Chief Operating Officer

Job Description

Job Description

About The Vilna Shul, Bostons Center for Jewish Culture
The Vilna Shul is a cultural center in a historic synagogue building in downtown Boston. Our mission is to spark excitement and curiosity about Jewish arts and culture and our American immigrant story through vibrant and meaningful experiences.

Position Overview
As The Vilna enters a period of organizational growth - expanding programming, fundraising, staffing, and infrastructure - we are creating a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) role to strengthen our leadership team and build the internal systems required for long-term sustainability.

In 2025 alone, we established an ambitious strategic plan, integrated the Jewish Arts Collaborative, launched the quiet phase of our capital campaign, and raised 20% of the total campaign goal. Alongside these milestones, we diversified our program strategy, expanded our reach, grew our database, and more than doubled our operating budget.

The COO will serve as the organizations senior leader for internal operations and organizational infrastructure. As a core member of the Executive Leadership Team, the COO is responsible for building and managing the systems, people, finances, and processes that enable The Vilna to grow with discipline, clarity, and sustainability. Working in close partnership with the Executive Director, the COO translates strategic priorities into operational reality - ensuring the organization is financially strong, well-governed, efficiently run, and built for growth.

This is a newly created role with significant opportunity to shape systems, culture, and structure across the organization. The ideal candidate brings both strategic perspective and operational discipline, balancing long-term planning with pragmatic, hands-on execution.

Core Responsibilities

1. Strategic Finance & Business Operations

• Lead multi-year financial planning, forecasting, and scenario modeling
• Develop and manage cash flow, liquidity, and investment strategy (short- and long-term)
• Oversee budgeting, financial controls, and reporting systems
• Lead audit process and financial compliance
• Partner with the Executive Director on board-facing financial leadership
• Support strategic growth and capital planning through financial analysis
• Serve as management lead for internal committees, including Budget & Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Investment Subcommittee, and Facilities, Security & IT Committee
• Coordinate agendas, advance materials, and follow-up for committee meetings and board reporting

2. Strategic Execution Partner to the Executive Director

• Translate strategic plan into operational roadmaps
• Manage KPIs and organizational performance metrics
• Lead internal change management and cross-department alignment
• Prepare operational dashboards and materials for board review

3. People & Organizational Systems (HR)

• Design and evolve organizational structure and role clarity
• Lead hiring systems, onboarding processes, and workforce planning
• Develop compensation frameworks and benefits strategy
• Oversee staff policies, performance systems, and culture stewardship
• Build professional development and leadership pathways

4. Facilities, Capital & Risk

• Lead long-term facilities strategy and participate in capital planning for a historic site
• Serve as internal owner for major renovation, infrastructure, and capital projects
• Manage insurance strategy, organizational risk management, and business continuity planning
• Oversee vendor and contract management across facilities, IT, security, finance, and professional services

5. IT, Data & Internal Systems

• Oversee internal technology infrastructure (CRM, finance, HR, ticketing)
• Establish data governance and internal dashboards
• Lead cybersecurity and data privacy strategy
• Drive continuous improvement of workflows and organizational processes

6. Operations & Compliance

• Lead day-to-day organizational operations and policies
• Ensure legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements are met
• Strengthen cross-department workflows and internal communication

Leadership Qualities

• High emotional intelligence and strong listening skills
• Calm, structured, and steady in complex environments
• Highly collaborative and low-ego in leadership style
• Ability to bring clarity to ambiguity
• Motivated by building systems rather than personal visibility

Experience & Skills

• Senior operational leadership experience (nonprofit, arts and culture, and/or Jewish communal organization preferred)
• Strong financial acumen and systems thinking
• Experience leading organizational growth, transformation, and scaling
• Comfort working with boards and senior leadership
• Exceptional project management and communication skills
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational systems (CRM, finance, HR, or ticketing platforms)
• Strong negotiation and vendor management skills
• Ability to translate organizational needs into system requirements
• Experience overseeing facilities, capital projects, or complex physical operations is a plus

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building systems, strengthening teams, and turning strategy into sustainable operations - serving as the architect for institutional strength at a growing, mission-driven organization.

Salary & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 $165,000, commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits.

This is a full-time position based at The Vilna's Beacon Hill office. The COO is also expected to be present at approximately two Vilna programs or events per month, which may include evenings, weekends or holidays.

How to Apply
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume in one pdf using the apply button on this page or at No phone calls please. If you are having trouble uploading, please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com.

Applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis. We thank you for your interest in career opportunities at The Vilna.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The Vilna Shul provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, The Vilna Shul complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.