Director, Civic Engagement and Advocacy

Description

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW  

As the largest funder of Jewish causes in California, the Jewish Federation Bay Area connects donors, changemakers, and community partners to build a thriving, resilient future. The Federation serves as a trusted partner and advisor for those seeking to make an impact today while shaping a better tomorrow. We invest in education, social services, and security while mobilizing crisis relief worldwide. With over a century of leadership, we empower individuals and families to give strategically, building a thriving and resilient future for generations to come. Whether strengthening Jewish life in the Bay Area, safeguarding communities worldwide, or ensuring a safe and democratic Israel, we empower people to take meaningful action that echoes for generations. 

Position Summary 

Antisemitism has intensified dramatically across North America — in schools, on campuses, in civic spaces, in political discourse, and in public life. The Bay Area is a particular focal point for incidents, protests, and controversy requiring a coordinated, expert, and sustained community response. 

The Director, Civic Engagement and Advocacy is a newly created position, established as part of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) Frontline Initiative, a two-year national effort to dramatically elevate and professionalize the Jewish community’s response to antisemitism and advocacy. Reporting to the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, this role supports the Federation’s work as a convener and strategic coordinator in the Bay Area’s antisemitism response ecosystem — connecting organizations across K-12, higher education, workplaces, healthcare, technology, arts and culture, and civic and political life — helping ensure their collective efforts are aligned and effective. The Director also works closely with the Bay Area Lay Leaders Task Force on Antisemitism, which Federation convenes to give lay leaders a standing place to see the full effort, identify challenges and opportunities, and advise the community on a shared regional strategy. The role also works statewide in coordination with other large city Federations with advocacy and civic engagement. 

The Federation occupies a unique position in the Bay Area Jewish ecosystem: as the community’s central philanthropic infrastructure, it can work across organizational boundaries in ways that individual agencies cannot. The Director supports that convening function — helping to identify gaps in the community’s response, facilitating coordination among partners, and ensuring the Federation’s strategic and philanthropic resources are directed toward the highest-impact opportunities. This is a collaborative, relationship-oriented role that supports efforts across Federation, including communications, community security, philanthropic advisory, and community impact. The director will be expected to be on-site, in the San Francisco office Tuesday through Thursday.

ESSENTIAL FUCTIONS

Strategy & Community Coordination 

• Framework Alignment: Implement local strategies aligned with JFNA’s national Frontline initiative and the shared regional strategy developed through the Task Force. 
• Task Force Partnership: Work closely with the Bay Area Lay Leaders Task Force on Antisemitism on regional strategy, assessments of antisemitism and the community response, community reports, convenings and events. 
• Partner Network: Coordinate local partner organizations to align efforts and prevent overlap across all arenas of the response, including K-12, higher education, workplaces, healthcare, tech and AI platforms, and arts and cultural institutions. 
• Gap Analysis: Identify coverage gaps in the local antisemitism response, including areas where no organization currently works, and advise senior leadership. 
• Referral Norms: Develop referral norms and shared expectations with partners so each organization knows who handles what. 
• Coalition Building: Build interfaith, civic, and foundation partnerships to strengthen anti-hate efforts, and encourage civic leaders and partner communities to recognize and reject antisemitism as they do other forms of bigotry. 
• National Engagement & Best Practices: Participate in national JFNA convenings; research and share best practices from communities and organizations outside the Bay Area; integrate learnings into local plans. 

State & Federal Advocacy 

• Advocacy & Policy Representation: Coordinate local, state, and federal advocacy for Federation priorities, including partnering with Jewish California, the Antisemitism Coalition, and JFNA. All work is non-partisan and does not include electoral politics. 
• Government Relations & Relationships: Support the Chief Strategy & Impact Officer in building relationships with elected officials to advance the antisemitism response agenda. 
• Security & Law Enforcement Coordination: Liaise with the Managing Director of Community Security and law enforcement agencies to align community relations and security efforts; community security remains the responsibility of Federation’s Community Security team. 
• Legislative Monitoring & Strategy: Monitor Bay Area-relevant legislation and policy developments to provide actionable updates and recommendations to leadership. 

Philanthropic Engagement & Field Education 

• Subject Matter Expertise: Serve as internal advisor on antisemitism, advocacy, and civic engagement for staff and leadership. 
• Donor & Community Connection: Maintain national and local expertise on anti-bias initiatives to guide donors and connect key stakeholders. 
• Strategic Alignment: Collaborate with the Philanthropy team to align funding strategies with community advocacy needs. 
• Funder Briefing & Roadmap: Brief funders and help coordinate among them; provide a roadmap for effective giving and identify where organizations — legacy or new, incorporated or informal — need support to sustain the work. 

External Relations Support 

• External Communications & Expertise: Serve as background expert for public statements, messaging, and partner engagement on antisemitism. 
• Coalition & Mission Representation: Represent the Federation alongside leadership in key coalitions, task forces, and civic missions. 
• Stakeholder Engagement: Maintain strategic partnerships to advance overall community relations goals. 
• Leadership & Ambassador Prep: Brief and prepare lay leaders to act as effective advocates during and after civic missions.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES 

• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse audiences including government officials, faith communities, nonprofit partners, and philanthropists. 
• Track record of success in community coordination, coalition support, and relationship building. 
• Deep and sophisticated knowledge of Jewish community and tradition, Bay Area Jewish life, and North American Jewish communal structures. 
• Nuanced understanding of antisemitism, anti-Israel movements, and the ways American Jewish community issues are intertwined with 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. 
• Skilled facilitator able 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 with accuracy, attention to detail, and confidentiality in a fast-paced environment. 
• Strong team orientation with the capacity to work collaboratively across departments and with external partner organizations, and to operate 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. 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree required; graduate degree in public affairs, public policy, or a related field preferred. 
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience in community relations, government affairs, civic advocacy, interfaith work, nonprofit management, or a closely related field, 3-5 years of experience in leadership role.
• Experience working within or alongside the Jewish communal system strongly preferred. 

Salary commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits — medical, dental, vision, vacation, sick pay, holidays (including Jewish), and retirement plan.  

EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES  

The Federation views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a company culture where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest possible talent pool to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values. The Jewish Federation Bay Area is an equal opportunity employer. 

 This position is funded in part through the Jewish Federations of North America Frontline Initiative (2026–2028), a national effort to professionalize and elevate the Federation system’s response to antisemitism across North America.