Community Manager

POSITION TITLE:

Community Engagement Manager

DEPARTMENT:
Impact

REPORTS TO:

Senior Director, Community Engagement

The Community Engagement Manager is responsible for creating meaningful pathways that connect individuals to Jewish life and to Jewish Columbus. This role focuses on identifying, engaging, and building lasting relationships with people who are new or newly connected to the Jewish community, whether they are young adults, young families, newcomers to Columbus, or individuals exploring Jewish life at different stages of their journey.

Working closely with community partners, synagogues, agencies, and volunteer leaders, the Community Engagement Manager develops and implements innovative engagement strategies that foster authentic relationships, strengthen community belonging, cultivate leadership, and inspire philanthropy.

As the Jewish community continues to grow and evolve, this individual will identify emerging trends, build strategic partnerships, and design engagement experiences that move individuals from initial connection to sustained participation, volunteer leadership, and long-term investment in Jewish Columbus and the broader Jewish community. Young adult engagement will be a significant area of focus, while remaining part of a broader community-wide engagement strategy that serves people across multiple ages and stages of life.

• Implement the Jewish Columbus' community engagement strategy, with a significant focus on individuals who are new or newly engaged with Jewish life and Jewish Columbus.
• Design, implement, and scale innovative engagement pathways that inspire connection, leadership, and philanthropy.
• Serve as an internal and external thought leader on trends impacting young adult engagement and Jewish identity.
• Monitor demographic, social, and engagement trends that influence how people connect with the Jewish community across different ages and stages of life.
• Establish clear goals, metrics, and evaluation frameworks to measure impact, growth, and organizational impact.

• Cultivate authentic relationships with individuals who are new or newly connected to Jewish life, helping them discover meaningful ways to engage with the Columbus Jewish community.
• Identify, recruit, and engage individuals who are not yet meaningfully connected to the organized Jewish community, with a particular focus on emerging adults and other key growth populations.
• Create high-impact engagement experiences and meaningful touchpoints that resonate across life stages and interests.
• Strengthen strategic partnerships with community organizations, agencies, synagogues, and affinity networks to expand reach, collaboration, and community impact.

• Serve as the primary staff partner to committees and lay leaders supporting community engagement initiatives, strengthening their effectiveness and impact.
• Cultivate a diverse pipeline of emerging lay leaders that reflects and strengthens the future of the Columbus Jewish community.
• Develop and execute strategies that integrate engagement and philanthropy, fostering a culture of generosity among newly engaged community members and future community leaders.
• Manage and grow a portfolio of donors and high-potential prospects through effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Build a pipeline of future community leaders and major donors by guiding individuals from initial engagement to meaningful philanthropic participation.
• Partner with development and impact colleagues to align outreach, monitor progress, and convert engagement into measurable fundraising outcomes.
• Establish and achieve fundraising goals, including donor acquisition, retention, upgrades, and total dollars raised.
• Embed philanthropy throughout programs and engagement experiences, consistently reinforcing the impact of giving.
• Leverage data and insights to identify trends, prioritize opportunities, and refine strategies that increase engagement, participation, and giving.
• Oversee the development and delivery of innovative, high-impact engagement programs and experiences that advance organizational priorities.
• Apply a co-creation approach by partnering with participants and community members to co-create engagement experiences that reflect evolving interests, needs, and life stages.
• Ensure programs and engagement initiatives align with strategic priorities and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to use digital platforms, social media, and engagement data to inform strategy, optimize outreach, and enhance community participation.
• Continuously evaluate and refine offerings based on participant feedback and emerging trends.

• >8 years of progressively responsible experience in community engagement, development, or a related field, including experience leading strategic initiatives, partnerships, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Proven ability to build…