Job Title: Executive Director
To Apply: Please submit all applications (resume and cover letter) to https://apply.thehiretribe.com and email [email protected] with any questions.
About the Organization
The Israel Scholarship Education Foundation (ISEF) seeks to address Israel’s social and economic gaps by providing equal access to higher education for capable young Israelis from underprivileged families. ISEF believes that expanding access to higher education is both life-changing for these individuals and critical to Israel’s long-term security and prosperity. Through scholarship programs, leadership training, and education projects, ISEF is forging a new generation of leaders who are changing the face of Israeli society.
ISEF’s reach is deeply embedded in Israel’s higher education landscape, with dedicated on-campus staff at 18 colleges and universities, including Tel Aviv University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Technion, the University of Haifa, Ben-Gurion University, Afeka College, and others ensuring hands-on engagement and direct support for students.
In 1977, Edmond Safra and Nina Weiner founded ISEF, the first organization to address Israel’s economic and social gaps through higher education. ISEF awarded university scholarships to capable young Israelis from underprivileged families, and established on-campus support systems to help them succeed. Each year, hundreds of students who dared not dream of a higher education became the first in their families to earn a degree.
ISEF’s education projects for youngsters in impoverished areas also blossomed during the 1990s. ISEF helped to pioneer corporate community partnerships in Israel, establishing a science education project in Kiryat Gat in 1997 in collaboration with Intel Corporation. Today, ISEF-Intel partnership projects operate in four cities, inspiring other corporate and institutional partners to collaborate with ISEF to spread science education throughout Israel's periphery.
Position Overview
Reporting to the Board of Directors, The Executive Director of ISEF will lead the organization by providing strategic direction, management, and oversight to advance its mission and goals. Through meaningful community engagement, lasting partnerships and skilled leadership, this role will elevate ISEF and guide the organization to its next stage of growth. This is a hybrid role based in Manhattan, NY.
Responsibilities
- Oversee all fundraising initiatives while supporting board development and driving donor base expansion
- Contribute, execute and operationalize the strategic vision and direction set by the board
- Drive all aspects of organizational operations, including budgeting, finance, marketing and program development
- Oversee a team of one full-time and four part-time staff members in New York, as well as outside consultants
- Manage and oversee all HR functions including performance management, professional development opportunities, and ensure staff and systems are trained and updated to current NGO standards
- Identify and cultivate new prospects, whether individual, foundation, or corporate
- Oversee the organization’s budget; track donor income and organizational investments (including endowment); and supervise the progress of the annual audit
- Maintain and continue to enhance open channels of communication with the organization's program office and board in Israel
- Drive the creation and implementation of programs and initiatives that reflect the organization’s mission, while building meaningful relationships with students
- Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and initiatives, collecting data and feedback to measure impact and inform continuous improvement efforts
What You Bring to the Role
- 10+ years of relevant experience as a senior leader in the Jewish philanthropic sector
- Bachelor’s degree
- Significant experience in board development and in cultivating major donors, foundation, and corporate prospects
- Demonstrated track record of successful fundraising, grant writing, and resource mobilization
- Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and implement innovative programs and initiatives to advance ISEF’s mission
- Outstanding people management skills, to elicit best work from staff and facilitate the work of the board to advance the organization’s mission
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire diverse stakeholders
- Proven expertise of strategic planning, financial management, and organizational development
- While Hebrew language proficiency is not required, we are seeking a candidate with a strong cultural understanding of Israel and its contemporary significance as well as the ability to effectively collaborate with the ISEF Israel staff
- ISEF is a true jewel of an organization, whose board, partners, donors, alumni, and students share an extraordinary passion for its mission. The successful candidate will be expected to embrace this deep affection for the organization and serve as its most compelling ambassador, inspiring others to join and support ISEF’s work
- The ISEF Board is fully committed to the organization’s success and to that of its new Executive Director. While the successful candidate will bring their own vision, expertise, and energy, they will also benefit from the partnership of an active, deeply engaged board ready to collaborate closely in advancing ISEF’s mission.
What You Will Receive
- A competitive salary range based on experience of $160-$200k
- Medical benefits
- 403(b) retirement plan
- Hybrid work setting
To Apply: Please submit all applications (resume and cover letter) to https://apply.thehiretribe.com and email [email protected] with any questions.