Careers

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT
Location: Remote; in-person meetings as needed
Organization: Union for Reform Judaism
Employment Type: Full Time, Benefits Eligible; MNGT    
Department: Jewish Life & Leadership
Reports to: Vice President, Jewish Life & Leadership  
Start Date: July 1, 2026
Salary Range: $135,000 - $150,000 plus competitive benefits 

THE ROLE
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) is seeking a visionary and relational Assistant Vice President to help shape the future of Reform Jewish life at a pivotal moment for our Movement. This role will lead the design and execution of a bold, integrated strategy for leadership development and engagement experiences across generations. You will ensure that people of all ages are not only engaged in Jewish life but are inspired and empowered to lead it. As Assistant Vice President, you will build and scale transformative experiences that deepen Jewish identity, strengthen community, and mobilize leaders toward meaningful collective impact. You will oversee a dynamic portfolio of programs and convenings, aligning vision, strategy, and resources to achieve measurable outcomes while ensuring long-term financial sustainability. This is a rare opportunity to influence both what we do and how we work by advancing a “Team OneURJ” culture grounded in shared ownership, trust, collaboration, and accountability. You will also cultivate strategic partnerships that strengthen individuals, communities, and the broader Reform Movement.

WHAT YOU WILL DO
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP & ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT
•    Serve as a senior leader within Jewish Life & Leadership, shaping cross-departmental strategy, culture, and alignment.
•    Align vision, strategy, budget, and execution to ensure work advances organizational priorities and measurable, movement-wide impact.
•    Translate big-picture strategy into coordinated, actionable plans that mobilize staff, partners, and communities.
•    Build consensus across diverse stakeholders, fostering shared ownership and accountability for outcomes.
•    Cultivate and steward strategic partnerships with congregations, affiliates, organizations, and Movement leaders to expand reach and deepen impact.
•    Strengthen collaboration across URJ departments to ensure initiatives reinforce organizational health and long-term sustainability.
LEADERSHIP & ENGAGEMENT PATHWAYS 
•    Provide strategic direction and oversight for programs and gatherings (e.g., Scheidt, Collab, Bootcamp, Intro to Judaism, Teen Fellowships, Jews of Color Network), ensuring they build a sense of belonging and Jewish identity in youth and adult leaders at every age and stage of development.
•    Lead the design and delivery of large-scale convenings that unite, inspire, and create inclusive spaces where participants feel valued, seen, and empowered.
•    Design, diversify, and steward a cohesive, cross-generational leadership ecosystem that fosters connection, identity, belonging, and purpose.
•    Oversee program budgets with discipline and foresight, ensuring financial sustainability through cost management, revenue generation, and strategic investment.
STRATEGIC INNOVATION & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
•    Champion a culture of experimentation and learning, where bold ideas are tested, refined, and scaled to meet the evolving needs of Jewish life.
•    Identify emerging trends and opportunities, positioning URJ as a leader in innovative Jewish experiences and leadership development.
•    Establish clear metrics for success and use data, feedback, and evaluation to drive continuous improvement and measurable impact.
•    Consistently evaluate and refine experiences to ensure alignment, relevance, impact, and future-facing growth.
TEAM LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT
•    Lead, develop, and support a high-performing team, fostering a culture of clarity, ownership, growth, and collaboration.
•    Provide coaching, feedback, and professional development to team members, building leadership capacity at all levels.
•    Oversee a significant portfolio of programs and resources, ensuring alignment between people, priorities, and impact.

WHO YOU ARE
You are a relational and adaptive leader who understands that lasting impact is built through trust, shared ownership, and collective action. You build power with others, not over them. You see leadership as a practice, not a title, and you are skilled at moving people, teams, and systems toward shared purpose and meaningful outcomes. You distinguish clearly between activity and impact, ensuring that effort leads to measurable, meaningful change. You are energized by the question: How do we build a Movement where more people feel a sense of belonging and see themselves as leaders of Jewish life?
You:
•    Build deep trust across teams and stakeholders, fostering collaboration grounded in clarity, respect, and shared accountability.
•    Design transformative experiences that connect meaning and identity in ways aligned with URJ’s mission, vision, and values.
•    Understand the developmental needs of youth and adults, guiding growth through participatory, relationship-driven learning.
•    Commit to continuous learning and improvement, regularly assessing and evolving programs to remain meaningful, responsive, and future facing.
•    Think strategically and systemically, anticipating trends and long-term implications while aligning short-term action with enduring impact.
•    Balance bold innovation with responsible stewardship, ensuring financial sustainability and organizational health.
•    Center equity, inclusion, and belonging in every decision, program, and experience.

QUALIFICATIONS
•    Proven experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives with measurable impact.
•    Demonstrated success designing and scaling leadership development experiences across diverse populations and life stages.
•    Experience managing teams and developing staff in a collaborative, mission-driven environment.
•    Strong financial acumen, including experience managing budgets and developing sustainable or revenue-generating programs.
•    Deep understanding of Jewish life, values, and the Reform Movement.
•    Exceptional strategic thinking, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.

ABOUT US
Every team member at the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) plays an essential role in our mission to create a whole, just, and compassionate world. Our team is creative, thoughtful, and innovative. Each member of the team is empowered to make meaningful contributions to achieving our shared goals. Our diverse team is made up of individuals with different skills and backgrounds, and every team member is willing to take risks as well as take action to develop and create big ideas for the future of the Reform Movement. While this position focuses on a particular area of work, every team member is a vital part of our overall success.  
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) provides vision and voice to build strong communities that, together, transform the way people connect to Judaism and change the world. We acknowledge that due to racism, ableism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression, that our communities are not whole until everyone experiences a sense of belonging within the Jewish community. As the largest Jewish movement in North America, we stand for a Judaism that is inclusive and reflective of a wide range of identities and accept the responsibility of dismantling oppression both inside and outside of our communities. Through camping, youth experiences, programs, information sharing, and networking opportunities, our over 800 congregations and 14 residential camps create opportunities for our communities to enhance their capacity to build and expand community, engage in meaningful and authentic Jewish life, deepen Jewish learning, energize worship, pursue social justice and develop inspired leadership. Together, our employees and stakeholders, are creating the Reform Judaism of today.

APPLICATION PROCESS
Apply online and include a one-page cover letter along with your resume, outlining your skills and experience and how you meet the essential functions and qualifications of the position. We look forward to hearing from you!    
The URJ strives to be a welcoming and inclusive environment that acknowledges diversity as a critical strength. We promote strenuous policies and practices of equal opportunity and diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals including those of any race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations. The URJ encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+, and other often underrepresented groups.