JSU Director of Growth and Expansion

Community Programming/Education New York


Description

Position at NCSY

Who We Are:

NCSY, a program of the Orthodox Union, connects with Jewish teens through innovative, cutting-edge social and recreational programs to develop a positive Jewish identity. NCSY inspires Jewish teens through informal Jewish education, retreats, and summer programs. NCSY empowers teens through leadership development and guidance to become passionately committed leaders of the Jewish community and instruments for positive change and renewal. 

 

A JSU Club is a school-based Jewish student group run by NCSY’s Jewish Student Union (JSU), providing Jewish teens in public and non-Jewish private high schools with meaningful opportunities to connect, learn, and build community. Through engaging discussions, social activities, leadership development, and Jewish experiences, JSU clubs foster identity, belonging, and pride in a warm and inclusive environment

 

The Orthodox Union (OU) is one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. Founded in 1898, the OU supports a network of synagogues, youth programs, Jewish and Religious Zionist advocacy programs, programs for the disabled, localized religious study programs, and international units. The OU maintains a kosher certification service, whose circled U symbol, , is found on the labels of many kosher commercial and consumer food products.

 

Position Summary:

JSU is positioned for significant expansion, supported by new investment and a bold organizational goal: to meaningfully engage 100,000 Jewish teens, nearly one in three Jewish high school students in North America, within the next three years.

Achieving this level of impact requires a strategic, disciplined approach to growth. The JSU Director of Strategic Growth & Expansion will be responsible for thinking about expansion every day, where we grow, how we grow, and how we sustain engagement at scale. This role will lead the strategy, build systems, and develop and sustain partnerships that allow JSU to expand while ensuring growth is measurable and sustainable.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution and is a critical component of the organization's strategy to grow JSU’s programming breadth and depth.

 

Responsibilities:

Strategic Growth & Expansion

  • Identify and prioritize target geographies, schools, and communities for expansion
  • Research where clubs and teen engagement efforts exist outside the JSU umbrella and assess opportunities for integration
  • Develop and execute expansion strategies aligned with JSU’s three-year growth goals
  • Generate and pilot creative models for growth while maintaining program quality and mission alignment

Data, Metrics & Systems

  • Define, refine, and oversee core metrics related to growth, engagement, retention, and impact
  • Ensure consistent systems and methodologies for tracking expansion across key regions
  • Analyze data to inform strategic decisions
  • Prepare clear reports and insights for senior leadership and stakeholders

Retention, Reengagement & Pipeline

  • Lead strategy for retention and repeat engagement across the JSU ecosystem
  • Develop summer reengagement and continuity strategies to reduce drop-off between school years
  • Advance JSU’s middle school strategy to strengthen the long-term pipeline into high school programming
  • Identify engagement gaps and design solutions to improve long-term participation

Partnerships & External Relationships

  • Build and manage strategic partnerships with organizations such as JCCs, BBYO, Jewish middle schools, and other communal organizations
  • Strengthen relationships with school leadership, faculty, and boards

 

Core Competencies:

  • Strategic and systems-level thinking
  • Data-driven decision-making
  • Relationship-building and partnership development
  • Cross-functional leadership and collaboration
  • Program innovation and execution
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

 

Qualifications:

  • 5+ years of experience in growth, strategy, expansion, or program development roles
  • Demonstrated success scaling programs or initiatives across multiple sites or regions
  • Experience working with schools, nonprofits, or communal organizations
  • Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills

 

Salary & Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $85,000 - $100,000, commensurate with experience.

 

Health, Dental & Vision Insurance:
The OU offers health insurance through an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA). Instead of a single group plan, employees have the freedom to choose their own health insurance plan that fits their personal and family needs. The OU contributes a generous monthly amount directly toward your premium, making coverage more flexible, affordable, and tailored to you.

 

Employees enrolled in our health plan also receive an annual BeniComp stipend, a supplemental benefit that reimburses eligible medical, pharmaceutical, dental, and vision expenses.

 

In addition, the OU offers employees group dental and vision insurance through MetLife.

 

Additional Benefits and Perks: 

  • 10 paid sick days
  • 10-15 paid vacation days
  • Paid Jewish and Federal holidays
  • Short Fridays to accommodate for Sabbath observance
  • Free life and disability insurance
  • Discounted continuing education opportunities
  • 403(b) retirement plan with a 5% employer match after 3 years (requires a minimum 2% employee contribution)