Executive Director

Alliance for Jewish Theatre

The Alliance for Jewish Theatre seeks a dynamic, detail-oriented, and strategically-minded new Executive Director to lead us into the next phase of our growth. This part-time, flexible, and remote position will oversee our programs, engage our members, and help us build on our strong institution that serves both individual artists and Jewish theatre-makers across the country and the world. Candidates who come from backgrounds that have not been historically represented in Jewish leadership roles are particularly encouraged to apply.

Background

Formed in 1979, the Alliance for Jewish Theatre (AJT) exists to support and connect Jewish theatres and Jewish theatre-makers; and to be a catalyst in the development of Jewish theatre. In all aspects of our work, AJT makes a concerted effort to raise up marginalized voices and seek out new and upcoming theatre makers who bring diverse perspectives to Jewish identity, culture(s), and narratives. A new Executive Director will bring their talents for promoting innovation, organizational acumen, pride and openness in what Jewish theatre has to offer the world. Our current program offerings include:
• Annual Conference: An annual three-day conference has taken place online over the past two years, but has been a staple of AJT programming in-person for many years previously.
• Theatremachers: A year-long fellowship for upwards of 20 young artists who meet monthly, workshop their new plays, and form a cohort for networking, learning, and artistic development.
• Theatre Schmooze: An AJT podcast hosted and produced by an AJT board member.
• Community Conversations: Monthly gatherings for AJT individual members and AJT member theatres (typically in separate groups) to network and discuss emerging issues in Jewish theatre.
• Webinars: Regular webinars on topics relevant to the AJT community.

Position and General Responsibilities

The Executive Director oversees the operations of AJT and is the public face for most of our programs. The Executive Director position is a part-time contractor position, with many weeks consisting of less than 20 hours a week, greatly expanding in the weeks leading up to and during the annual conference. The position is a permanent remote position (U.S. only), with a possibility of some in-person activities in the future (travel would be covered by AJT). Outside of the annual conference, most of AJT’s public programming is during evenings (ET) and Sundays, with board meetings and other business meetings happening at a mix of daytime and evenings, and scheduled collaboratively with the Executive Director. It is imagined that the Executive Director may be a practicing artist or even a full-time employee of another organization who has some degree of flexibility in their hours.

A typical week might consist of a few conversations with members or potential members, producing one public program, corresponding with a handful of donors and members, updating social media, and attending 1-2 meetings of the board or its various committees (finance, nominating, anti-racism, strategic planning, executive). During the period leading up to the conference, meetings become more regular and weeks are spent securing panelists and speakers, laying out programs with the administrative assistant, setting up zoom rooms, registering attendees, and meeting with the conference planning committee.

Specific Responsibilities

• Coordinate all AJT programs, either in public-facing leadership role or behind-the-scenes role.
• Be a connector for artists and theatres.
• Serve as an ambassador for Jewish theatre, inside the Jewish theatre community and beyond.
• Oversee hourly employees, independent contractors, and volunteers.
• Produce AJT’s webinars, community conversations, and the annual conference, in collaboration with the AJT board.
• Work with the AJT staff to keep the website up to date, and send out regular newsletters to AJT’s email lists.
• Write content for and run AJT’s social media platforms.
• Participate, with members of the AJT board, in fundraising asks to major donors. Track all gifts and ensure acknowledgment letters are sent out promptly. Collaborate on the drafting of grants with the AJT board.
• Maintain the database of AJT’s members.
• Work with the Board Treasurer and AJT bookkeeper to build and adhere to AJT’s annual budget, file annual taxes, and forecast expenses.

Qualifications

While no one individual will likely possess all of these qualifications, the Search Committee will make their evaluation on the following criteria:
• A passion and excitement about the future of Jewish theatre and its potential outreach.
• An expansive and multi-cultural view of what Jewish theatre can become in the 21st century.
• A strategic thinker relative to organizational vision and growth.
• A demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and cross-cultural collaboration
• Experience as an educator, preferably in arts education.
• Strong organizational skills and an ability to keep excellent records of AJT business.
• Comfort in creating and working within budgets.
• An ability to build relations with major donors and community leaders.
• Basic fluency with social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and familiarity with (or willingness to learn) basic editing functions of WordPress and Mailchimp.

The following personal attributes are also important to the Search Committee:
• Excellent communication skills, both speaking and in writing.
• An ability to take the lead when necessary and to step back into a supporting role when appropriate.
• A transparent, collaborative, positive and confident leadership style.
• Satisfaction and delight in engendering the best work in others.

Compensation and hours

The position pays $24,000 per year, paid monthly. Hours are capped at an average of no more than 20 hours a week, with the expectation that hours will be “banked” throughout the year to cover the substantial increase in hours around the annual conference. The Executive Director will meet regularly with the AJT Board President to ensure that all programming and activities fit within the hourly cap.

Application Process, Deadlines, and Start Date

To apply for this position, please fill out the Google Form here (https://tinyurl.com/39smmzu7). Review of applications will begin on March 15, 2022 at 5:00pm Eastern. We hope that the new Executive Director will start in the Spring of 2022.

Questions about this search may be submitted to Adam Immerwahr, adam@theaterj.org
No phone calls, please.