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Chicago Director of NCSY and Community Engagement

NCSY

Location: Chicago, IL

Position Type: Full-time

 

Who We Are:

NCSY, a program of the Orthodox Union, connects with Jewish teens through innovative, cutting-edge social and recreational programs to develop a positive Jewish identity. NCSY inspires Jewish teens through informal Jewish education, retreats and summer programs. NCSY empowers teens through leadership development and guidance to become passionately-committed leaders of the Jewish community and instruments for positive change and renewal.  

The Orthodox Union (OU) is the largest Orthodox Jewish organization in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for the disabled, localized religious study programs, and international units. The OU maintains a kosher certification service, whose circled U symbol, Ⓤ, is found on the labels of over 100,000,000 kosher commercial and consumer food products.  

 

About Midwest NCSY:

Midwest NCSY is dedicated to inspiring and empowering Jewish teens of all backgrounds to live more passionate Jewish lives. We offer cutting-edge social and educational programs, helping make Judaism relevant and meaningful for everyday life. Midwest NCSY’s programming – and impact – begins on the chapter level. Midwest NCSY has 8 chapters across the region, as well 4G, a girls-only program in Chicago, and the Jewish Family Experience, a Hebrew School for unaffiliated families along Chicago’s North Shore. We have earned an outstanding reputation among NCSY’s regions as a trailblazer in unique and innovative programming that appeals to today’s Jewish teen. Midwest NCSY is a region of NCSY, the international youth group of the Orthodox Union.

 

Role Overview:

The Director of Chicago NCSY will have the incredible opportunity to impact teens in the Chicagoland area while working with the most talented and dedicated team in the country. NCSY prides itself on understanding how to engage, inspire, and impact Jewish teens. The Chicagoland Director will reach teens in day school and public school through learning programs, JSU clubs, and social events as described below. The City Director is the local NCSY leader- the face of NCSY working on the ground, with kids (Jr. NCSY- grades 6th-8th), teens (Sr. NCSY- grades 9th– 12th), alumni (when applicable), parents and professional and lay leadership.  

The Director will have the responsibility to oversee all chapter programs in the geographic area and will be responsible to enlist the help of teens and volunteers, if necessary, to ensure the successful achievement of Chapter objectives as defined by the Regional Director. With all matters, the City Director reports directly to the Regional Director. 

At the same time, the Chicago Director will work on community engagement initiatives including fundraising, marketing, and local friend and fundraising events. 

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Regional events 

  • Advertise and recruit for all Regional events and Shabbatonim anywhere appropriate in the community. 
  • Attend regional events – Fall convention, Regional Yarchei Kallah, Spring Regional, Junior Spring Regional, JSU trip if applicable, relief missions, and chaperone transportation for teens from your city 
  • Work together with Regional Director to coordinate chapter attendance at shabbaton including communication, transportation, finances, and any other necessary details 
  • Supervise chapter members involvement in regional events. 

    

Chapter Activities/Responsibilities 

  • Plan, organize, advertise and recruit for chapter events and meetings. 
  • Maintain a comprehensive monthly calendar. A good calendar should include but is not limited to: 
    • 1 Chapter board meetings per month 
    • 1 monthly Shabbat program (Oneg, Lunch, Shalosh Seudot, etc.) At least some should be in Skokie, not WRP  
    • 2 yearly Chapter Shabbatonim (this could be instead of that month’s chapter Shabbat program). 
    • 1 Recreational trip per month 
    • 1 weekly Educational program (Latte and Learning, Dinner and Learn, etc..)  
    • Regular JSU clubs – regularity is based on each clubs preference 
    • 1-2 Chessed Projects per year (in coordination with our Chessed coordinator). 
  • Communicate information to chapter members regarding chapter events and advertise anywhere appropriate in the community.  
  • Coordinate a monthly Constant Contact newsletter to parents, donors, and supporters.  
  • Communicate with parents regularly  
  • ICJA – Run programs specifically geared towards these teens. Visit the school regularly and coordinate with school administration and parents. 
  • Develop a Chapter Board 
    • Meet at least monthly to ensure that the board meets and is on top of its responsibilities and that recruitment and preparation to events and Shabbatonim, and chapter growth are all progressing at a reasonable rate.
    • Assist the board to schedule and plan events and activities.
    • Enlist board members to help recruit and advertise on social media and through any other means.
    • Engage the board in a way that allows them to take ownership over events and the Chapter. Build leadership in teens.  

  

JSU Club Activities 

  • Plan and organize regular club activities to inspire Jewish pride and identity in the schools identified by the Regional Director. 
  • In consultation with your Regional Director, determine a target attendance level for the JSU club at each school. Advertise and recruit for those clubs, utilizing print materials posted within the schools, homeroom announcements within the schools, and emails to club participant lists in order to reach your target attendance number.  
  • Develop educational materials (multimedia, source/reference material, skits, creative educational presentations) for use in your JSU clubs. You may also (of course) make use of any materials developed by other JSU staff people  
  • Develop relationships with the participants in JSU clubs so that those teens can be exposed to Jewish life outside their club time.  
  • Attend local TPK meetings (Local Jewish teen professionals) 
  • Transition the teens from your JSU clubs into local, regional and national NCSY/JSU activities with an emphasis on TJJ, where appropriate.  

  

 

Summer Programs Responsibilities 

  • Advertise and recruit for NCSY Summer programs, with a specific focus on TJJ for the public school teens and appropriate programs for Day School teens 
  • Communicate with Regional Director regarding scholarships or other needs 
  • Coordinate local open houses for the Summer recruiters to have access to teens in private homes or local day schools (ICJA, Skokie Yeshiva, etc..), in conjunction with the local summer recruiter 

  

Jr. NCSY 

  • Monthly junior NCSY programs – social, Shabbos, chesed, or educational 
  • Build a strong junior chapter who will become the future Senior NCSY leaders. Utilize VP Juniors on your chapter board to help promote and build the chapter 
  • Communicate with parents regularly about programs and include junior NCSY information in weekly newsletters 
  • Recruit for and attend Regional Junior Spring Shabbaton 

  

Relationship Building 

  • Keep in touch regularly with NCSYers and JSUers by phone, email, text, etc…  
  • Build and maintain positive relationships with parents and maintain regular and open communication with them about events and how they can be involved. 
  • Cultivate relationships with educational, rabbinic and lay leadership in the community. 
  • Build relationships with NCSYer by inviting them over semi-regularly on Shabbos 
  • Follow-up with Regional advisors about the relationships they are building with teens in the Chapter 
  • Utilize regional advisors to help organize, recruit for and staff Chapter events 

  

Data Management 

  • Record all activities and events in the NCSY Database or give information to the regional office for staff assistant to record 
  • Utilize the NCSY Database to keep track of teens and monitor attendance and scholarships in the Chapter.  
  • Enter all necessary information in the database including updating teen info, parent information, gap year data, etc..  

  

Professional Development 

  • Attend weekly staff meeting in the Regional office 
  • Attend weekly meeting with Regional Director 
  • Attend annual National NCSY Staff Con, professional training seminars (1 in CT)  
  • Identify areas of professional growth and opportunities to develop them  

  

Financial Management 

  • Chapters should plan and maintain a chapter budget with the Regional Director, and it is expected that chapter finances will be handled professionally and responsibly by the City Director 
  • This plan must include anticipated costs for each event (local and regional- including Shabbatonim) so as to ensure that any losses are anticipated ahead of time and are approved. 
  • Enter financial information into Expensify credit card sysytem and submit necessary receipts 

 

Community Engagement

  • The Director of Community Engagement will play a key role in several local and regional fundraising initiatives, with a focus on 1-on-1 donor solicitations and stewardship in the Chicago Jewish community. 
  • Take a lead role in donor events, including annual dinner and Day of Giving 
  • Steward existing donors on an ongoing basis 
  • Identify, research and solicit new prospects 
  • Engage donors by connecting them to NCSY’s programs and mission in meaningful ways 
  • Take part in organizational marketing and promote awareness of NCSY and its programs in the community, including a social media presence and events throughout the region to engage existing and potential donors 

 

Qualifications:

  • Ability to develop meaningful relationships and community connections across diverse constituencies.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
  • Proven ability to multitask, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
  • Demonstrated passion for organization’s mission.

 

Salary and Benefits:  

Salary commensurate with experience. 

We offer employee-sponsored healthcare, dental and vision plans. 

Other benefits include: 

  • Paid sick days 
  • Paid vacation days 
  • Paid parental leave
  • Paid Jewish and most Federal holidays 
  • Short Fridays to accommodate for the Sabbath 
  • Free life and disability insurance 
  • 403(b) retirement plan which the OU will contribute 5% of your wage towards retirement savings after you contribute at least 2% (match eligible after 3 years of continuous service) 

 

 

 

Special Note: This position is located in Chicago, IL.