Job Description

Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

About the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island (the “Alliance”) serves as the central hub of Jewish life in Rhode Island, enriching the quality of life for Jews locally, in Israel, and around the world. The Alliance fulfills this mission through philanthropy, planning, education and wellness opportunities, community relations, and volunteer recruitment and training. By bringing together service agencies, synagogues, and community organizations, the Alliance transforms Jewish tradition and values into action while addressing issues of shared concern across the community.

In 2011, Rhode Island’s Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Center, and Bureau of Jewish Education integrated into a single organization – the Alliance – creating a more unified, efficient, and impactful communal system by combining fundraising, programming, and operations. Jewish Seniors Agency and Jewish Family Services later merged forming Jewish Collaborative Services.

Today, the Alliance’s total giving is approximately $3.6 million. Housed within the Alliance’s JCC campus are a wide range of signature programs and services – including the Jewish Culture Festival which, brings in over 1,000 participants annually – the David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center, Summer J-Camp, the Eides Family J-Space after-school program, Kosher Senior Café, Jewish Life and Learning (including the community’s Israel Desk), and J-Fitness.

The Opportunity

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island seeks an energetic, visionary, and passionate Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization into its next chapter. Reporting to the Board of Directors and partnering closely with senior volunteer and lay leadership, the CEO will build upon the Alliance’s strong foundation of dedicated traditional donors while guiding the organization toward new opportunities for growth, engagement, and impact.

This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of Jewish communal life in Rhode Island—strengthening philanthropy, fostering innovation, cultivating leadership, and serving as the primary ambassador and spokesperson for the Jewish community.

The CEO will be responsible for developing and leading a professional staff of more than 100 full- and part-time employees, nurturing a committed cadre of volunteer leaders, and articulating and implementing a compelling vision that reflects Jewish values, community priorities, and long-term sustainability. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of a leader who approaches this role with humility, curiosity, and a commitment to listening and learning—particularly in the first year—balancing thoughtful pacing with forward momentum.

Key Responsibilities

Philanthropy & Resource Development

• Serve as the Alliance’s lead fundraiser, directing all aspects of financial resource development

• Steward and solicit major donors while strengthening annual campaign results and long-term philanthropic capacity

• Implement innovative donor development strategies to enhance philanthropic growth at all levels

• Cultivate and engage new donors while maintaining strong relationships with long-standing supporters

• Partner effectively with lay leadership to advance a culture of generosity and shared responsibility

Strategic & Community Leadership

• Promote a comprehensive and compelling vision that aligns with existing strategic priorities while building consensus and positioning the Alliance for future growth

• Inspire and model active participation in the greater Rhode Island Jewish community

• Represent the Jewish community proudly to cultivate strategic partnerships with civic leaders, government officials, local media, donors, and broader community

• Demonstrate a sustained commitment to relationship-building and long-term investment in the Rhode Island Jewish community

• Strengthen connections between the Rhode Island Jewish community, partner organizations, Israel, and the global Jewish people

• Foster inclusive engagement across generations, identities, and levels of Jewish involvement

• Actively cultivate volunteer leadership and meaningful community participation

• Inspire innovation while honoring the Alliance’s traditions, values, and communal legacy

• Serve as the voice of the Jewish community during moments of communal tension, including issues related to Israel, antisemitism, and broader societal challenges

Organizational & Operational Leadership

• Create and sustain a culture of positivity, accountability, collaboration, and high performance

• Lead and support a diverse staff of more than 100 employees across multiple programmatic areas

• Oversee budgeting, financial planning, and long-term fiscal sustainability, ensuring sound financial stewardship

• Maintain strong governance, policy compliance, and risk management practices

• Foster innovation, teamwork, and best-in-class operational standards across the organization

• Prioritize execution, infrastructure, and operational discipline, ensuring that strategy is grounded in organizational capacity and realistic pacing

• Communicate clearly when decisions are made without full consensus, balancing transparency with decisiveness

• Oversee the implementation of the organization’s strategic plan, translating long-term vision into priorities, measurable goals, and accountable execution across departments

Core CEO Competencies & Qualifications

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Proven executive leadership in complex, community-focused nonprofit organizations, preferably with budgets exceeding $7 million, demonstrating the ability to set strategic vision and drive strong operational and managerial execution

• Experience in Federation, JCC, or Jewish communal settings desirable but not required

• Demonstrated ability to translate vision into actionable goals, measurable outcomes, and operational follow-through

• Outstanding communication and ambassadorial presence, with exceptional written, oral, and public-speaking skills and comfort leveraging digital platforms and media to engage stakeholders and expand organizational reach

• Experience collaborating with nonprofit boards and excellence in lay-professional partnership

• Philanthropic and financial resource development expertise, including a strong track record in donor cultivation, stewardship, and major gift fundraising, with knowledge of diversified revenue streams across a Federation/JCC model (major gifts, corporate relations, planned giving, and earned revenue)

• Exceptional relationship-building and diplomatic leadership skills, including demonstrated success partnering with nonprofit boards, navigating competing viewpoints, managing difficult conversations, and serving as a trusted convener across diverse stakeholders and constituencies

• Comfort leveraging digital platforms and media to engage stakeholders and expand organizational reach

• Deep expertise in staff development, organizational culture, and talent management

• A deep understanding of, and commitment to, Jewish life, Jewish values, and Israel

• High personal integrity, sound judgment, and financial acumen

• Advanced degree preferred

Compensation Package

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island offers a competitive and comprehensive compensation package, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Base Salary Range: $250,000-$300,000

In addition to base compensation, the Alliance offers a robust set of benefits, including medical coverage, retirement support, generous paid time off, and professional development opportunities.

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is an equal opportunity employer.