Selah Program Manager

Position: Selah Program Manager

Reports to: Jamie Beran, Chief Operating Officer

Location: NYC, Washington DC, or Los Angeles preferred; will consider remote location for the right candidate.

Hours: Full time

Bend the Arc is a movement of progressive Jews across America who are building a country that lives up to our values of justice and equality for all. We are the only national Jewish organization focused solely on promoting these values here in the U.S.

Our vision at Bend the Arc is to build and activate the power of the Jewish community to help transform our country to be inclusive, equitable, and supportive of the dignity of every person across race, class, gender and faith. But we live in a moment when the President and his allies in Congress are fanning bigotry and hatred, and their disregard for democracy, religious freedom, and human rights present an existential threat to our values and our country. As Jews, our history and moral tradition call us to be bold and courageous in the face of this threat — we know it will take many of us, coming together to take collective action alongside partners in frontline communities, to resist and to win. Bend the Arc’s approach to this work is rooted in a deep commitment to racial justice, and seeks to address the historic and structural impacts of racism within our Jewish community as well as in our country at-large.

The Bend the Arc family of organizations consists of Bend the Arc Jewish Action, our 501(c)(4) organizing and advocacy arm; Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC, a political action committee dedicated to supporting candidates for federal office who champion our values; and Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, our 501(c)(3) education and leadership arm. Headquartered in New York City, we have offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with volunteer-led local groups organizing nationwide.

Position:

Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program, in partnership with the Rockwood Leadership Institute, is designed for Jewish social justice leaders working in Jewish and secular organizations. Selah is the first leadership training designed specifically for Jewish leaders working across the social change field. Selah provides unparalleled training for leaders, new tools to enhance personal vision and facilitate organizational change, and the opportunity to learn with innovative and inspiring Jewish social change leaders. Selah is rooted in the approach that by transforming leaders, we are better able to transform society. Each Selah cohort brings participants  together for seven days of intensive leadership training over six months, with ongoing learning throughout the program. Selah approaches this learning process on three levels: the individual, the institution, and the field, and integrates personal development, organizational effectiveness, and collaboration skills. Since its founding in 2004, Selah has trained more than 340 leaders from over 200 organizations.

Since 2015, the program has been dedicated to supporting the leadership of self-identified Jewish Leaders of Color (JLOC) to help our institutions better reflect the full diversity of the American Jewish community, build community in service of the leadership development, support, and elevate the leadership and vision of Jewish Leaders of Color. Bend the Arc will continue to focus Selah cohorts 16 and 17 exclusively on the Jewish Leaders of Color.

The Selah Program Manager will lead the Selah Leadership Program in its next phase. Core goals of the position include:

  • Shepherd the success of cohorts 16 and 17
  • Navigate an evolving alumni network that is prioritizing being intentionally anti-racist and multi-racial
  • Support the leadership of the Jewish Leaders of Color in the network, potentially in coordination with other JOC field building efforts
  • Attend Selah Network Gathering from April 7th - 9th, 2019 and create a plan for ongoing engagement of the alumni network post-gathering

Key Responsibilities:

  • Ensure upcoming Selah Cohorts are effective, and all processes and content, including group development and community-building, are developed and executed with excellence
  • Effectively manage all processes and vendors related to outreach, recruitment, program implementation and evaluation
  • Together with the Selah Facilitation Team and Bend the Arc staff leadership, co-develop strategies for growth and successful implementation of Selah as a method for strengthening the Jewish social justice sector in general and Jewish Leaders of Color specifically
  • Manage and coordinate new leadership cohorts including but not limited to communication with participants, logistical support and coordination of all partner organizations
  • Manage outreach and recruitment process for future cohorts, Selah network gatherings, and/or network activities
  • Build/maintain excellent relationships with partner groups, facilitators, program alumni and participants
  • Take part in coordination of special events, development of new initiatives and programs, fundraising and other tasks that may be necessary to advance the organizational mission of Bend the Arc
  • Applied knowledge of training facilitation, group process design, and  curriculum development and/or partner with others to develop curriculum and other content
  • Contribute to thinking and decisions about the future of the program, and how we effectively engage alumni in a multi-racial network
  • Build connections with other leadership development practitioners to track what is happening in the field and to be learning and building from one another
  • Support the continuing existence and growth of the Selah alumni network as a vibrant, supportive, rigorous, and high-value community by developing a plan for regular engagement of the network

Required Skills and Qualifications:

  • Strong commitment to and passion for the mission of Bend the Arc
  • Passion for leadership development, for developing leaders, and for supporting the leadership of Jewish Leaders of Color.
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience working in the social justice sector, with direct experience organizing and/or facilitating leadership trainings
  • Demonstrated commitment to racial equity, experience using a racial equity lens in planning and/or analysis, and have undergone strong racial equity training
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to create and edit written materials
  • Strong interpersonal skills and relational orientation
  • Ability to initiate and manage multiple complex projects and strong project management experience
  • Ability to work effectively in a results-oriented team environment and meet established deadlines
  • Experience with and commitment to creating environments that address and minimize racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression
  • Meticulous attention to detail
  • Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google platforms (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Hangouts, etc.), as well as skills with or ability to learn project management applications, social media, CRM, and other new technologies and systems
  • Ability to work evenings or on weekends if needed as well as ability to travel in-state and out-of-state periodically throughout the year (approximately 10% travel required)

Compensation, hours and benefits:

This is a full-time position, with occasional evening or weekend work based on need. The annual salary range is $55,000 - $65,000 DOE, and includes paid time off and health benefits.

To Apply:

lease send resume, cover letter, and three references to [email protected] with “Selah Program Manager” in the subject line of your message. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with a first round of interviews happening after March 6th. No phone calls please. Position open until filled.

 

Bend the Arc values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture because we recognize that diversity within our staff helps us organize and work well with diverse Jewish and progressive constituencies. Candidates should be willing to work within the Jewish community, but may be of any (or no) faith or background. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, and record of arrest or conviction. Bend the Arc is an equal opportunity employer.

 

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understand the scope of the position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, or responsibilities associated with the position.