Clergy Administrative Assistant

Congregation Olam Tikvah is a Conservative synagogue serving more than 680 families in Fairfax County, Virginia. For over 60 years, we have been a warm and inclusive community where people of all ages come together to worship, learn, and celebrate. Our congregation offers educational programs for every stage of life, meaningful worship, social action opportunities, and active volunteer organizations.

We are seeking a Clergy Administrative Assistant to join our professional team. Because clergy work touches people at both the most joyful and the most difficult moments of their lives, the position calls for sound judgment, warmth, and discretion. The ideal candidate is organized, resourceful, and able to manage multiple priorities with care and professionalism. If this describes you, we welcome your application.

Essential Responsibilities

Clergy Administration and Coordination

• Manage clergy calendars, including appointments, meetings, lifecycle events, pastoral visits, services, and community engagements; identify scheduling conflicts early and coordinate with staff, congregants, and outside organizations.
• Triage incoming calls, emails, and requests to clergy, assess urgency, and ensure timely follow-up or referral.
• Track clergy commitments and follow-up items, and prepare the information and materials clergy need in advance of meetings, services, and lifecycle events.
• Draft clergy and congregational communications related to lifecycle events, holidays, worship, and education.
• Maintain accurate member, lifecycle, pastoral care, and ritual records.
• Support clergy-led meetings and committees, including scheduling, materials, correspondence, and follow-up.
• Provide backup phone and front-office coverage as needed.

Pastoral Care and Lifecycle Administration

• Serve as a compassionate and discreet first point of contact for congregants seeking clergy support, gathering the appropriate information and communicating promptly with clergy.
• Coordinate logistics for lifecycle events, including births and baby namings, weddings, conversions, B'nei Mitzvah, illness and end-of-life situations, funerals, and shiva.
• Handle administrative arrangements following a death, including clergy scheduling, funeral and shiva information, staff communication, congregational notifications, and synagogue records.
• Prepare gifts, certificates, and other materials for lifecycle events.
• Maintain pastoral care records with accuracy and strict confidentiality.
• Coordinate the B'nei Mitzvah program, including scheduling, tutoring, family communications, clergy appointments, materials, gifts, and records.
• Coordinate Mitzvah Meals and related congregational care efforts.
• Manage siddur dedications, memorial plaques, and Tree of Life leaf dedications.

Worship and Ritual Support

• Prepare and organize clergy and congregational materials for Shabbat, holidays, High Holidays, and special services.
• Coordinate congregational needs for Shabbat and holiday accommodations, including Passover hospitality.
• Coordinate yahrzeit notifications and related memorial communications and records.
• Administer the Torah Reader program.

Team and Congregational Coordination

• Work closely with administrative, education, membership, communications, facilities, and ritual staff to support services, programs, and lifecycle events.
• Build positive working relationships with congregants, volunteers, staff, and community partners, representing the synagogue with warmth and professionalism.
• Assist with special projects and other duties as assigned.

 Qualifications and Skills

• Discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality in all personal and professional matters.
• Initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to anticipate needs while working independently.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate warmly and professionally with congregants during both joyful and difficult moments.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage shifting priorities, particularly around lifecycle events and holidays.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and close attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort working with calendars, databases, shared documents, and email; ability to learn synagogue-specific systems quickly.
• Familiarity with synagogue life, Jewish holidays, and customs is a plus; a willingness to learn is essential.