Executive Director, Jewish Federation Assoc. of CT (JFACT)

Position:             Full-Time

Reports to:         Board of Directors

Supervisory Responsibilities:     Yes

Organization Overview

JFACT represents Connecticut’s seven constituent Jewish Federations, serving as their statewide legislative advocate, public-affairs spokesperson, and convener of collaborative programs. We advance issues of mutual interest to Connecticut’s Jewish community and strengthen the U.S.–Israel relationship.

Position Summary

The Executive Director (ED) is JFACT’s chief executive and chief lobbyist. As a visible representative of Connecticut’s organized Jewish community, the Executive Director will lead initiatives and build relationships as they relate to governmental advocacy, public affairs and community relations, connecting and advocating for Israel, .

Essential Responsibilities

Government Advocacy

• Serve as JFACT’s chief lobbyist at the state level.
• Work closely with Connecticut’s Congressional delegation on federal issues, including, as appropriate, with JFNA and other key national organizations.
• Develop and execute a strategic plan to advance Jewish communal priorities (e.g., security grants, aging services, education, Israel support).
• Build and maintain relationships with executive offices, legislators, agency heads, and their staff—across party lines.
• Coordinate and meet regularly with federation CEOs, JCRC professionals, and outside lobbyists to maximize impact of stated priorities
• Identify and secure speaking slots, testimony opportunities, and legislative briefings for Federation CEOs.
• Coordinate testimony opportunities for public advocacy on key priorities.

Public Affairs & Community Relations

• Work with Federations community relations staff to strengthen advocacy among both Jewish and non-Jewish constituencies.
• Create relationships with interfaith and intergroup communities to build coalitions.
• Organize public events, roundtables, and speaking engagements to educate on current policy issues and Jewish community interests—positioning Federation CEOs as co-hosts and lead presenters.
• Facilitate partnerships between Federations and state commissions nonprofits, and academic institutions.
• Travel to each of the Federation districts to engage with local constituencies.
• Increase outreach efforts to state-wide Jewish community members to support our legislative and civic efforts.

Media Engagement & Thought Leadership

• Serve as JFACT’s spokesperson in mainstream and niche media on policy, political, and communal affairs.
• Connect media to the appropriate CEOs to speak to emerging issues.
• When authorized, oversee the production of research briefs, issue backgrounders, legislative testimonies, op-eds, and social-media content—co-authored with Federation CEOs.
• Support Federation CEOs in drafting and placing op-eds in local and regional outlets.

Israel Connection

• Strengthen and maintain the Connecticut–Israel relationship through legislative advocacy, governmental and civic engagement, administrative initiatives, and missions to Israel, ensuring Federation CEOs take leadership roles.

Political Action & Stakeholder Engagement

• Educate candidates, political parties, and campaign staffs on issues of importance to the Jewish community; arrange candidate briefings, candidate forum, and joint Federation lobbying events in coordination with Federation CEOs. Ensure active involvement of federation CEOs, agency heads, security directors, and JCRC professionals in JFACT’s policy work.
• Maintain ongoing communication with JFNA, the Conference of Presidents, Israel’s Consulate General, and other national and regional partners.
• Engage with and monitor the activities of local grassroots organizations as they relate to the Jewish community and its priorities, communicating opportunities for collaboration.

Partnerships & Collaborations

• Identify and cultivate alliances with non-Jewish advocacy organizations and issue coalitions to coordinate efforts and share resources when strategic.

Budgetary, Development & Administration

• Responsibility for JFACT’s annual budget, ethical compliance, and record-keeping.
• Lead fundraising—both on-budget and special-project efforts—to secure sustainable revenue.
• Recruit, supervise, and mentor staff and interns; cultivate a high-performance, mission-driven culture.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in Public Policy, Jewish Studies, Nonprofit Management, or related field preferred.
- Minimum 7–10 years of senior leadership in advocacy, public affairs, or nonprofit management—ideally within the Jewish communal or allied sectors.

Knowledge

- Bipartisan lobbying practices and legislative processes at federal and state levels.
- Core policy areas: Jewish community security, aging services, Jewish education, U.S.–Israel relations.
- Federation system structure and priorities.

Skills & Abilities

- Exceptional relationship-building and coalition-management capabilities.
- Strategic visioning and goal-oriented planning, with strong follow-through.
- Grant and donor-focused fundraising acumen, including articulating ROI to donors.
- Excellent oral and written communication; proven media-relations experience.
- Staff leadership: hiring, performance management, and professional development.
- Ability to distill complex policy issues into clear, compelling narratives.