Networks Manager

Gather, Inc.’s Networks Manager will be instrumental in deepening Gather’s relational capacity and supporting Bay Area community partners infuse a more strategically relational approach to their work in building Jewish life across the Bay Area.

We are looking for an action-oriented, people-centered individual with 3–5 years of professional experience in the nonprofit, community engagement, training and facilitation, and/or Jewish community space with a sophisticated understanding of the tenets of relationship-based engagement (RBE). We offer a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. 

This role is fully funded for two years by a grant from the San Francisco Jewish Community Foundation (SFJCF), with potential to extend.

TITLE: Networks Manager

SALARY: $70,000–$75,000*

LOCATION: San Francisco Bay Area (Hybrid)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 13, 2023 @ 11:59 PDT

ANTICIPATED START DATE: Monday, September 11, 2023

*Salary range based on Gather, Inc.’s organizational salary bands scaled to the Bay area.

Frequently cited statistics show that historical biases in hiring lead to less applications from women and underrepresented groups unless they have 100% of the qualifications. Gather, Inc. is committed to removing bias in hiring; as such, we encourage you to break that statistic and apply. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications! We look forward to your application.

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WHO WE ARE:

Growing from the success of hyperlocal GatherDC’s relational engagement methodology, Gather, Inc. is an emergent project that trains change agents in the Jewish community to bring a relationship-centered approach to every aspect of their work, prioritizing the quality of Jewish connections and experiences over attendance. Our lived commitment to this relational methodology enables communities and leaders around the country to become ongoing partners in helping people access and create meaningful Jewish life wherever they seek it. 

Gather, Inc.’s Trainings pillar of work helps organizations center relationships through customized one-off trainings, longer-term cohorts, retreats, and one-on-one coaching. Our Trainings team guides partners in implementing a people-centered approach in their communal work, thus shifting the national Jewish landscape to a more relationally-centered model.

Gather’s on-the-ground work in the Bay Area—through the work of our Trainings team and more recently our team at GatherBay—has strengthened the fabric of communal Jewish life by infusing a more relational approach into Jewish life in the Bay Area. Gather has partnered closely with the San Francisco Jewish Community Foundation (SFJCF) over the last four years in training and supporting the Peer Connectors program; with the addition of the  Networks Manager position, Gather will absorb the entirety of running the Connectors program and explore bringing a more networks-based approach to communal collaboration in the Bay. 

WHO YOU ARE: 

The Networks Manager will be the third member of Gather, Inc.’s Trainings team. Reporting to the Director of Trainings but working closely with the GatherBay Community Director, you will own the management and facilitation of SFJCF’s established Connectors program and deepen GatherBay’s relational infrastructure and capacity by cultivating and deepening communities of practice in the Bay Area.

You understand the necessity for relational work within the Jewish world and have a deep foundational knowledge of the tenets of on-the-ground relationship-based engagement. Through your work, community engagers, organizations, and institutions across the Bay Area will develop the tools they need to approach community-building with a relational approach. More organizations will be in deeper relationship with each other and more Jewish professionals will become practitioners of relationship-based engagement. 

While you will be a core member of the three-person Trainings team, you will be working and connecting with people and organizations in the Bay Area—as such, you will be deeply embedded in the community weaving work of the GatherBay team. You are able to think critically and creatively about the Jewish landscape and your role within it; comfort with ambiguity and openness to change is a huge plus!

WHAT YOU’LL DO*:

Manage SFJCF’s Peer Connectors cohort

• Own, implement, and iterate upon a curriculum that adapts to the specific needs of the Peer Connectors cohort.
• Facilitate in-person and online trainings, meetings, and coaching calls with Peer Connectors and their supervisors in group and one-on-one settings.
• Serve as trainer, coach, and resource for one-off and ongoing Connector and supervisor support.
• Conduct regular evaluations and follow-ups to identify areas of impact and necessary changes to curriculum or approach.
• Support deeper exploration of relational engagement and education methodologies in the Bay Area with Peer Connector organizations and the broader community.

Support and execute Trainings Pillar portfolio, strategy, data, and administration

• Facilitate trainings for Gather’s  partners across North America in partnership with Gather, Inc.’s Director of Trainings and Community Impact Manager; this includes intake, design, implementation, facilitation, follow-up, reporting, and evaluation.
• Identify and explore new metrics of success with our partners and the field in partnership with the Community Impact Manager.
• Work in partnership with the Trainings team to improve and champion systems usage, refinement, and ongoing hygiene (Salesforce, Asana, Slack) through a relational lens at every level of work.

Collaborate with the GatherBay team

• Build and sustain relationships with community members, lay leaders, community partners, and Jewish professionals at Bay Area organizations, in partnership with the GatherBay Community Director.
• Collaborate with the GatherBay team to share trends and insights that will inform GatherBay’s work.
• Attend Bay Area team meetings and experiences as needed.

*These are considered the essential functions of this role. Please note that this role will require a fair amount of in-person meetings across the Bay, in addition to Zoom/virtual meetings.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• You have 3 to 5 years of full-time professional experience.
• You’re self-motivated, working equally well independently as well as part of a team.
• You have an innate understanding of RBE methodology and the RAM Scale.
• You are comfortable working within ambiguity—this is a new role and a new project!
• You are able to travel independently for regular in-person meetings across Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, City and County of San Francisco, and the South Bay.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• You get the Gather methodology. Gather prioritizes people over programs and understands that cultivating genuine one-on-one relationships is the key to building connection, community, and meaning-making. You don’t need to come in knowing it all, but you’re able to shift your paradigm to our people-first philosophy and let that guide every aspect of your work.
• You’re an expert facilitator. It’s okay if you’ve never had formal training—we can teach you the tools and modalities! But you have the building blocks for greatness: you’re not only a good communicator but a good listener, and you understand how to gauge and guide group energies to maximize group cohesion and foster communication and connection.
• You’re a strong communicator. You are comfortable using a broad range of communication styles and you choose appropriate, effective ways to communicate and connect to different audiences in diverse situations. You are able to adapt your tone and conversational style to suit the audience at hand.
• You’re a nimble learner. You may not know everything, but you're able to learn what you need when you need it. You're able to learn and understand things quickly and easily, using both successes and failures as learning experiences. When faced with a challenge that calls for doing a task a different way, you dive in and try different ways until you land on a successful solution.
• You’re adaptable. You’re an eager learner and are comfortable sitting with ambiguity as you work through a problem—but are not afraid to ask for guidance when you get stuck. You don’t mind putting on different hats to help move the team and the work forward, and are able to adjust to changing circumstances with a positive attitude and willingness to dive in.
• You’re collaborative. You are able to bring your own strengths to a team environment and successfully harness the skills at the table in pursuit of a shared goal. You understand the value of openness, flexibility, feedback, and connection in working toward shared outcomes and recognize that a rising tide lifts all boats.

PLEASE APPLY IF:

• You’re passionate about co-creating and weaving communities.
• You’re a self-described “people person” and believe in the power of community.
• You’re excited to get in on the ground floor and play a key role in shaping an exciting new project as it grows.

BENEFITS & SALARY:

This is a full-time, exempt position with an annual salary ranging from $70,000–$75,000  commensurate with experience based on Gather, Inc.’s organizational salary bands, plus the following benefits:

Health

• Company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance (Gather pays 85% of the premium of the offered base plan and 55% of any dependent premiums).
• Company-paid short-term disability and life insurance.
• Pre-tax flexible/health spending accounts (FSA and HSA).

Rest

• 20 vacation days, 15 days of sick leave.
• 12 weeks of parental and family leave.
• Paid time off for all major Jewish holidays and most federal holidays.
• Winter and Summer breaks (December 25–January 1, week of July 4).

Other

• 401k program including a 4% employer match.
• Pre-tax commuter benefits.
• Monthly utilities reimbursement.
• One-time work-from-home stipend.
• Annual professional development stipend.

WHAT TO EXPECT: 

We know the job application process is never a walk in the park, but we try to make our hiring process as transparent and painless as possible. While we cannot have a conversation with every applicant, we commit to reaching out to every single person who crosses our screen to let them know where they stand in the process within a timely manner (this usually looks like one business week). We recognize the time and effort it takes to prepare and submit this application, and we appreciate your consideration of this role.

Here’s what our general process will look like:

July 20

• Role is live and accepting applications through August 13. Early applications are encouraged—we interview on a rolling basis!

Late July – August 11

• Candidates with applicable experience will have a 15-minute phone call with Gather, Inc.’s internal screener.

Early-Mid August

• Candidates who advance to the interview stage will have a 60-minute Zoom conversation with the Director of Trainings.

Mid-Late August

• Candidates who advance to the second stage will have two 45-minute Zoom conversations with Gather staff members. Candidates will share 2-3 references at this time.

Late August

• Hiring Manager will check references for finalists.
• Offer will be extended!

September 

• First Day!

So, you’ve made it to the bottom. Ready to apply!?

HOW TO APPLY:

Please submit your resume and cover letter by August 13. Contact julies@gatherbetter.org with any questions or if you need any specific accommodations during the hiring process. Please note: we are unable to receive applications outside of the above submission form.

NOTES:

We appreciate the excitement—but in an effort to increase equity in our hiring process and mitigate the “bump” sometimes given to applicants with relationships with “field insiders,” Gather does not accept informal recommendations or referrals from individuals with personal connections to our staff or Board members.

In accordance with Gather’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known and preventable hazards, all employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and maintain updated booster shots per official CDC guidance. Barring reasonable accommodations for documented medical exemptions, proof of vaccination is a condition for employment.

We deeply value the diversity of insight, perspective, and experience brought by people from backgrounds typically underrepresented in Jewish organizations. This includes Black, Latinx, and Asian people, Black Jews, Jews of Color, Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities. We also welcome applications from people of diverse religious, spiritual, and cultural backgrounds.