Temple Har Shalom, a Reform Jewish synagogue in Warren, NJ (Somerset County), is seeking a Clergy & Communications Assistant to help provide a second-to-none, high quality experience to all our staff, congregants, visitors, and community members. This team member will support the day-to-day operations of our clergy members as well as assist with a variety of communications and graphic design roles. With a customer service mindset, this individual is on the front lines for our members, answering incoming calls, emails, providing information, and problem-solving support in a timely manner. This role requires acute discretion and professional behavior is critical; it is ideal for someone who thrives in a warm, team-centered, fast-paced, and mission-driven environment. The working hours of this full-time position are generally M-F 9:00am-5:00pm however occasional evening, weekend, and Jewish holiday availability is expected; hours subject to clergy schedules and exact timing could be a point of conversation.
Primary responsibilities for clergy include:
- Providing assistance and administrative support to the Rabbi, Cantor and other off-site clergy emeriti for basic calendaring, correspondence, phone calls, lifecycle preparation and event coordination.
- Supporting religious activities of the clergy by managing preparation of weekly Shabbat materials including bimah sheets, yahrzeit lists, honors sheets, personal notes, helping with oneg setup, etc.
- Serving as first point of contact, greeter, and informational support for visitors coming into clergy office, exuding a warm and welcoming demeanor, being an excellent communicator and purveyor of customer service, and being a “VIP Concierge”, delivering personalized service and assistance, especially to congregants.
- Tracking acknowledgement letter lists from donations and assisting clergy in sending thank you notes, as well as follow-up lifecycle notes, on a regular and timely basis.
- Acting as a point of contact during the High Holy Days, providing support and ensuring success.
- Assisting with intakes for weddings, baby namings, and funerals, including often being first point of contact for lifecycle emergencies; serving as a compassionate liaison to grieving families, while coordinating with the cemetery staff and funeral directors to ensure timely arrangements.
- Supporting ongoing database updates (ShulCloud) in coordination with other team members.
- Partnering with other members of Temple office team in working collaboratively on weekly, monthly, and annual events and ensuring smooth operations.
- Acting as a resource and problem-solver for clergy.
Primary responsibilities for communications include:
- Maintaining the main Temple events calendars (both internally and externally), ensuring that all remains up-to-date and accurate.
- Developing weekly email campaigns and e-mail newsletters, crafting engaging messages that inform and inspire action.
- Managing Social Media accounts, including helping THS move forward in our goal of using social media as a primary means of communication in many areas; creating and curating compelling content that fosters community connection, engagement, and is on-trend.
- Designing visually compelling graphics, flyers, and promotional materials, as needed and requested, for all Temple (and some preschool) events, ensuring brand consistency across all digital and print assets.
- Serving as content manager for Temple website, maintaining an up-to-date, engaging, and user-friendly site that serves as a resource for members and prospective members.
- Creating and maintaining congregant- and public-facing event registration pages (via ShulCloud).
- Assisting with basic technological needs of Temple (e.g. Zoom setups, livestream setups, etc.)
- Helping with other digital media and graphic design tasks as needed.
Qualifications that are necessary for success include:
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills, organizational and clerical skills; ability to prioritize, problem solve, and retain attention to detail.
- Ability to multi-task, meet pressing deadlines and anticipate needs.
- Ability to maintain composure and exercise good judgment even under extreme pressure all while maintaining the highest degree of confidentiality.
- Outstanding interpersonal skills – ability to work with people in crisis and highly emotional contexts and maintain positive relationships at all levels of the organization.
- Strong working knowledge of Jewish education, Reform Judaism, and religious holidays, customs, and rituals.
- Friendly, flexible, and adaptable, thriving in a modern, team environment.
Core Technical skills include:
- High level proficiency with PC computers, software, and apps, including Microsoft Office 365 suite. (Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint), Google Suite, Zoom, and Dropbox.
- Experience with ShulCloud a significant plus.
- Proficiency in email marketing tools (Constant Contact or MailChimp).
- Basic familiarity with website editing (WordPress preferred).
- Prior experience using Adobe Creative Suite, especially Adobe Photoshop.
- Working knowledge of social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
- An eagerness to learn new platforms and systems and technology advances.
TO APPLY: Please send cover letter, resume & references to Rabbi Joshua Greenbaum, [email protected].
Temple Har Shalom is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No employment decisions are made with regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual preference, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, gender identity or expression, or any characteristic protected by law.