Director, Strategic Engagement

NCJW; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25+ paid Federal and Jewish Holidays

Health insurance

Dental

Vision

Disability insurance

Retirement with employer match

Professional development

Transit benefits

Paid vacation time

Job summary

NCJW is seeking a Director of Strategic Engagement in Washington, DC to lead the Engagement and Leadership department and manage day-to-day operations. The role ensures the ladder of engagement advances individuals from awareness to advocacy, leadership, and philanthropy across NCJW Forward.

The position collaborates with Government Relations, Communications, Development, regional directors, and events teams to integrate engagement opportunities into campaigns and flagship programs, driving

Qualifications

• 10+ years in nonprofit leadership or advocacy.
• Experience designing scalable engagement strategies.
• Proven ability to supervise staff and build teams.
• Experience partnering across departments.
• Strong written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Serve as operational lead for Engagement and Leadership.
• Supervise staff and foster high-performing culture.
• Translate strategy into work plans with clear milestones.
• Align activities with NCJW Forward strategic goals.
• Develop systems for cross-team coordination.

Skills

Nonprofit leadership

Strategic engagement

Team management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder communications

Advocacy program design

Job description

NCJW is a 133-year-old Jewish feminist civil rights organization working for equity and justice for women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. With 250,000 grassroots advocates and 45 local sections, we combine education, direct service, and advocacy to create lasting social change.

We approach our work through a Jewish, gender, economic, and racial justice lens, centering those most impacted. Our partnerships across civil rights, faith-based, and governmental spaces reflect our intersectional values.

NCJW is at a transformational moment, guided by a bold new strategic plan. Our audacious goal: engage one million changemakers nationwide to improve the lives of women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. To reach that goal, NCJW is making important adjustments to its structure, strategy, and staffing. This role is a part of that vision.

Position Summary

The Director of Strategic Engagement serves as the second-in-command to the Vice President of Engagement and Leadership and is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management of the department. This role oversees the implementation of NCJW's engagement strategy, developing and managing a comprehensive ladder of engagement that moves individuals from their first interaction with NCJW — whether through a website visit, event, or advocacy action — to sustained participation as advocates, volunteers, leaders, and donors. Working across the organization with Government Relations and Advocacy, Regional Directors, Communications, Development, and other teams, the Director ensures long term engagement opportunities are integrated into flagship programs, campaigns, and events, creating clear pathways that advance NCJW's strategic goal of mobilizing one million changemakers. The Director also manages departmental operations, supervises staff, and fosters strong cross-functional collaboration to ensure the Engagement and Leadership team delivers measurable growth in participation and leadership across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Department Leadership and Operations

• Serve as the operational lead and managing director for the Engagement and Leadership department, ensuring effective day-to-day management of programs, staff, and priorities.
• Supervise and support departmental staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
• Translate departmental and organizational strategy into clear work plans, timelines, and measurable goals.
• Ensure alignment between departmental and intra-departmental activities and the goals of NCJW Forward, the organization’s strategic plan.
• Develop systems and processes that support efficient program implementation and cross-team coordination.

Outreach, Engagement, and the One Million Changemakers Strategy

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of NCJW's national engagement ladder, creating clear pathways that move individuals from initial awareness to sustained advocacy, leadership, volunteerism, and philanthropy.
• Develop and execute strategies to expand NCJW's reach and mobilize one million changemakers in support of the organization's mission.
• Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with mission-aligned organizations, coalitions, and community leaders to expand NCJW's reach, increase engagement, and connect new audiences to the organization's work.
• Work with Communications to integrate engagement opportunities across digital platforms, social media, email, and other outreach channels to grow and deepen NCJW's community.
• Collaborate with Government Relations and Advocacy, Regional Directors, Communications, and the Senior Director of Events and Programs to ensure engagement opportunities are embedded throughout advocacy campaigns, webinars, flagship events, immersive experiences, and other organizational initiatives.
• Create systems, tools, and best practices that enable staff and volunteers across the organization to effectively recruit, engage, and retain participants.

Leadership Development

• Collaborate with the Director of Leadership Development to create seamless pathways that move advocates into leadership roles through the Center for Leadership and other organizational programs.
• Ensure engagement and leadership development strategies are integrated, creating opportunities for participants to deepen their involvement over time.
• Support the development and expansion of programs that cultivate the next generation of NCJW leaders.

Cross-Organizational Collaboration

• Partner with department leaders to ensure engagement strategies support organizational priorities and the successful implementation of NCJW Forward.
• Develop cross-functional work plans, MOUs, and processes that strengthen collaboration and accountability across departments.
• Ensure national initiatives translate into meaningful, accessible engagement opportunities for advocates, volunteers, and leaders across the country.

Measurement and Impact

• Determine goals and objectives, and develop and track metrics to measure engagement growth, leadership development, and progress toward the 1 million changemakers goal.
• Use data and feedback to continually refine engagement strategies and improve participant experiences.
• Define, implement, and continuously refine an organization-wide engagement framework, establishing clear definitions, metrics, and benchmarks for what meaningful engagement with NCJW looks like across programs, advocacy, philanthropy, and community participation.

Key Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in nonprofit management, community organizing, advocacy, volunteer engagement, or movement-building.
• Demonstrated success designing and scaling engagement strategies that grow participation and deepen supporter involvement.
• Proven experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience building cross-functional partnerships and leading complex organizational initiatives.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to translate strategy into clear plans, systems, and measurable outcomes.
• Experience using data to evaluate performance and continuously improve engagement strategies.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and receptivity to feedback.
• Sound judgment, high emotional intelligence, and a collaborative leadership style.
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and NCJW's mission.
• Ability and willingness to travel.

Salary and Benefits

Salary range: $95,000 – $150,000 — commensurate with experience.

Paid Federal and Jewish Holidays.

NCJW offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package, including 25+ paid Federal and Jewish Holidays each year, plus paid vacation time, sick time, and extensive paid leave. In addition, NCJW offers a retirement savings account with employer match, health insurance, dental, vision, disability insurance, professional development, life insurance, flexible spending account, transit benefits, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At National Council of Jewish Women, we are committed to creating a culture of inclusion and accountability. We honor the wisdom, insights, perspectives, and experiences of diverse viewpoints, and recognize that many critical voices have been underrepresented in Jewish organizational life and nonprofit organizations as a whole for too long. We welcome applications from people of diverse religious, spiritual, and cultural backgrounds. We are an equal opportunity employer and recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate, and administer all personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, culture, age, creed, disability, ancestry, medical condition, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship status, or any other protected status.