silicon Valley:

Jewish Silicon Valley ("JSV") is a 501c3 domestic charitable non-profit arising from a merger between the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, LLC and the Addison-Penzak JCC. JSV's mission is to harness the power of community to improve lives, build bridges of understanding, and strengthen the Jewish people here, in Israel, and around the world. JSV's key focus areas are:

• Developing and executing programs that improve people's lives Jewishly, with an emphasis on Youth & Family Engagement, Jewish Life & Culture, Healthy Aging and Health & Wellness.
• Community building and leadership development, through partnerships with local Jewish and other community agencies to foster collaboration, empower community leaders, inspire the next generation, and build bridges of understanding.
• Philanthropy development to provide annual and long-term support for local Jewish organizations and Jewish communal needs locally, nationally, in Israel and around the world.

Jewish Silicon Valley welcomes people of every background and belief to participate in all our activities, and we work with Jewish organizations and other community partners throughout the Silicon Valley, creating opportunities for all of us to build relationships that transcend differences and foster a sense of unity. Through our advocacy work, and our many inclusive programs, Jewish Silicon Valley is helping to end antisemitism and bias in our community. Our vision is to ensure a vibrant Jewish community in Silicon Valley and promote the well-being of all people by providing visionary leadership, philanthropic support, and meaningful programs and experiences that are rooted in Jewish values and traditions.

Jewish Silicon Valley (JSV) seeks a strategic, relationship-driven professional to lead its community relations, public affairs, civic engagement, and antisemitism response efforts.

Serving as a key external representative of JSV, this professional will build and strengthen relationships with government officials, faith leaders, educational institutions, civic organizations, business leaders, and community stakeholders The role is responsible for helping JSV address antisemitism, strengthen community partnerships, engage lay leaders, and advance JSV's role as a trusted voice within the broader community, with a strong focus on the K-12 educational landscape.

Reporting directly to the Chief Community Officer while working closely with the CEO on state and federal priorities, this professional will act as a bridge builder--uniting community partners and educational leaders. The ideal candidate will combine a broad community relations skillset with specialized outreach to K-12 school districts, administrators, and families to address bias, support Jewish students, and foster proactive coalition building.

Primary Focus Areas & Key Responsibilities

1. K-12 School Engagement & Educational Advocacy (Primary Focus)

• School District & Educator Partnerships: Build and maintain strategic relationships with local K-12 school districts, superintendents, principals, educators, and school boards to serve as a trusted resource on issues affecting Jewish students and families.
• Antisemitism & Bias Prevention: Partner with educational leaders and Jewish communal partners to address incidents of antisemitism, bias, or misinformation in educational settings; support age-appropriate educational initiatives related to Jewish identity and antisemitism awareness.
• K-12 Youth Programming Alignment: Collaborate with JSV internal teams (e.g., Youth and Camp) to drive K-8 school engagement and educational initiatives.Work alongside local teens, high school Jewish clubs and youth groups; offering resources, supporting their efforts and promoting engagement with school districts and the wider community.
• Holiday & Cultural Education: Coordinate with local Jewish Leadership Committees (JLC) and educational partners to facilitate engagement around Jewish holidays and religious accommodations in schools.

2. Community Coalition Building & Partner Engagement

• Cross-Sector Collaboration: Serve as a frontline primary external representative bringing together diverse community partners--including faith-based, ethnic, civic, cultural, and business organizations.
• Inter-Agency Alignment: Act as the central point of contact to coordinate efforts with regional and national partner agencies such as JCRC, BACCA, BAJC, and ADL.
• Higher Education Bridges: Maintain baseline connections with local colleges and universities, engaging campus administrators and monitoring emerging campus issues as needed.

Secondary Focus Areas:

1. Civic Engagement, Government Relations & Executive Support

• Government Relations: Build and maintain productive relationships with local and state elected officials and public agencies.
• CEO & Executive Collaboration: Work closely with the CEO to support state- and federal-level advocacy efforts and public affairs priorities.
• Crisis Response & Incident Management: Coordinate organizational response protocols to incidents of antisemitism and related public concerns across the broader community in partnership with regional advocacy groups.

2. Lay Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership

• Lay Committee Facilitation: Partner with, empower, and guide organizational volunteers and lay leaders involved in public affairs, K-12 education, and community relations committees.
• Parent & Stakeholder Outreach: Engage parents, guardians, and community stakeholders to provide support and resources when navigating school-related challenges.

Core Competencies

• Coalition & Community Building: Outstanding capacity to convene diverse stakeholders, find common ground, and foster meaningful interfaith and multicultural partnerships.
• Educational Engagement & Advocacy: Understanding of K-12 institutional dynamics, school administration, and youth-centered advocacy.
• Strategic Public Affairs & Advocacy: Knowledge of local, state, and federal legislative and policy landscapes.
• Crisis Communication & Response: Ability to handle sensitive incidents of bias or community tension with discretion, composure, and sound judgment.
• Executive & Lay Collaboration: Skill in operating effectively across all levels of an organization, from senior leadership (CEO/CCO) to lay leaders and community volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications:

Desired Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in Education, Public Policy, Community Relations, Communications, Non-Profit Management, or a related field preferred.
• Experience: 3-5+ years of progressive experience in community relations, public affairs, K-12 education/administration, advocacy, or non-profit leadership.
• Skills:
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and group facilitation.
  • Demonstrated track record of building cross-sector coalitions and navigating complex community dynamics.
  • Familiarity with the Jewish community ecosystem, key partner organizations (ADL, JCRC, etc.), and public policy issues relating to antisemitism and educational inclusion.

Success Outcomes in Year 1

• K-12 Network Established: Map and build trusted contacts across key local K-12 school districts, administrators, and educational leaders.
• Coalition Mobilization: Formalize a regular cadence of communication and collaboration with regional partner organizations (JCRC, ADL, BACCA, BAJC) and diverse civic/faith partners.
• Response Protocol Refinement: Establish clear, proactive incident-management guidelines for addressing antisemitism and bias within K-12 environments.
• Executive Alignment: Successfully support the CEO's state and federal advocacy initiatives and establish a seamless working workflow with the CCO.
• Lay Leader Activation: Strengthen engagement with lay leaders and parent groups focused on education and community affairs.

Personal Attributes:

• Self-aware, critical thinker with attention to short/mid/long-term goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills, able to communicate and manage at all levels of the organization staff, volunteers & donors.
• Strong problem-solving skills with sound judgment. Make timely decisions based on accurate and relevant analyses.
• High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation.

Working Conditions/Physical requirements:

The working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to:

• Work in a Fitness Center/Community Center and typical business office environment.
• Ability to sit for long periods.
• Extensive Computer and some telephone work.
• Ability to lift/carry 25 lbs.

Typical Business hours Monday through Friday - after hours and weekend work from time to time.

*Work in the vicinity of children and older adults

While performing the duties of this job, the work environment can be noisy and you may be working in close proximity with others. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as phones, computers and printers.

This position is contingent upon the return of a clear LiveScan Background Check, verified positive employment reference, and proof of eligibility to work in the US without sponsorship.

Disclaimer: This job description indicates, in general terms, the type and level of work performed as well as the typical responsibilities of employees in this classification. The duties described are not to be interpreted as being all-inclusive to any specific employee. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of different positions and, when possible, to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job. Nothing in this position description changes the at-will employment relationship existing between JSV and its employees.

$95,000 - $105,000

Agency Information:

Amenities include fitness center, heated pool, children's pool, lighted tennis courts, full gymnasium, event auditorium and meeting rooms, athletic field, physical therapy clinic, free parking, acclaimed preschool for ages 18 months-5 years, day camp, recreation program for children with special needs, birthday parties, Center for Jewish Life & Learning, holiday celebrations, Judaica and Hebrew classes, enrichment classes on a variety of topics for all ages, sports programs for children and adults. Event rentals available.