Assistant Director, Jewish Community Relations Council

JUF Careers • Chicago, IL

11h • $90,000 - $105,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

You will serve as a trusted strategic partner to the Director and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), helping to shape and advance an evolving vision for strengthening Chicago’s Jewish community and its relationships across faiths and communities. This role is ideal for a mission-driven professional with deep knowledge of Chicago’s Jewish community and Israel, strong relationship-building instincts, and the ability to navigate complex communal and political environments. You will play a central role in building and sustaining interfaith and intergroup coalitions. You will be a part of a team who responds to antisemitic incidents in real time and will educate diverse audiences about Israel—always with the goal of ensuring that Chicago’s Jewish community feels welcome, safe, and secure. The successful candidate will bring experience in community relations, project management, and collaborative leadership, and will demonstrate the ability to approach challenges thoughtfully, pragmatically, and through multiple perspectives. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence interfaith and intergroup relations and to foster partnerships that amplify the voice, values, and security of the Jewish community.

Requirements

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in community engagement, project management, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Strong understanding of Chicago’s Jewish community and its diverse constituencies.
• Deep knowledge of Israeli culture, society, and politics.
• Exceptional relationship-building, networking, and communication skills (written and verbal).
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing complex events.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Mission-driven, values-oriented, and committed to the goals of JCRC.
• Self-starter with a strong work ethic and the ability to work independently.
• Collaborative team player with strong strategic thinking skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in advocacy, coalition-building, or government relations.
• Degree or advanced study in Middle Eastern Studies, Judaic Studies, or a related field.
• Proficiency in Hebrew.
• Familiarity with nonprofit operations and community-based programming.

Responsibilities

• Interfaith and Community Relationship-Building Build, sustain, and manage a robust portfolio of interfaith and community relationships, including clergy, congregational leaders, lay leaders, nonprofit partners, and community organizations. Conduct regular outreach through one-on-one meetings, group engagements, and joint initiatives. Convene cross-community coalitions to strengthen trust, coordination, and shared responses to emerging issues and crises relevant to the Jewish community. Maintain a stakeholder map and engagement plan with clear outreach goals, contact histories, and follow-up actions.
• Israel Education, Engagement, and Public Speaking Serve as a knowledgeable, public-facing resource on Israel-related issues, translating complex developments into clear, accurate, and accessible briefings for diverse audiences. This includes publicly speaking on behalf of JUF regarding Israeli policy and society. Develop and deliver presentations, talking points, and educational materials for interfaith partners, civic leaders, and community members. Support community leaders and partner organizations with preparation and coaching for Israel-related programming and challenging conversations. Create written materials and briefings of current Israeli policy to be distributed through a number of channels including JUF magazine, Substack, etc.
• Event Strategy and Execution (Israel and Interfaith/Intergroup Programming) Plan, coordinate, and execute events that strengthen interfaith and intergroup relationships and promote informed engagement with Israel, including panels, briefings, dialogues, cultural programs, and speaker events. Manage events end-to-end, including venue and vendor coordination, run-of-show, registration, security planning, speaker preparation, participant communications, and post-event follow-up. Design programming with measurable outcomes, such as increased partner participation, improved sentiment, joint initiatives, shared statements, or rapid-response coordination.
• JCRC Mission Advancement and Strategic Leadership Support JUF Campaign efforts and required campaign-related activities. Partner with JCRC leadership to expand interfaith and intergroup relationships and connect those efforts to the broader Jewish community. Create and maintain briefing materials, agendas, and communication documents for JCRC council meetings.
• Antisemitism Prevention and Incident Response Serve as a point person or key team member for receiving, triaging, and tracking reports of antisemitic incidents and bias concerns. Coordinate response strategies with internal teams and external partners, including communal organizations and law enforcement where appropriate. Develop and manage support pathways for affected individuals and communities, including referrals, documentation guidance, safety planning, and communications. Analyze incident data to identify trends and hotspots and provide summaries and recommendations to senior leadership.

Benefits

• At JUF, you can be part of one of the largest non-profit social welfare institutions in Illinois. We provide food, refuge, healthcare, education, emergency assistance, and essential services to 500,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and millions of Jews around the world.
• We take pride in our mission and in having a work culture that fosters a sense of belonging and feels rewarding, supportive, and inclusive.
• We offer generous benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) match, professional training, tuition reimbursement, paid family leave, 22 days of paid time off, 11 sick days, and up to 21 paid holidays.
• We have the ability to work from home / remote on Mondays and Fridays on a hybrid basis.
• The salary range for this role is $90,000-$105,000.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level