Chief Operating Officer

Vilna Shul•Boston, MA

9h•$150,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Vilna Shul is a cultural center in a historic synagogue building in downtown Boston. Our mission is to spark excitement and curiosity about Jewish arts and culture and our American immigrant story through vibrant and meaningful experiences. As The Vilna enters a period of organizational growth - expanding programming, fundraising, staffing, and infrastructure - we are creating a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) role to strengthen our leadership team and build the internal systems required for long-term sustainability. In 2025 alone, we established an ambitious strategic plan, integrated the Jewish Arts Collaborative, launched the quiet phase of our capital campaign, and raised 20% of the total campaign goal. Alongside these milestones, we diversified our program strategy, expanded our reach, grew our database, and more than doubled our operating budget. The COO will serve as the organization’s senior leader for internal operations and organizational infrastructure. As a core member of the Executive Leadership Team, the COO is responsible for building and managing the systems, people, finances, and processes that enable The Vilna to grow with discipline, clarity, and sustainability. Working in close partnership with the Executive Director, the COO translates strategic priorities into operational reality - ensuring the organization is financially strong, well-governed, efficiently run, and built for growth. This is a newly created role with significant opportunity to shape systems, culture, and structure across the organization. The ideal candidate brings both strategic perspective and operational discipline, balancing long-term planning with pragmatic, hands-on execution. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building systems, strengthening teams, and turning strategy into sustainable operations - serving as the architect for institutional strength at a growing, mission-driven organization.

Requirements

Senior operational leadership experience (nonprofit, arts and culture, and/or Jewish communal organization preferred)
Strong financial acumen and systems thinking
Experience leading organizational growth, transformation, and scaling
Comfort working with boards and senior leadership
Exceptional project management and communication skills
Demonstrated experience leading organizational systems (CRM, finance, HR, or ticketing platforms)
Strong negotiation and vendor management skills
Ability to translate organizational needs into system requirements
High emotional intelligence and strong listening skills
Calm, structured, and steady in complex environments
Highly collaborative and low-ego in leadership style
Ability to bring clarity to ambiguity
Motivated by building systems rather than personal visibility