POSITION DESCRIPTION
Position Title: Interim Religious Education Director
Employment Status: Part-Time (up to 32 hours per week), Non-Exempt, Temporary
Compensation: $30-35/hr
Reports to: Executive Director with support from Rabbi
GENERAL OVERVIEW:
The Interim Religious Education Director oversees all aspects of the Religious Education Program, in accordance with the policies, goals and objectives of the Board of Trustees. In this position, the Interim Religious Education Director:
- Implements and carries out the policies and programs approved by the Board of Trustees. Ensures the smooth and orderly operation of the Religious Education Program.
- Collaborates and works closely with the Rabbi, Board of Trustees, and the Religious Education Committee in the ongoing maintenance of Religious School programs and curriculum (currently Shalom Learning). Ensures adherence to Temple Beth El’s vision for education.
- Reports regularly to the Executive Director, Rabbi, and Board of Trustees on the status and activities falling under the scope of the Interim Religious Education Director.
- Provides sufficient data to enable the Rabbi and Board of Trustees to make informed decisions on educational matters.
- Is present at all major synagogue functions.
- Works towards ensuring a warm, positive relationship with children and families.
- The Interim Religious Education Director will be part of Temple Beth El’s educational team, along with the Rabbi, Early Childhood Education Director, and Youth Advisor.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:
Essential duties and responsibilities include the following:
Educational Programming
- Organize, coordinate, and supervise (and design, as needed) academic instruction and educational programming for children and teens.
- Maintain, implement, and review all curricula and programming, including extracurricular programming and enrichment activities, for Religious School grades Pre-K through 12.
- Work with the Religious Education Committee and other appropriate committees. Attend meetings and assist chairs in setting meeting dates and preparing agendas and board reports. Execute tasks agreed upon with committees. Work with other Temple Beth El committees and affiliates as appropriate.
- At times, participate in group meetings/classes with b-mitzvah families.
- Track students’ Hebrew progress.
- Ensure that children of all abilities and learning types are able to participate in Religious Education Programming and synagogue life.
Human Resources
- Recruit, interview, and determine the selection, promotion, retention or dismissal of all Religious School personnel, in accordance with established protocol.
- Directly supervise all Religious School teachers, madrichol, and other staff and volunteers. Work with staff to facilitate professional competence.
- Conduct regular faculty meetings.
- Provide substitute teachers or arrange other programming when teachers are absent. Provide in-service training for teaching staff.
- Maintain a climate that attracts, keeps and motivates a diverse high-quality staff.
- Abide by the policies and procedures described in the Temple Beth El Bylaws and Employee Handbook, and other such policies and procedures as applicable.
Financial/Business Management
- Administer the Religious Education Program budget with the guidance of the Executive Director and/or Budget & Finance Committee Chair.
- Prepare periodic reports on enrollment statistics and overall school performance.
- Supervise total administrative function, which includes task delegation, records, public relations, publicity, and payroll, in accordance with established administrative policy.
- Ensure proper billing and collection in accordance with established procedure.
Congregational Responsibilities
- Implement and communicate educational philosophy.
- Participate in all staff and senior staff meetings.
- Promote and present “face” of the school to Temple Beth El members, prospective members and the community at large. Update and maintain current information on congregation’s website and email blasts. Write/coordinate school-related press releases, articles, and publicity for the bulletin and community newspapers, magazines, etc.
- Work with synagogue committees and affiliates as appropriate.
- Participate in ongoing congregational activities, celebrations, functions, and programs. Attend and participate in family Shabbat services, b-mitzvah services, holiday and other services as appropriate and time permits.
- Organize and coordinate with clergy special events held to recognize students’ and teachers’ achievements or to celebrate special events in school, e.g., Consecration, Confirmation, graduation, family Shabbat services, teacher appreciation Shabbat, etc.
- Provide guidance to congregants around education and family relationships.
- Supervise Children’s Library.
- Help to recruit for Jewish summer camps.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
- Reports to Executive Director
- Regular interface with Rabbi
- Supervises Youth Advisor, Religious School faculty, and Madrichol
- Works closely with Board Education Liaisons and Board of Trustees
- Member of Senior Staff Team
- Represents Temple Beth El within both the Jewish and general community
- Serves on committees and tasks forces as deemed appropriate
CORE COMPETENCIES:
- Mission Ownership: Demonstrates understanding and full support of the mission, vision, values and beliefs of Temple Beth El. Can teach those values to others. Leads their leadership team to identify unique educational mission and vision, including identifying new programs (strategies, initiatives, etc.), which are in line with the mission and vision of the synagogue.
- Interpersonal skills: Demonstrates the ability to lead others. Demonstrates skills of active listening and openly accepts criticism. Productively engages and resolves interpersonal conflict. When appropriate, holds others accountable in a productive, constructive and kind manner.
- Team Building Skills: Guides staff in the process of sharing best practices, identifying and solving common problems. Works with leaders to regularly assess the health of teams and groups. Recognizes dysfunctional team behavior and redirects it into functional behavior. Creates and communicates vision, direction and goals for the team.
- Process Management: Good at figuring out the processes necessary to get things done; knows how to organize people and activities; understands how to separate and combine tasks into efficient workflow.
- Problem Solving: Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; probes all fruitful sources for answers; can see hidden problems; is excellent at analysis; looks beyond the obvious.
- Caring Community: Promotes Temple Beth El’s commitment to building and sustaining a warm and welcoming culture. Acts as a model to staff; guides and empowers staff to engage in practices and build relationships with children, parents and congregants that support welcoming, excellent service and education, and meaningful, positive interactions.
This is a non-exempt, part-time, temporary position. Nights and weekends, routinely Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, plus others intermittently, will be required. Other duties may be assigned and duties may change from time to time. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The employee can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
Temple Beth El is an equal opportunity employer. We are a caring community devoted to promoting the values to Judaism. We strive to create a welcoming community characterized by study, worship, and tikkon olam, helping to alleviate suffering and repair the world. We do not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or any employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status.