Sr. Associate, Governance & Leadership

Join us in shaping the future of Jewish life in Greater Washington. As our Governance & Leadership Senior Associate, you’ll play a vital role in cultivating strong, engaged leaders, stewarding our Board of Directors and community governance, and building the connections that sustain a vibrant, caring, and dynamic Jewish community.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington envisions an open, connected, and vibrant Jewish community that cares for each other, fosters Jewish learning and journeys, embraces Jewish peoplehood and Israel, and acts as a force for good in the world. As a mission-driven non-profit organization, we work to inspire, build, and sustain vibrant Jewish life in a changing world by mobilizing our community in common purpose, intentional innovation, and effective action.

A core pillar of our strategic plan is to serve as a center for community leadership and action—cultivating strong lay and professional leaders with a shared vision and commitment to community responsibility. Central to this effort are Federation’s Board of Directors, Community Leadership Council (CLC), and other governance structures. The Senior Associate, Governance & Leadership, plays a vital role in advancing this work.

Position Overview:

The Governance & Leadership Senior Associate initially reports to the Senior Director of Leadership & Learning (JLL) and collaborates closely with senior executives, the Director of Convening,
lay leaders, and cross-departmental staff to project manage Federation governance structures, including the Board of Directors, Community Leadership Council (CLC), Nominations Committee, and other leadership processes.

The ideal candidate is highly collaborative while independently driving multiple processes, detail-oriented, and tech-savvy, with strong judgment, communication, and project management skills, and thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Primary Responsibilities:

Board Management, Documentation, and Liaison

• Provide a bridge for smooth communication and collaboration within and between the President/CEO/Chief of Staff (COS)’s office and internal departments, maintaining credibility, trust, and support while operating independently and communicate on behalf of the President and CEO with Board members
  

• Partner with Executive team members and their departments to prepare briefings and materials for Board and CLC meetings and serve as a liaison between the Board, CLC, and Federation professional staff

• Independently manage workflows and projects, delegating where appropriate, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with organizational goals.

• Create and maintain an efficient, organized and accessible documentation system, and ensure the integrity of all Board documents. Act as custodian of records and ensure that the records of the Board are maintained and filed as required by law and made available when required by authorized persons. These records include founding documents, (e.g., by-laws, articles of incorporation), lists of directors, Board and CLC meeting minutes, financial reports, and other official records.

• Support change management processes; guiding internal and external stakeholders through transitions, fostering trust, and ensuring clear, effective communication.

• Stay up-to-date on current trends and best practices in board governance to provide recommendations when appropriate.

• Maintain highest levels of discretion and confidentiality in relationships with all Board members and in handling sensitive and confidential information.

Meeting Coordination

• Create and maintain the complex governance calendar and book of business and provide executive level support by planning and coordinating meetings, conferences, teleconferences, and assist in carrying out its activities.

• Oversee meeting logistics, including agendas, announcements, briefing materials, meeting minutes, and follow-up items.

• Track attendance, quorum, action items, and decisions, and proactively follow up to ensure timely delivery of information.

Leadership Development

• Work with VP of Leadership & Volunteer Development, Sr. Director of JLL, Director of Convening, and other key lay leaders to identify annual leadership priorities and goals, and implement initiatives aimed at cultivating a culture of belonging within the Board and on committees.

• Manage the Nominations Committee to
  identify prospects, conducting leadership conversations, and ultimately building a robust and diverse pipeline of volunteer leaders.

• Update and maintain the Board Manual and coordinate orientation for new board members, as well as ongoing education for all board members in understanding their roles and responsibilities.

• Develop metrics and evaluation systems to monitor participation at Board meetings and impact of engagement initiatives.

• Create, manage, and analyze the Demographic and Network Mapping Survey at the beginning of the year to identify members’ skills, areas of expertise, and interests, as well as the End-of-the-Year Board Survey to find opportunities for improvement.

Other Responsibilities

• Undertake other duties and special projects, as assigned and depending on interests and skills.

• Manage registration to events/programs including working on registration page, donor database integration, marketing needs, forms, and other support materials.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree. Minimum three (3) years’ experience of professional administrative experience. Prior non-profit, executive, governance, and volunteer operations experience preferred. Experience with meeting coordination, preparing agendas, meeting packages, and tracking policies and procedures is required. Understands the principles of good governance and can communicate them clearly.

Technical: High proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Zoom and Teams is required. Proficiency Adobe Acrobat and CRM databases is preferred. Strong technical problem-solving skills with standard computer network issues required. Comfortable with and open to learning new technology. Experience with data collection practices and a strong ability to translate data into actionable insights.

Organization skills: Able to support extremely busy, highly professional individuals in a fast-paced environment. Takes initiative by anticipating and prioritizing needs based on importance and urgency, stays focused, and meets tight deadlines. Ability to work independently on projects, from conception to completion, exhibit sound judgment, and must be able to work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities. Able to perform secretarial and administrative duties with deliberate speed and accuracy and without immediate and constant supervision.

Communication and stakeholder relations skills: Strong communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills. Excellent follow-up and problem-solving skills with ability to make intuitive decisions. Experience in internal and external communications; solid organizational and interpersonal skills. Able to exercise diplomacy, tact, discretion, and good judgment in recognizing scope of authority and in protecting confidential information. Is an advocate of open, honest, and consistent communication.

Writing skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with attention to proper grammar and spelling. Strong written communication skills and ability to draft correspondence and other documentation. Previous meeting minute taking is highly desirable.

Jewish Connection: Strong personal interest in, commitment to, and passion for the Federation’s mission and vision. Understanding of the Jewish community organizational ecosystem, and familiarity of Jewish customs and practices preferred but not required.

Organizational Culture and Values

The Sr. Associate, Governance and Leadership will join a team committed to leading with purpose, listening and responding with care, and fostering a culture of learning and collaboration. We value inclusion, transparency, and trust — and seek a colleague who brings curiosity, humility, and a deep respect for diverse perspectives.

A People-Friendly Workplace

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is a dynamic and collaborative workplace offering a people-friendly environment, including:

• Excellent health care and retirement benefits
  

• Generous Vacation and Sick leave
  

• 6 weeks paid Parental Leave after 1 year
  

• Commuter bonus
  

• Hybrid work schedule
  

• Opportunities for continued professional development
  

• Access to the JPRO Network, which connects, educates, inspires, and empowers professionals working in the Jewish nonprofit sector