Westchester Reform Temple (WRT) is seeking an experienced and dynamic Membership & Program Engagement Director to join our senior staff team in Scarsdale, New York.
WRT is a vibrant, 1,000+ household Reform congregation, active seven days a week with worship services, lifecycle celebrations, educational programs, and a rich calendar of community events. We are deeply committed to creating an environment where every member feels welcomed, connected, and engaged — and we hold ourselves to the highest standards in everything we do.
This is a senior leadership role for a warm, skilled professional who will own the full arc of the membership experience — from first inquiry through long-term engagement and renewal — while coordinating a broad range of clergy- and volunteer-led programs. The ideal candidate will bring exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills, an unwavering commitment to quality, a genuine love of people, and a deep appreciation for the values of Jewish community life.
Reporting directly to the Executive Director and secondarily to the Senior Rabbi, and working closely with all clergy, staff, and volunteer leaders, the major elements of the role will include the following:
Membership Engagement
Recruitment - Assess membership by category, identify growth opportunities, and design and execute category-specific outreach plans to recruit new members.
Prospective Members - Serve as the primary point of contact for all membership inquiries, providing concierge-level service throughout the exploration and onboarding process. Offer campus tours with clergy introductions, invite and coordinate attendance at services and events, and ensure prospects are warmly welcomed there by yourself or others. Maintain detailed records of all interactions with prospects in the Database.
Welcoming New Members - Partner with clergy, staff, and volunteers to create a "Wow!" onboarding experience. Plan and execute New Member events, ensure each member receives a welcome gift, clergy letter and invitation to meet, and a buddy connection. Serve as a primary contact throughout their first year — check in quarterly, connect them with peers and programs, ensure access to High Holiday tickets, and guide them through their first membership renewal.
Membership Renewal - Plan renewal outreach by member category, with particular attention to those transitioning categories and ECC families. Coordinate with the Database Administrator to prepare accounts and forms, communicate proactively with members on financial assistance or past-due accounts, and follow up with non-respondents to complete their renewal or resignation.
Financial Assistance - Handle all inquiries with confidentiality, dignity, and sensitivity. Maintain application forms and materials, and collaborate with the FA Committee to review and recommend assistance for each case.
High Holidays - Lead the High Holiday ticketing process and attend services to support prospective and new members, ensuring this key membership benefit is delivered with excellence.
Resignation Management - Contact resigning members to understand their reasons for leaving; report findings annually. Conduct spring outreach to invite resigned members to return.
Database Oversight - Supervise the Database Administrator to ensure accurate records, user-friendly online forms, and reliable monthly and annual reports. Develop deep Salesforce expertise to support members, and to record the many member engagement data points.
Volunteer Engagement - Staff and support the Membership Committee, including the clergy liaison (currently the Senior Cantor), who will assist by sharing recruitment ideas, being new Member’s buddies, welcoming prospective and new Members at services and events, and conducting exit interviews.
Program Engagement
Overall Coordination - Lead the annual calendar planning process each spring, soliciting program dates from clergy, department directors, and volunteer cohorts, and building a conflict-free and well spaced calendar of events.
Volunteer Cohorts - Serve as the primary staff liaison for all volunteer-led temple cohorts, supporting their programming logistics while respecting their autonomy as volunteer leaders. Connect new and existing members with the cohorts aligned to their interests.
Program Requests - Manage a clear process for receiving and evaluating program ideas from staff, congregants, volunteer cohorts, and outside groups. Coordinate review and approvals / rejections with senior staff. Communicate outcomes to requesting parties with sensitivity.
Tikkun Olam / Social Impact - Lead the planning and implementation of WRT's social impact programming, and recruit volunteers to support and sustain this important work.
Clergy Programs - Coordinate and support the planned and ad-hoc initiatives as initiated and led by the clergy throughout the year.
Engagement Tracking - Record participant data for all temple programs and events in the Database, and provide monthly engagement reports to senior staff.
For All Programs - Coordinate program needs in advance with communications, facilities, security, and catering staff; attend events whenever possible; monitor spending against budget; and look for opportunities to weave tikkun olam into programming.
Supervising the Communications Team - Oversee all work products of the communications team and ensure that all digital and print elements are of the highest quality and caliber. Set expectations of excellence, provide resources for achieving success, and establish accountability for meeting qualitative goals. Recruit and manage a volunteer committee to provide ongoing feedback and expand the impact of communication efforts.
Some of the above responsibilities may be phased in over time, depending on the experience and demonstrated capabilities of the candidate.
Core Competencies
- Project Management: Defines objectives, secures resources, builds realistic plans, keeps stakeholders informed, and drives projects to completion.
- Interpersonal Skills: Builds strong relationships at all levels; uses diplomacy, tact, and approachability to work effectively with colleagues and congregants.
- Creativity & Innovation: Generates new ideas, makes unexpected connections, exercises sound judgment about what will work, and learns from experience.
- Verbal Communication: Communicates clearly and articulately across settings; adapts style in response to verbal and non-verbal cues.
- Written Communication: Writes clearly and succinctly with appropriate tone and a well-articulated message.
- Congregant Orientation: Attends to congregant needs with empathy and genuine interest; makes people feel valued.
The ideal applicant for this position will demonstrate the following qualifications:
- Familiarity with Jewish synagogue life; Reform experience a plus.
- The ability to understand and connect authentically with our community, clergy, and staff.
- Demonstrated experience managing a synagogue membership program.
- A natural gift for building relationships and genuine curiosity about people of all ages.
- Passion for coordinating programs and creating memorable events.
- Outstanding communication skills — responsive, discreet, and at ease with sensitive conversations.
- A warm, collaborative, and consistently professional presence.
- Exceptional organization, attention to detail, and proactive recordkeeping.
- Creative problem-solving ability and a disciplined, policy-minded approach.
- Openness to feedback, eagerness to learn new technologies
- Flexible availability, including evenings and weekends for programs and events.
The anticipated start date for this role is July 1, 2026. Compensation for this full-time exempt position will depend on what kind of credentials, skills and experience you have, and may range from $90,000 - $125,000 per year.
WRT believes strongly that all applicants should be considered fairly for employment opportunities at the temple. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and we recognize that our best candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We would encourage you to apply, if you feel you are poised to excel at leading this important work with us. WRT abides by all applicable federal, state and local laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic as established by law.
To apply, email your cover letter and resume to: [email protected]. Applications will be
reviewed on a rolling basis and the search will remain open until a candid