Executive Director, Israel Educational Travel Alliance - JFNA

Executive Director, Israel Educational Travel Alliance

The Jewish Federations of North America ("JFNA") consist of 141 Jewish Federations and dozens of Network communities which collectively raise and distribute more than $3 billion annually to support flourishing Jewish life and the needs of the Jewish people in their home communities and around the world. The Jewish Federation system, among the top 10 charities on the continent, leads the largest network of volunteer and professional leaders who build and sustain Jewish communities that are healthy, safe, caring, welcoming and inclusive, educated and engaged, involved in the broader community, and deeply connected to Israel and the global Jewish people.

The Israel Educational Travel Alliance (IETA), housed at JFNA, is the only entity solely dedicated to strengthening the field of Israel educational travel. Powered by a network of 150+ partner organizations and 700+ professionals, IETA helps ensure that high-impact travel experiences continue to deepen Jewish identity, strengthen relationships with Israel and Israelis, and build informed, connected, and resilient communities.

Founded in 2020, IETA serves as a backbone organization for the field by building shared infrastructure, translating field insight into action, elevating best practices, and helping organizations navigate an increasingly complex Israel travel environment.

JFNA seeks a strategic, highly capable, and mission-driven Executive Director to serve as the senior execution lead for IETA's next phase of growth. Reporting to the Vice President of North American Israel Strategy, the Executive Director will turn IETA's strategic plan into clear priorities, strong systems, practical resources, and meaningful support for partner organizations.

The Executive Director will lead execution across IETA's core portfolio: convenings and professional engagement; research, learning, and best-practice sharing; and field infrastructure, including emergency response systems developed with the Jewish Agency for Israel. The Vice President will continue to lead strategy, senior oversight, and key funder and stakeholder relationships.

This role requires a strategic operator who can bring clarity, structure, and momentum to complex work while building trust across a diverse field. The right candidate will help strengthen IETA as the connective platform that enables the Israel educational travel field to learn, adapt, collaborate, and expand its impact.

Convenings & Professional Engagement

• Lead IETA's major in-person and virtual convenings, including the annual Leaders Summit, virtual community conversations, Advisory Committee meetings, and other field-wide gatherings.
• Shape convenings around clear field needs and practical outcomes, helping organizations move from shared conversation to stronger practice.
• Develop opportunities for professional learning, peer exchange, and collaboration across the Israel educational travel ecosystem.
• Maintain regular mechanisms for understanding field needs, including partner check-ins, working groups, structured feedback loops, and ongoing relationship management.
• Support partner organizations with timely information, resources, and field-wide updates.

Research and Best-Practice Dissemination

• Manage IETA's research and learning agenda so that field data and partner insight inform strategy, education, advocacy, and program improvement.
• Lead field research activities, including surveys, interviews, landscape scans, partner feedback, and post-program learning.
• Work with internal and external research partners to synthesize data on participation trends, field conditions, program models, and emerging needs.
• Translate findings into clear reports, presentations, webinars, tools, and practical resources.
• Manage IETA's website and resource hub as a central platform for research, tools, best practices, and timely field information.

Field Infrastructure & Partnerships

• Lead IETA's field infrastructure work, translating shared needs into practical systems, tools, resources, and coordinated supports.
• Build out IETA's emergency infrastructure system in partnership with the Jewish Agency for Israel to support organizations during changing or urgent conditions.
• Support the Vice President of North American Israel Strategy in advancing shared priorities with funders, Israeli institutions, industry partners, government stakeholders, JFNA colleagues, and field leaders.
• Manage follow-through on cross-sector initiatives, moving field priorities from conversation to implementation.
• Prepare clear materials for field infrastructure and external engagement, including proposals, reports, briefings, presentations, and meeting follow-up.
• Represent IETA in selected meetings and forums where IETA's perspective can advance field solutions.

The ideal candidate is a strategic operator with strong judgment, high follow-through, and a deep commitment to strengthening Israel educational travel. They are energized by building something that serves an entire field, not just one organization.

They can move between big-picture strategy and practical execution, bringing clarity, structure, and momentum to complex work. They know that trust is built through preparation, listening, responsiveness, and delivery.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of relevant experience in nonprofit leadership, Jewish communal work, Israel education, educational travel, field-building, philanthropy, or a related area.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex initiatives, build systems, and move work from strategy to implementation.
• Strong understanding of Israel educational travel and/or the North American Jewish communal ecosystem.
• Experience working across networks, coalitions, funders, institutional partners, or other multi-stakeholder environments.
• Strong project management, writing, communication, relationship-building, and analytical skills.
• Strong judgment, emotional intelligence, discretion, and comfort operating in a fast-changing environment.
• Hebrew proficiency preferred.
• Willingness to travel within North America and to Israel, as needed.

The salary range for this position is $135,000–$150,000, commensurate with experience.

JFNA offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, FSA, a defined contribution plan, generous vacation policy, paid legal and Jewish holidays, life insurance, parental leave, and flexible remote work practices. JFNA's compensation philosophy strives to be externally competitive and internally fair. JFNA also offers voluntary learning programs throughout the year in subjects of interest to staff.