Director of Development & Communications

Job Type: Full-time, exempt, with competitive benefits.

Location: Remote; Must be located in California.

Salary: $100,000 – $130,000, depending on experience.

Reporting to JPAC’s Executive Director, we seek a highly motivated and dedicated individual to serve as the Director of Development & Communications. This role largely involves leading efforts in fostering relationships with key stakeholders, driving engagement, and ensuring the success of critical programs. This individual will prioritize fundraising while also developing and overseeing the organization’s communications strategies and other stakeholder management responsibilities, including managing a key contact program and securing appointments to state boards and commissions.

About JPAC: The Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC) is the voice of California’s Jewish community to the State Capitol. Composed of 40 leading Jewish community organizations across the state, JPAC advocates in Sacramento on behalf of the Jewish community’s concerns and broadly shared values. JPAC member organizations – including Jewish Federations, Jewish Community Relations Councils, Jewish Family Service agencies, and others – collectively serve hundreds of thousands of Californians of all backgrounds and represent the interests of California’s 1.2 million Jews, making it the largest single-state coalition of Jewish organizations in the nation.

Since 2022, JPAC has driven advocacy efforts for 44 successful bills and secured over $450 million from the state budget for a wide range of community priorities, including security infrastructure and refugee resettlement.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

1. Development (Primary Focus)

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Board to plan and execute fundraising campaigns that advance JPAC’s mission.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with potential donors, ensuring consistent engagement and stewardship.
• Oversee donor communication strategies, including personalized outreach and acknowledgment.
• Write grant proposals and manage relationships with grant makers.
• Lead the management of EveryAction, JPAC’s CRM database.

1. Stakeholder Management

• Key Contact Program:
  • Recruit and develop a cohort of dedicated volunteers who will build meaningful relationships with influential state legislators and be their consistent points of contact for JPAC priority issues.
  • Create and lead advocacy and relationship-building trainings for key contacts and support their ongoing engagement efforts with their lawmaker(s).
  • Maintain strong relationships with key contacts and curate insider updates about breaking policy issues of importance to the Jewish community.
  • Activate key contacts ahead of votes for JPAC priorities.
• Appointments Program:
  • Identify opportunities to place qualified individuals from JPAC’s network on state boards and commissions, advancing representation for the Jewish community.
  • Build relationships with decision-makers to facilitate successful appointments, and host appointment trainings and networking events to connect them with potential appointees.
  • Support appointees with resources and guidance to ensure long-term success.

1. Communications Management

• Develop and implement a communications strategy that aligns with stakeholder engagement efforts, amplifying JPAC’s advocacy work and impact.
• Write op-eds, letters, newsletters, action alerts, press releases, social media posts, and statements to amplify JPAC’s advocacy work and impact.
• Build relationships with media contacts to enhance coverage of JPAC’s initiatives.
• Create marketing materials and reports to highlight JPAC’s achievements to donors and stakeholders.
• Oversee messaging and promotion of programs to ensure successful events that advance fundraising and advocacy goals.
• Raise funds for, hire, and manage a communications associate.

1. General Support

• As a small team, all members are responsible for helping to coordinate and manage event logistics and staffing the events.
• Undertake special projects and other tasks as assigned by the JPAC Executive Director.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Political Science, or a related field (Master's preferred).
• At least five years of fundraising experience – including donor cultivation and stewardship – or a related role in stakeholder engagement, preferably in the nonprofit or advocacy sector.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with competence to fully drive projects and make independent, strategic decisions.
• Outstanding writing and oral communication skills, including public speaking and interpersonal relationship management.
• Relationships with media contacts at California, national, and Jewish publications a plus.
• Connections to and knowledge of California’s Jewish community and/or an understanding of its values and priorities.
• Commitment to working towards inclusivity and social justice while fighting antisemitism and anti-Zionism.
• Comfort in working with colleagues remotely across California. Familiarity and comfort with administering Zoom meetings and webinars. Ability to travel as needed.
• Technical competence: Familiarity and comfort in CRM systems, reasonable level of experience using Microsoft Office, Dropbox, and Google software, and comfort learning new technology.

Equal Opportunity & Diversity: JPAC seeks to create a diverse work environment because teams are stronger with different perspectives and experiences. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic background, gender, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. We encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others from minority groups and diverse backgrounds to apply. All employees and contractors of JPAC are responsible for maintaining a work culture free from discrimination and harassment.