Community Creator/Director of Operations

This full-time opportunity seeks an individual who knows how to convert vision into impact. An operational Swiss-Army Knife, the ideal candidate loves identifying creative solutions to operations, and can understand the big picture of a project and break it down into a roadmap for success. They will wield their “crazy operations skills” like an alchemist, and enter our organizations as a member of our leadership team. The ideal candidate will love both the details involved in building out successful non-profits as well as thrive in a creative community.  

Located steps away from Abbot Kinney Blvd., Open Temple and Electric Lodge are anchor organizations for Venice, CA, having served the community collectively for over 30 years. Fueled by the values of Creativity, Arts, Earth, Love, and Truth, the organizations serve Venice’s local community as well as attract thousands of others from across Los Angeles and beyond.

The Community Creator is an operations whisperer, management guru, and systems thinker motivated to assume a key leadership role in advancing these two nonprofit institutions both outward and inward facing. The CC oversees and is ultimately responsible for all day-to-day operations as described below, with special attention given to a non-profit’s greatest resource – Our People. Reporting to the Founding Rabbi and Artistic Director, the CC provides professional support to the Rabbi, lay leadership and co-creators (members) with a 21st Century vision of creative spiritual community formation.

Some objectives of our immediate future: managing the transition and establishing the merger of a theater/rental space (Electric Lodge) and spiritual start-up (Open Temple), which are located on the same campus and which share a collaborative vision for the future of Venice, CA; monetizing our space for new revenue streams; identifying and reducing redundancies in operations; implementing our strategic plan; and most importantly – having a blast through all of it with laughter, light and love.

We are looking for someone who might have been in the production or corporate world and asked themselves “Is this all there is?” or “How can I lean more into my values through my work?” This position promises personal growth and fulfillment, impact on people’s lives and bringing a smile to people’s faces. The Community Creator will leave the world a better place than they found it through co-creating a creative spiritual playground for all who seek.

Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Hire, train, manage & motivate staff and independent contractors Undertake outreach efforts to build and expand partnerships with organizations & individuals Create and maintain all operations systems including HR (i.e. employee files, ensuring personnel reviews are conducted, coordinate annual updating of the Employee Handbook and relevant financial and HR policies and ensure that job descriptions are current)

Operations

• Oversee facilities operations and administration  Troubleshoot and streamline office systems Vendor management including contracts, proposals, and quotes 

Finance

• Oversee day-to-day financial operations, including payments to vendors and payroll, managing the finances within the approved budgets Prepare annual budgets in consultation with the Board, Rabbi, and staff Manage financial records in Quickbooks with support from bookkeeper Review monthly financial reports and provide analysis for the Board and Founding Rabbi   Financial, enrollment and general correspondence with Creative Torah Academy and B. Mitzvah families, as well as those enrolled in other classes/workshops

Event Point Person

• Oversee events including High Holy Days: Responsible for all logistics and administrative tasks, including event listing (Eventbrite), coordination of external vendors, staff assignments and lay leadership involvement Manage Open Temple and Electric Lodge calendar, use of the facility and logistical support for both organizations Significant and consistent presence at Open Temple Happenings

Strategy & Membership

• Collaborate on strategic planning, responsible for the execution of the strategic plan Own the development and execution of Open Temple’s membership strategy to convert participants into Co-Creators/Members Meet annual goals for Co-Creatorship renewal, conversion, and expansion Responsible for volunteer strategy and the recruitment and management of volunteers Responsible for leading development efforts  Provide administrative support to the Rabbi concerning co-creators Identify and activate future lay leadership Oversee, manage and assess data in Salesforce in order to integrate and optimize  The Community Creator should have “yenta-level knowledge” of congregants and activate co-creators towards engagement and community building

Marketing & Communications

• Oversight of team to ensure marketing objectives are being met and all communication channels remain on brand Collaborate with Founding Rabbi to develop annual marketing plan Ensure websites are updated

Development

• Work closely with the Board and Rabbi to create appropriate fundraising strategies and goals, execute the associated activities Play a visible and active role in fundraising efforts Develop and cultivate relationships with foundation officers; Oversee grant reports and proposals Develop a system for tracking donor behavior (engagement, giving, etc.) to support cultivating donors over time Cultivate relationships with community members and potential donors Participate in solicitations of donors

Qualifications:

Required:

• 7+ years working in a non-profit environment or equivalent experience Deep financial acumen: Understands financial management and accounting principles and ensures that fiscal controls and procedures are adhered to Project management skills: Ability to prioritize, make decisions quickly and exercise initiative and sound judgment Proficiency with Google Office, WordPress, Salesforce, Eventbrite, and Mailchimp Social Media Literate Positive attitude, approachable, functions with clarity, transparency and integrity Able to build and sustain relationships with diverse constituencies Able to foster collaboration, build consensus and create win-win interactions Strong written and oral communications skills Organized and able to put clear and efficient processes in place Ability to see the big picture and think strategically about topics of importance to Open Temple and Electric Lodge now and in the future Ability to work evening and weekend hours as needed to attend events and meetings Familiarity with Jewish ritual, holiday and life-cycle traditions

Desirable:

• Experience working with spiritual community or other service organizations Experience working with theaters Experience with rental spaces Relevant Master’s degree or certificate in non-profit management

Cultural Fit:

• Personally invested in the overlapping missions of Open Temple and Electric Lodge Entrepreneurial zeal: Goes the extra mile for excellence Curious, a desire to continually learn and grow Generative, positive, takes ownership Confident and professional Strong work ethic, sets goals, gets things done Team player: Happy to help with areas outside job description, does whatever needs to be done Genuinely cares about our people and treats them with warmth and love Able to solve problems independently and efficiently Willing to put the work of the team above personal agenda Fun as heck and excited to create staff on-site culture through healing, creative and spiritual arts to express our values through our staff experiences.

Salary $110,000+ package with benefits and commensurate with experience.

Interested Candidates should email cover letter and CV in PDF format to: hello@opentemple.org