Organizational Overview: Since its founding in 1880, the St Louis Jewish Community Center (The J) has been an integral part of the St. Louis community. From its early days as the YMHA downtown the J has grown into a multi-service, multi-site, and multi-generational gathering place for the St. Louis Jewish community and the community at large, welcoming people of all backgrounds and faiths, delivering best in class services and programming across five core areas: Early Childhood Education, Day and Resident Camp, Culture & Education, Group Social Services (including senior nutrition and inclusion programs) and Fitness & Wellness. The J’s mission is to enrich lives, build community, promote inclusivity, and create meaningful Jewish experiences.

Today’s J encompasses three thriving campuses – the Staenberg Family Complex, the Marilyn Fox Building and Camp Sabra at the Lake of the Ozarks —serving approximately 12,000 members and reaching an estimated 15,000 Jewish household. Welcoming people from 6 weeks to over 100, the J takes pride in its ability to evolve to meet the changing needs of members, the Jewish community, and the entire St. Louis region. Many of the J’s signature cultural arts offerings are well known including the award-winning New Jewish Theater and the nationally-recognized St. Louis Jewish Book Festival.

The J’s annual operating budget is approximately $24 million, it has a $16 million endowment and approximately 160 full-time staff and over 1000 part-time and seasonal staff. For more information on The J visit: https://jccstl.com/.

THE OPPORTUNITY: The President & CEO position is an incredible opportunity for a strategic, entrepreneurial, and collaborative leader able to galvanize and inspire professionals and other staff, members and guests, and the greater community. The President & CEO will lead a large and complex multi-service and multi-site operation while focusing on external-facing activities, strategy, and leadership around internal culture. Working closely with the J’s staff and board of directors, they will have the opportunity to lead the organization in refining and implementing its strategic plan. Successful candidates should have experience and a track record in driving success, strategy, fundraising, and community relations. A commitment to excellence, strong communication skills, business, and financial acumen, and a nuanced understanding of Jewish community and communal engagement are highly valued.

President & CEO Priorities:

• Assess, refine, and implement on a successful vision for the next chapter of the J
• Inspire, model, and implement best practices in leadership and management to advance the J’s organizational culture and work to create a more cohesive and unified institution
• Engage philanthropic donors and grow and diversify revenue streams at the J
• Maintain excellence in the J’s operations, programs, and services, and enable a unified institutional approach to the work
• Serve as an engaged, well-respected, and influential leader in the greater St. Louis Community, Jewish Community, and beyond
• Continue to ensure best board governance practices at the J

Responsibilities:

Executive Leadership & Management:

• Lead and direct the Executive Management Team and partner with them to ensure operational, programmatic, cultural/social, and fiscal health
• Review and refresh the 2020 Strategic Plan and update and articulate a strategic vision for 2024 and beyond, in partnership with the board, key stakeholders and professional staff
• Ensure that administration and operations are aligned and supported to meet needs and expectations of the various components of the organization
• Regularly assess the management and status of the budget, financial resources, fiscal procedures, and P & L; participate, in partnership with finance staff and the board finance committee, in expected and consistent financial reports
• Expand the practice of evaluation including the use metrics and data-analysis to identify and prioritize strengths and ensure the greatest impact in the delivery of programs and services
• Cultivate a culture that values high staff morale and professional development and growth; motivate and inspire an environment of teamwork, collaboration and appreciation throughout the organization

External Relations & Financial Resource Development:

• Serve as the key spokesperson and represent The J throughout the St. Louis Jewish community and the community at large, with private and public funders, and national and international partners
• Lead efforts to grow and diversify the J’s revenue streams through investment in new program development, innovation and calculated risk taking
• Work closely with the Chief Development Officer in creating and executing financial resource development campaigns and initiatives to identify new donor pipelines and broaden the donor base
• Prospect, cultivate and solicit major donors and drive efforts to engage the next generation of leaders and donors through outreach, inspired programming and leadership development
• Maintain visibility throughout the organization to develop authentic connections, build goodwill, inspire excellence, and promote a clear and consistent institutional strategy and vision

Qualifications:

• Track record of C-suite leadership in a not-for-profit, private, or public enterprise with a diverse constituency; experience with multiple brands, lines of business or multi-service agencies a plus
• Strategic thinker and collaborative leader able to set vision and direction for a complex organization with an eye toward sustainability and successful implementation and execution
• Proven business and financial acumen; experience in business/program development and an understanding of organizational finances, revenue streams, and sustainable business models
• Strong decision making and analytical skills; able to effectively balance competing priorities and, when necessary, build consensus across a variety of stakeholders and constituencies
• Experience in evaluation and/or data-driven culture, with a vision for leveraging information to improve customer service, strengthen program and service quality, monitor institutional performance, and measure community impact
• Proven ability to recruit, mentor, and supervise an effective and high-performing team; skilled at empowering staff and delegating appropriately
• Strong relationship builder; experience in major donor prospecting, cultivation, and solicitation; capital campaign experience, a plus
• Ability to inspire, engage and motivate diverse constituencies including staff, board and volunteers, members and guests, donors and funders and other stakeholders
• Strong communication skills; effective representative, spokesperson, partner, networker, and spokesperson within the J, to the broader Jewish community and the community at-large
• Commitment to lead in a way that embodies and represents the J’s core values
• Passion for Jewish life and culture; a love for and commitment to the State of Israel. Conversancy and experience with Jewish rituals, holidays, and education and a base of knowledge to share with others; familiarity and comfort with diversity in Jewish practices and observance

Projected compensation range: $250,000 to $325,000+, depending on experience and qualifications plus a comprehensive benefits package. If you have experience and a track record that might command a higher compensation, let’s talk!

To apply, recommend candidates or, for more information please contact: Daniel B. Ripps, Gabai Strategic Advisors, daniel@gabaistrategic.com Laura Newmark, Gabai Strategic Advisors, lauranewmark@gmail.com