Description
The Harold Grinspoon Foundation is seeking a dynamic Director of Books to lead the international team tasked with sourcing, curating, and creating the high-quality Jewish books which form the core of its flagship program, PJ Library. The Director will play an integral role on the PJ Library management team and lead the evolution and articulation of the program’s content strategy. More than 250 unique titles bearing the PJ Library logo are distributed annually across a growing number of markets, each an opportunity to engage the next generation of Jewish families in Jewish life. This position is an opportunity to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment on a program that is making a significant, positive impact on the lives of children and families around the globe, while offering meaningful work, the chance to work with phenomenal colleagues, and an attractive compensation and benefits package.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
PJ Library, a flagship program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, was launched with a humble beginning in 2005, sending books to children in western Massachusetts about Jewish holidays, culture, and values. Today PJ Library has grown into an internationally recognized $40M+ global cultural literacy venture. We partner with philanthropists and Jewish communities in more than 35 countries to provide families raising Jewish children with the gift of free high-quality children's books and resources that foster deeper engagement with Jewish life. PJ Library currently distributes approximately 680,000 books monthly and will continue to grow as we reach even more children around the world.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY
The Director of Books will build upon an already successful content framework, with the goals of:
- Ensuring that each program participant receives an excellent, varied collection of books.
- Growing and supporting an increasingly diverse group of skilled creators telling Jewish stories.
The ideal candidate thinks strategically, communicates with clarity, leads a professional team, and shares a love of Jewish stories. A deep understanding of children’s book publishing, global Jewish communities, Jewish identity formation, and the Jewish philanthropic landscape is an asset.
This is a full-time position, reporting to the Executive Director of PJ Library.
Daily presence in the HGF home office in Western Massachusetts, USA is preferred. Remote candidates will be considered, with a preference for candidates in the Northeast USA able to commit to regular visits to the home office. The Director will frequently represent HGF and PJ Library externally in various settings, with some travel required, including to Israel.
Responsibilities
- Maintain an unwavering focus on advancing the quality and diversity of books distributed by PJ Library. Ensure that PJ Library books remain resonant with subscriber families.
- Constantly seek to develop and expand new avenues for curating and creating books.
- Lead efforts to ensure the PJ Library book lineup more fully represents the diversity of the families and communities served by PJ Library.
- Oversee and manage the following teams and activity areas:
Book Selection
- Provide oversight to the committees responsible for curating monthly for PJ Library (ages 0-8) and PJ Our Way (ages 9-12), creating book flap content and collecting feedback from subscribers.
- Maintain open and collaborative relationships with directors and content leads for programs in other regions, including Israel, Latin America, Europe, South Africa, Russia and Ukraine.
Book Development and Acquisition, including propelling the expansion of new titles published through PJ Publishing (PJ Library’s in-house book imprint) and growing publication of translated editions.
Author and Illustrator Stewardship, strengthening and actively expanding our international network of experienced and emerging storytellers and publishers.
- Grow the PJ Library book canon according to the PJ Library and PJ Our Way content frameworks.
- Work closely with the Director of Family Experience to ensure strong alignment of book content and family engagement activities, with data from the field informing book curation and development, and data from book activities informing family experience decisions.
- Steward, identify and pursue partnerships with external organizations.
- Regularly support fundraising efforts as needed. This will likely include 1:1 meetings, group presentations, and contributing to grant proposals and reports.
- Partner with PJ Library family experience and marketing teams to support their goals of connecting families to additional Jewish opportunities and increasing the number of families engaged through the program.
- Represent PJ Library externally, including media requests and at professional gatherings.
- Work closely with the Executive Director to set and manage the annual department budget and track income and expenses.
- Regularly report program activity to the Executive Director and HGF Board of Trustees, as requested.
- Foster a supportive and collaborative work culture across the content team.
Requirements
- Deep knowledge in the areas of Jewish tradition, text, and the breadth of Jewish practice
- 10+ years of non-profit management or related experience
- A commitment to PJ Library’s goals
- Familiarity with global Jewish communities, inclusive of Israel
- Experience in managing a team, including remote staff
- Skill in strategic planning and strategy implementation
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral), including superior public speaking ability
- Ability to work collaboratively and foster teamwork
- Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
- A history identifying and leveraging data to inform key-decisions
- Demonstrated success in maintaining meaningful lay leader and donor relationships
Preferred to have the following:
- Familiarity with children’s book publishing
- Existing relationships with Jewish educational and communal organizations
- Experience with Salesforce CRM
COMPENSATION
SALARY
$175,000 to $190,000 annually
BENEFITS
Comprehensive benefits to include:
- Health Insurance
- Vision & Dental Insurance
- Flexible Spending Plan
- Short Term Disability Insurance
- Long Term Disability Insurance
- 401(k) Plan with Employer Match
- Paid Sick, Holiday and Vacation Time
TO APPLY
Email letter of interest and resume to Brenda Wishart at: Brenda_Wishart@aspensquare.com
The Harold Grinspoon Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are welcome to apply.