Director, Civic Engagement and Advocacy

Jewish Federation Bay Area•San Francisco, CA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Civic Engagement and Advocacy is a newly created position supported in part by the Jewish Federations of North America Frontline Initiative, a two-year effort to elevate and professionalize the Jewish community’s response to antisemitism and advocacy. Reporting to the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, the Director supports the Jewish Federation Bay Area’s role as a convener and strategic coordinator across the Bay Area’s antisemitism response ecosystem. The role connects organizations across K-12, higher education, workplaces, healthcare, technology, arts and culture, and civic and political life to help align and strengthen collective efforts. It also works closely with the Bay Area Lay Leaders Task Force on Antisemitism and coordinates statewide with other large-city Federations on advocacy and civic engagement. The Director helps identify gaps in the community response, facilitate coordination among partners, and direct strategic and philanthropic resources toward high-impact opportunities. The position collaborates across Federation, including with communications, community security, philanthropic advisory, and community impact. It is a relationship-oriented role and requires working on-site in the San Francisco office Tuesday through Thursday. The role coordinates non-partisan local, state, and federal advocacy; supports government relationships and legislative monitoring; serves as an internal advisor on antisemitism, advocacy, and civic engagement; helps connect donors and funders with community needs; and represents the Federation in coalitions, task forces, and civic missions. The position is funded in part through the JFNA Frontline Initiative (2026–2028).

Requirements

Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with government officials, faith communities, nonprofit partners, and philanthropists.
A track record of success in community coordination, coalition support, and relationship building.
Deep and sophisticated knowledge of the Jewish community and tradition, Bay Area Jewish life, and North American Jewish communal structures.
Nuanced understanding of antisemitism, anti-Israel movements, and the connections between American Jewish community issues and events in and perceptions of Israel.
Experience working with or alongside elected officials, government agencies, law enforcement, or civic institutions at the local, state, or federal level.
Facilitation skills and ability to build consensus among lay leaders and professionals with diverse perspectives, including across the political spectrum.
Experience staffing volunteer boards, committees, or task forces and working in a strictly non-partisan manner.
Experience with evaluation and data collection, working in partnership with an evaluation director.
Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks accurately, with attention to detail and confidentiality in a fast-paced environment.
Strong team orientation and ability to collaborate across departments and with external partners, and to work effectively in a supporting role to senior leadership.
Flexibility and genuine interest in working across cultural and religious communities.
Strong organizational, logistics, and event support skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Salesforce.
Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in community relations, government affairs, civic advocacy, interfaith work, nonprofit management, or a closely related field.
Three to five years of experience in a leadership role.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in public affairs, public policy, or a related field.
Experience working within or alongside the Jewish communal system.

Responsibilities

Implement local strategies aligned with JFNA’s national Frontline Initiative and the shared regional strategy developed through the Task Force.
Work with the Bay Area Lay Leaders Task Force on Antisemitism on regional strategy, assessments, community reports, convenings, and events.
Coordinate local partner organizations across K-12, higher education, workplaces, healthcare, technology and AI platforms, and arts and cultural institutions to align efforts and prevent duplication.
Identify gaps in the local antisemitism response and advise senior leadership.
Develop referral norms and shared expectations among partner organizations.
Build interfaith, civic, and foundation partnerships to strengthen anti-hate efforts and encourage civic leaders and partner communities to reject antisemitism.
Participate in national JFNA convenings, research best practices from other communities and organizations, and integrate relevant learnings into local plans.
Coordinate non-partisan local, state, and federal advocacy for Federation priorities with Jewish California, the Antisemitism Coalition, and JFNA.
Support the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer in building relationships with elected officials to advance the antisemitism response agenda.
Liaise with the Managing Director of Community Security and law enforcement agencies to align community relations and security efforts; community security itself remains the responsibility of Federation’s Community Security team.
Monitor relevant Bay Area legislation and policy developments and provide actionable updates and recommendations to leadership.
Advise staff and leadership on antisemitism, advocacy, and civic engagement.
Maintain expertise on national and local anti-bias initiatives to guide donors and connect stakeholders.
Collaborate with the Philanthropy team to align funding strategies with community advocacy needs.
Brief funders, help coordinate among them, provide a roadmap for effective giving, and identify organizations that need support to sustain their work.
Provide background expertise for public statements, messaging, and partner engagement on antisemitism.
Represent the Federation alongside leadership in coalitions, task forces, and civic missions.
Maintain strategic partnerships to advance community relations goals.
Brief and prepare lay leaders to act as effective advocates during and after civic missions.