Director of Early Childhood and Congregational Education

Director of Early Childhood and Congregational Education

The Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE-Miami), the educational arm of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, is seeking a passionate and innovative Jewish educator to join our outstanding, nationally recognized team as Director of our Departments of Early Childhood (1/2 time) and Congregational Education (1/2 time), a Full-Time position. The ideal candidate is one who is energized by relationship and community building, envisions a strategic process for increasing quality in our Jewish schools and creatively implements strategies in collaboration with EC and Congregational Educational professionals as well as volunteer leadership.

Anticipated start date of June/July 2023.  This job is based at our offices located at 4200 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33137, with remote work on days you spend in the field.

CAJE-Miami (www.caje-miami.org) has a budget of over $3M with 19 employees that serve our 6 markets/departments: Adults, Miami Jewish Film Festival, Teens, Day Schools, Congregational Education and Early Childhood Education.

The Director of Early Childhood and Congregational Education reports to, and meets weekly with, the Executive Director of CAJE-Miami and is part of our CAJE Senior Educational Team. There are funds allocated to the department for professional development of the Director as well as for Early Childhood and Congregational Education school leaders.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Educational Leadership

• Serve as a thought leader and visionary in the area of early childhood education and congregational education for our community and its institutions
• Identify trends and best practices
• Support schools in implementing their goals and developing new models of education by offering consulting with ECE and CE directors, volunteer leaders and executive staff of their host organizations
• Compile resources and write articles for volunteer leadership and the general public promoting current issues in the fields of ECE and CE

Network Weaver

• Convene the two separate networks of EC and CE directors and maintain and facilitate online communication with and amongst the EC and CE professionals
• Develop strong, ongoing relationships with ECE and CE directors
• Nurture connections with volunteer leaders from both departments in order to strengthen their advocacy and support
• Identify future volunteer leadership for their involvement in and passion for the area of focus

Teach

• Support and/or lead Communities of Practice for directors and/or teachers in ongoing professional development
• Lead Jewish learning sessions at various CAJE-Miami and community sponsored events, i.e. Miami Jewish Film Festival
• Consult and coach directors on various educational matters

Market Management and Committee Support

• Develop and oversee both ECE and CE budgets
• Coordinate community funding for scholarships, subsidies and grants awarded to directors and teachers who are members of the networks
• Create calendars for network meetings, committee meetings, professional development sessions and create agendas with input from professional and volunteer leaders
• Foster volunteer leader participation by identifying meaningful work for the ECE and CE committees
• Represent the ECE and CE departments to the community
• Understand and facilitate team building and lay leadership development

Collaboration and Innovation

• Foster collaborative initiatives amongst ECEs and CEs that address their needs and/or goals
• Develop programs that support collaboration between our ECE/CE professionals and our colleagues in Yerucham, our partnership city in Israel.
• Seek out opportunities to collaborate with PJ Library and other national initiatives
• Promote new ways to consider and construct family engagement opportunities, both on an organization/congregation and a community level
• Identify grant opportunities for the institutions

WHO YOU ARE

• Passionate about Jewish living and learning. Open-minded and curious. Deep knowledge of Jewish holidays, customs and practices. Able to give a Dvar Torah that speaks to all parts of our very diverse Jewish community, from Orthodox to Just Jewish
• Advanced degree required (PhD, EdD, or Master’s) with at least 5 years of experience and expertise in ECE education. Familiarity and/or experience with congregational education is a plus (if not, we will provide/ pay for the PD needed to make up the deficit)
• Proven track record in creating and implementing programs and procedures that impact development and growth
• A self-starter who shows initiative and dedication to quality
• A creative and strategic thinker who seeks out resources and opportunities to strengthen professional development for the educators we serve
• A compelling speaker and cogent, clear writer
• Ability to organize ideas, people and time into a plan of action and clearly communicate the plan to all stakeholders
• Outstanding interpersonal, teaching and leadership skills
• Adept with technology and able to seek out new technology to help achieve goals
• Literacy in Microsoft Office Suite; Constant Contact and social media ability a plus
• Basic Hebrew proficiency

WHAT WE OFFER

• A supportive, encouraging environment with a great team of colleagues
• Excellent benefits: 22 days paid vacation days per year, all Jewish holidays, sick leave, medical, vision, dental, life insurance, pension, long term disability; unpaid family leave, professional dues, yearly conference, paid professional development opportunities, books, company laptop, optional short-term disability
• Work schedule: Flexibility in office hours, leave early for Shabbat/ Jewish holidays, closed all Jewish holidays

HOW TO APPLY

• Please submit your resume and cover letter highlighting your qualifications to [email protected]
• Familiarize yourself with our website (caje-miami.org) and read the Summary Report of Miami’s 2014 demographic study outlining the distinctive qualities for the Miami Jewish community at https://jewishmiami.org/populationstudy/
• If asked, be prepared to send an article you’ve written about Early Childhood Education and a 2-3 minute video in which you describe an issue or challenge currently facing Jewish ECE and your thoughts on how you might address this issue from a community perspective.

The Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education is an equal opportunity employer.