Reporting to: Board of Directors
Location: New York, NY

We are seeking well-qualified candi­dates to apply for the posi­tion of Executive Director to lead and manage our inter­na­tion­ally recog­nized orga­ni­za­tion into the next stage of growth. With a $1 million oper­ating budget and 8 employees on two conti­nents, the Executive Director will be our internal and external spokesperson, drawing a wide variety of audi­ences to Encounter to advance our mission, visi­bility, and resource gener­a­tion to sustain and expand the programs that have placed Encounter at the fore­front of efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and heal intra-Jewish strife.

Job Responsibilities

• Strategic Visioning and Planning: In close collab­o­ra­tion with the Board, develop a compre­hen­sive strategy and ambi­tious plan to take Encounter to the next level of impact. The plan will inte­grate strate­gies and programs with staffing require­ments and a range of revenue streams.
• Resource Development: Oversee, help develop, and execute a compre­hen­sive fundraising plan that raises revenue from a range of sources, including foun­da­tions and major indi­vidual donors. Sustain a budget of nearly $1 million per year and grow it to $2 million over the next 2–3 years.
• Networking and Diplomacy: Serve as Encounter’s lead public voice, repre­senting Encounter in various func­tions including public events, confer­ences, and commu­nity meet­ings. Engage in strategic networking to expand Encounter’s orga­ni­za­tional part­ner­ships and alliances in Middle East and North American program­ming, including high-level leaders in the orga­nized American Jewish commu­nity, Palestinian West Bank, and Washington.
• Governance: Work closely with the Board of Directors to develop a strategy for expanding the Board.
• Management: Supervise Encounter’s finance, admin­is­tra­tion, commu­ni­ca­tions, and Middle East and North America program­matic direc­tors. Oversee and approve program devel­op­ment in Middle East and North America, budget devel­op­ment and finan­cial reporting, expen­di­tures and invest­ments, internal oper­a­tional poli­cies, and risk and liability issues. Manage, lead, and effec­tively commu­ni­cate with personnel to enhance the quality of their work and build the staff team, as well as be respon­sible for the hiring and termi­na­tion of employees.

Qualifications

The ideal candi­date will possess outstanding lead­er­ship, commu­ni­ca­tion and inter­per­sonal skills, demon­strating excep­tional ability to be a persua­sive and visionary public advo­cate for Encounter’s mission, vision, and key program activities.

While no one person will embody all of the qual­i­ties enumer­ated below, the ideal candi­date will possess many of the following profes­sional and personal characteristics:

Professional Experience:

• Passionate commit­ment to Encounter’s ground-breaking work, fostering conver­sa­tion and healing between Jews and Palestinians as well as among Jews from diverse reli­gious and polit­ical backgrounds;
• Nuanced under­standing of American Jewish, Palestinian, and Israeli commu­ni­ties, and demon­strated relationship-building with multiple parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Experience working with the following constituen­cies strongly preferred: main­stream American Jewish insti­tu­tions, Orthodox and reli­gious Jewish commu­ni­ties, Palestinian and Israeli commu­ni­ties, and elected officials;
• Spiritual and/or Rabbinic lead­er­ship embodying Encounter’s core values of compas­sion, listening, wisdom and openness;
• Exceptional oral presen­ta­tion, written commu­ni­ca­tion, and networking skills, as well as superb listening. Demonstrated ability to artic­u­late a vision and inspire others to share in that vision and work together to achieve it. Ability to speak in compelling ways to diverse audi­ences across view­points and backgrounds;
• Proven track record in lead­er­ship posi­tions in the non-profit envi­ron­ment, including successful fundraising expe­ri­ence with major donors, expe­ri­ence working closely with a board, knowl­edge of best prac­tices in manage­ment and admin­is­tra­tion, and ability to create and execute a compre­hen­sive busi­ness plan, public rela­tions strategy and infrastructure;
• Experience as an accom­plished manager with a collab­o­ra­tive style and record of recruiting and devel­oping talented staff. Demonstrated ability to direct both program creation and admin­is­tra­tion and oversee the achieve­ment of high stan­dards of orga­ni­za­tional perfor­mance in the face of limited resources and enor­mous demand for programs;
• Successful lead­er­ship expe­ri­ence with a mezza­nine or start-up organization;
• Preferred record of accom­plish­ment as a thinker and prac­ti­tioner in the field of Jewish-Palestinian peace-building, with a repu­ta­tion for thinking creatively yet prac­ti­cally about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how to resolve it.

Personal Characteristics:

• A coura­geous leader with vision and a great deal of savvy, who can cross borders and navi­gate complex rela­tion­ships, and who focuses on outcomes and results;
• A person with public pres­ence and an ability to operate in the spot­light without insisting on it, remaining at all times a team player;
• An ambi­tious moti­vator who shares a strong sense of mission, values, and inno­va­tion, and fosters effec­tive commu­ni­ca­tion among people at all levels;
• A calm persona able to commu­ni­cate effec­tively and disarm­ingly in the face of conflict and challenge;
• A lively creative intel­lect with outstanding judg­ment, imag­i­na­tion, and flexibility;
• Detail-oriented and highly orga­nized along with visionary ability to impact the big picture;
• Integrity, resilience, and infec­tious enthusiasm.

Salary and Benefits

Salary commen­su­rate with expe­ri­ence. Position is full time; some evenings, week­ends, domestic and inter­na­tional travel required. Executive Director will be expected to travel to Israel 1–2 times per year, and travel domes­ti­cally at least once every two months. Generous bene­fits package.

Application

This posi­tion shall be held open until filled. Qualified appli­cants should submit a resume and cover letter to executivesearch@​encounterprograms.​org³.

Cover letter should include:

• Why your profes­sional expe­ri­ence partic­u­larly suits you to take Encounter’s impact to the next stage; and
• If you do not have direct expe­ri­ence with Palestinian commu­ni­ties in the West Bank or the orga­nized American Jewish commu­nity, please describe how your other profes­sional expe­ri­ences would be rele­vant to building strong rela­tion­ships with these communities.