POSITION TITLE: Community Engagement Manager

DEPARTMENT: Impact

REPORTS TO: Senior Director, Community Engagement

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Community Engagement Manager is responsible for creating meaningful pathways that connect individuals to Jewish life and to JewishColumbus. This role focuses on identifying, engaging, and building lasting relationships with people who are new or newly connected to the Jewish community, whether they are young adults, young families, newcomers to Columbus, or individuals exploring Jewish life at different stages of their journey.

Working closely with community partners, synagogues, agencies, and volunteer leaders, the Community Engagement Manager develops and implements innovative engagement strategies that foster authentic relationships, strengthen community belonging, cultivate leadership, and inspire philanthropy.

As the Jewish community continues to grow and evolve, this individual will identify emerging trends, build strategic partnerships, and design engagement experiences that move individuals from initial connection to sustained participation, volunteer leadership, and long-term investment in JewishColumbus and the broader Jewish community. Young adult engagement will be a significant area of focus, while remaining part of a broader community-wide engagement strategy that serves people across multiple ages and stages of life.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Strategic Leadership

• Implement the JewishColumbus' community engagement strategy, with a significant focus on individuals who are new or newly engaged with Jewish life and JewishColumbus.

• Design, implement, and scale innovative engagement pathways that inspire connection, leadership, and philanthropy.

• Serve as an internal and external thought leader on trends impacting young adult engagement and Jewish identity.

• Monitor demographic, social, and engagement trends that influence how people connect with the Jewish community across different ages and stages of life.

• Establish clear goals, metrics, and evaluation frameworks to measure impact, growth, and organizational impact.

Community Engagement & Relationship Building

• Cultivate authentic relationships with individuals who are new or newly connected to Jewish life, helping them discover meaningful ways to engage with the Columbus Jewish community.

• Identify, recruit, and engage individuals who are not yet meaningfully connected to the organized Jewish community, with a particular focus on emerging adults and other key growth populations.

• Create high-impact engagement experiences and meaningful touchpoints that resonate across life stages and interests.

• Strengthen strategic partnerships with community organizations, agencies, synagogues, and affinity networks to expand reach, collaboration, and community impact.

Lay Engagement

• Serve as the primary staff partner to committees and lay leaders supporting community engagement initiatives, strengthening their effectiveness and impact.

• Cultivate a diverse pipeline of emerging lay leaders that reflects and strengthens the future of the Columbus Jewish community.

Philanthropy

• Develop and execute strategies that integrate engagement and philanthropy, fostering a culture of generosity among newly engaged community members and future community leaders.

• Manage and grow a portfolio of donors and high-potential prospects through effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.

• Build a pipeline of future community leaders and major donors by guiding individuals from initial engagement to meaningful philanthropic participation.

• Partner with development and impact colleagues to align outreach, monitor progress, and convert engagement into measurable fundraising outcomes.

• Establish and achieve fundraising goals, including donor acquisition, retention, upgrades, and total dollars raised.

• Embed philanthropy throughout programs and engagement experiences, consistently reinforcing the impact of giving.

• Leverage data and insights to identify trends, prioritize opportunities, and refine strategies that increase engagement, participation, and giving.

Program Innovation & Execution

• Oversee the development and delivery of innovative, high-impact engagement programs and experiences that advance organizational priorities.

• Apply a co-creation approach by partnering with participants and community members to co-create engagement experiences that reflect evolving interests, needs, and life stages.

• Ensure programs and engagement initiatives align with strategic priorities and deliver measurable outcomes.

• Demonstrated ability to use digital platforms, social media, and engagement data to inform strategy, optimize outreach, and enhance community participation.

• Continuously evaluate and refine offerings based on participant feedback and emerging trends.

COMPETENCIES + SKILLS + EXPERIENCE

REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.

• >8 years of progressively responsible experience in community engagement, development, or a related field, including experience leading strategic initiatives, partnerships, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Proven ability to build relationships, inspire action, and influence across stakeholders. • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Skilled at working with volunteer leadership and boards.

• Highly organized, adaptable, and self-directed, with the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining strong attention to detail and follow-through.

• Demonstrated success designing engagement strategies that build authentic relationships, strengthen community, and increase participation across diverse audiences.

• Experience translating strategic plans into measurable initiatives and organizational results.

• Strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial, growth-oriented mindset and a track record of identifying and pursuing new opportunities for engagement and impact.

• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain meaningful relationships through authenticity, emotional intelligence, and effective interpersonal communication.

• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, with the ability to effectively create, analyze, and present information.

PREFERRED

• Strong understanding of the Jewish community, Jewish culture, and emerging trends in Jewish engagement.

• Experience in philanthropy, fundraising, or donor engagement strongly preferred.

• Technology-curious with the ability to independently learn and effectively utilize a variety of software platforms, including CRM, email marketing, event management, and design tools.

WORK ENVIRONMENT + SCHEDULE

• Hybrid work environment, with on-site presence required Tuesday through Thursday.

• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed to support organizational events and address time-sensitive priorities or issues requiring team involvement and responsiveness.

• Some travel may be necessary for venue site visits, meetings, or special programs and professional development.