Director of Operations
The Shul and Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan
Type: Full time, on site
Location: West bloomfield, Michigan
Reports to: Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov
About the role
The Shul and Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan (CLOM) are seeking a Director of Operations to bring coherent operational infrastructure to two related but distinct organizations that share leadership, staff, and back office functions.
The Shul is an established community synagogue offering educational, social, and spiritual programming across all ages. CLOM oversees Chabad activities and initiatives across the State of Michigan, including major public events, government relations, programmatic support to other shluchim, and statewide initiatives.
Both organizations have grown beyond what their current operational structure can sustain. The team is composed primarily of educators and program leaders. What is missing is a senior operational owner who can take responsibility for the financial, administrative, and facilities infrastructure that lets everyone else focus on their work. This role is the answer to that gap.
The Director of Operations will own shared infrastructure across both organizations, work directly with senior leadership on strategic operational decisions, and serve as the day-to-day operational anchor for the team.
Areas of responsibility
Financial operations
Own the operational financial infrastructure across both organizations. This includes monthly financial reporting, cash flow monitoring, accounts payable and receivable workflow, payroll coordination, and supporting the annual budgeting process. The role works closely with the existing external bookkeeping and accounting firms and with the internal bookkeeper. The Director of Operations is responsible for ensuring that financial information is accurate, current, and useful for leadership decision making.
Facilities, properties, and capital projects
Oversee the physical operations of the Shul building and any related properties. This includes preventative and reactive maintenance, vendor and contractor relationships, utilities and building systems, security coordination, and long term facility planning. The role also serves as
the organizational point person for capital repair projects, including coordination with project managers, contractors, and leadership. A meaningful piece of near term work involves a planned construction project on the main building.
The role also includes developing and implementing a rental strategy for a second building, coordinating tenants, agreements, pricing, and tracking income and costs.
Organizational systems and administration
Build and maintain the administrative systems that make the organization run. This includes office operations, vendor and purchasing processes, database and documentation systems, and the operational use of virtual administrative support. The role evaluates and implements technology and AI tools that streamline workflows and improve organizational effectiveness. Where systems do not yet exist, the Director of Operations is responsible for building them.
Strategic operational support to leadership
Function as a thought partner to the senior rabbi and other leadership on operational decisions, including how to structure the relationship between the Shul and CLOM operationally over time. The role is expected to make recommendations about staffing, structure, and resource allocation as the organization develops, and to surface operational risks and opportunities that leadership may not see from where they sit.
What we are looking for
The qualifications below describe the kind of person who will succeed in this role. The work moves between strategic conversations with leadership and hands on operational execution, and the right candidate finds energy in that range. We are open to candidates from any background, religious or secular, who can support and align with Chabad's mission and work effectively in a Jewish communal environment.
Required experience and capabilities
● Substantive experience in operations, ideally in a nonprofit or mission driven organization with multiple programs or entities.
● Demonstrated ability to take ownership of work that crosses functional boundaries, including finance, facilities, systems, and administration.
● Comfort working with financial reports, budgets, and the external accounting and bookkeeping relationships that produce them.
● Experience managing facilities, vendors, and capital projects, including coordinating contractors and tracking project budgets.
● Strong organizational and follow through capacity. The role inherits a backlog and needs to bring it under control.
● Comfort with technology tools and a working familiarity with current AI tools as they apply to organizational operations.
● Professional communication skills with leadership, staff, vendors, and external partners.
Disposition that fits this role
● Comfort moving between strategic conversations with senior leadership and hands on operational execution.
● Ability to function with limited initial scaffolding, building the systems that will eventually support the work.
● Patience for working in a values driven environment where mission considerations sit alongside operational ones.
● Willingness to support and align with Chabad's mission and to work within the rhythm of Jewish holidays and communal life.
Working with the existing team
The Director of Operations will join an established team of shluchim couples and staff who currently hold the operational work informally on top of their primary roles. Building working relationships with this team and clarifying who owns what going forward is part of the early work of the role. The Director of Operations is not coming in to replace existing staff. The position is being created to take ownership of work that currently has no clear owner.
Compensation
Salary range of $70,000 to $90,000, dependent on experience and qualifications. The position does not currently include health insurance benefits.
To apply
Interested candidates should submit a resume and a brief cover note describing their interest and relevant experience. Initial conversations will be with the senior rabbi and the consulting team supporting this hire.
About the organizations
The Shul is a community synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, offering educational, social, and spiritual programming across all ages, with a focus on welcoming Jews of every background.
Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan (CLOM) is the central office for Chabad activity across the State of Michigan, supporting public Jewish life, intercommunal initiatives, government relations, and programmatic and operational support for shluchim across the state.
Pay: $70,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
