About The Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture
The Vilna Shul is a cultural center in a historic synagogue building in downtown Boston. Our mission is to spark excitement and curiosity about Jewish arts and culture and our American immigrant story through vibrant and meaningful experiences.
Position Overview
As The Vilna enters a period of organizational growth - expanding programming, fundraising, staffing, and infrastructure - we are creating a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) role to strengthen our leadership team and build the internal systems required for long-term sustainability.
In 2025 alone, we established an ambitious strategic plan, integrated the Jewish Arts Collaborative, launched the quiet phase of our capital campaign, and raised 20% of the total campaign goal. Alongside these milestones, we diversified our program strategy, expanded our reach, grew our database, and more than doubled our operating budget.
The COO will serve as the organization’s senior leader for internal operations and organizational infrastructure. As a core member of the Executive Leadership Team, the COO is responsible for building and managing the systems, people, finances, and processes that enable The Vilna to grow with discipline, clarity, and sustainability. Working in close partnership with the Executive Director, the COO translates strategic priorities into operational reality - ensuring the organization is financially strong, well-governed, efficiently run, and built for growth.
This is a newly created role with significant opportunity to shape systems, culture, and structure across the organization. The ideal candidate brings both strategic perspective and operational discipline, balancing long-term planning with pragmatic, hands-on execution.
Core Responsibilities
Lead multi-year financial planning, forecasting, and scenario modeling
Develop and manage cash flow, liquidity, and investment strategy (short- and long-term)
Oversee budgeting, financial controls, and reporting systems
Lead audit process and financial compliance
Partner with the Executive Director on board-facing financial leadership
Support strategic growth and capital planning through financial analysis
Serve as management lead for internal committees, including Budget & Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Investment Subcommittee, and Facilities, Security & IT Committee
Coordinate agendas, advance materials, and follow-up for committee meetings and board reporting
Translate strategic plan into operational roadmaps
Manage KPIs and organizational performance metrics
Lead internal change management and cross-department alignment
Prepare operational dashboards and materials for board review
Design and evolve organizational structure and role clarity
Lead hiring systems, onboarding processes, and workforce planning
Develop compensation frameworks and benefits strategy
Oversee staff policies, performance systems, and culture stewardship
Build professional development and leadership pathways
Lead long-term facilities strategy and participate in capital planning for a historic site
Serve as internal owner for major renovation, infrastructure, and capital projects
Manage insurance strategy, organizational risk management, and business continuity planning
Oversee vendor and contract management across facilities, IT, security, finance, and professional services
Oversee internal technology infrastructure (CRM, finance, HR, ticketing)
Establish data governance and internal dashboards
Lead cybersecurity and data privacy strategy
Drive continuous improvement of workflows and organizational processes
Lead day-to-day organizational operations and policies
Ensure legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements are met
Strengthen cross-department workflows and internal communication
Leadership Qualities
High emotional intelligence and strong listening skills
Calm, structured, and steady in complex environments
Highly collaborative and low-ego in leadership style
Ability to bring clarity to ambiguity
Motivated by building systems rather than personal visibility
Experience & Skills
Senior operational leadership experience (nonprofit, arts and culture, and/or Jewish communal organization preferred)
Strong financial acumen and systems thinking
Experience leading organizational growth, transformation, and scaling
Comfort working with boards and senior leadership
Exceptional project management and communication skills
Demonstrated experience leading organizational systems (CRM, finance, HR, or ticketing platforms)
Strong negotiation and vendor management skills
Ability to translate organizational needs into system requirements
Experience overseeing facilities, capital projects, or complex physical operations is a plus
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building systems, strengthening teams, and turning strategy into sustainable operations - serving as the architect for institutional strength at a growing, mission-driven organization.
Salary & Benefits
Salary Range: $150,000 – $165,000, commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits.
This is a full-time position based at The Vilna's Beacon Hill office. The COO is also expected to be present at approximately two Vilna programs or events per month, which may include evenings, weekends or holidays.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume in one pdf using the apply button on this page or at https://vilnashul.org/about/careers. No phone calls please. If you are having trouble uploading, please email info@vilnashul.org.
Priority deadline: April 24, 2026. Applicants will be interviewed on a rolling basis. We thank you for your interest in career opportunities at The Vilna.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Vilna Shul provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, The Vilna Shul complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.