Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

INTRODUCTION

The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in City seeks an entrepreneurial leader with strong financial, strategic, operational, and interpersonal capabilities to serve as a member of the executive leadership team as the vice chancellor for administration and finance (VCAF). Reporting to Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz, the VCAF provides the leadership and strategic vision needed for the business functions of JTS as well as institution-wide oversight for human resources, finance, facilities management, informational technology, and legal.

This individual will play a significant role in shaping the next chapter for an institution with tremendous momentum under the leadership of a new chancellor and with the resources of its recently opened 21st Century Campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The new campus is designed to support inspired teaching and world-class scholarship, to encourage discussion and innovation, and to deepen JTS’s sense of community and experience of Jewish life while providing opportunities for new and enhanced streams of revenue.

The VCAF is a key member of the executive leadership team and partner to Chancellor Schwartz, and serves as the institution’s chief business, administrative, and operating officer. Working with JTS’s operating budget of $38 million, $150 million endowment, and 200 full- and part-time employees, and in collaboration with the chancellor, senior administration colleagues, administrative staff, and the board of trustees, the VCAF will contribute to institutional strategy formation as JTS moves into the future with optimism and strength.

THE JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

The Jewish Theological Seminary was founded in 1886 through the efforts of two distinguished rabbis, Dr. Sabato Morais and Dr. H. Pereira Mendes, along with a group of prominent lay leaders from Sephardic congregations in Philadelphia and New York. Its mission was to preserve the knowledge and practice of historical Judaism. In 1887, JTS held its first class of ten students in the vestry of the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue, 's oldest congregation.

Since then, JTS has greatly expanded its mission, creating a beautiful campus and evolving into the prestigious center of Jewish learning it is today. A Jewish university with a world-class faculty The Jewish Theological Seminary Page 2

and a diverse student body, JTS grants undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees through its five schools and offers enriching programs for the Jewish community in the United States, Israel, and around the world. JTS trains thoughtful, innovative leaders—Conservative rabbis and cantors, and Jewish educators, lay leaders, and scholars.

JTS schools and facilities include the Gershon Kekst Graduate School; The Rabbinical School; H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music; William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education; Albert A. List College of ; the Rebecca and Israel Ivry Prozdor supplementary high school,; a summer school; several research institutes; lay leadership and professional institutes; community education programs; student residence halls; and the incomparable collections of JTS’s world-renowned Library.

JTS has provided intellectual spiritual leadership to Conservative Judaism since its inception, and support to its Movement organizations. In addition, JTS’s affiliation with The Jewish Museum and consortia with prestigious academic neighbors support and enhance the scholarly ambience of its community of learning.

JTS is also committed to providing adults with Jewish knowledge and experience through a panoply of innovative programs, helping to create a responsible and informed Jewish voice on public issues, from religious pluralism in Israel to bioethics.

JTS employs the full-time equivalent of approximately 108 exempt and non-exempt professional staff members. The institution ended fiscal year 2020 on June 30, with a surplus. Applying that surplus to the FY 2021 budget of approximately $38 million, the institution is budgeted to break even or realize a slight surplus, recognizing that the financial impact of the pandemic is uncertain. The institution’s endowment of approximately $150 million has grown substantially over the last several years, and the institution also obtained more than $50 million in proceeds from the sale of development rights, which is invested and managed for the long-term benefit of the institution in addition to the endowment funds.

In 2015, JTS announced a major project to re-imagine its Morningside Heights campus. The 21st Century Campus is nearing completion and includes a new space for the world-renowned Library of JTS, a new student residence hall and dining commons, a 200-seat auditorium, and a light-filled atrium connecting old and new facilities. JTS is also in the midst of a $225 million fundraising initiative, the Crossroads Campaign, with 80% of this goal raised as of June 30, 2020. This campaign is the most significant effort in the institution’s history, which includes enhancing the campus while expanding student scholarship opportunities and programs to ensure JTS’s future and vitality.

LEADERSHIP

Shuly Rubin Schwartz, a groundbreaking scholar of American Jewish history and a visionary institutional leader, is the eighth chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary. As dean of two The Jewish Theological Seminary Page 3

schools and most recently as provost, she has shaped and strengthened JTS’s academic programs while teaching and mentoring countless students. She is the first woman to serve as chancellor of JTS in its 134-year history.

Chancellor Schwartz, who took office on July 1, 2020, plans to build on what she sees as JTS’s unique strengths as an institution—a place where critical academic inquiry coexists with a deep commitment to Jewish tradition, where Jewish living and Jewish learning happen side by side, and where students develop the skills to discern and share the continued relevance of Jewish texts and the enduring power of Jewish ritual and community.

In over three decades at JTS, Chancellor Schwartz has held numerous leadership roles, most recently as provost, a position to which she was appointed in 2018, also as the first woman. From 1993 to 2018, she was dean of the Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies, JTS’s undergraduate dual-degree program with and . As List College dean, Chancellor Schwartz strengthened the program and reimagined it as a place for all students who value serious Jewish learning and intentional Jewish living, not solely for future Jewish professionals. Under her leadership the school focused on developing a cadre of knowledgeable graduates who would work in varied professional fields while serving as committed lay leaders in the Jewish world. In 2010, Chancellor Schwartz also became dean of the Gershon Kekst Graduate School, a post she retained while she was provost. In this position, she spearheaded innovations such as a new MA program in Jewish ethics, a joint Jewish ethics MA/MPH with Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, and a new certificate program in ethics and social justice.

As a third-generation JTS graduate, the wife of a late JTS-ordained rabbi, and the mother of a son who was ordained at the JTS Rabbinical School and received a master's degree from the William Davidson School, Chancellor Schwartz brings to her role an unmatched knowledge and love of an institution to which she has been connected her entire life.

THE JTS COMMUNITY

Students

The 346 JTS degree students are the Jewish leaders of tomorrow, and they join a passionate Jewish community enriched by world-class scholars, where they wrestle with texts, seek guidance on modern issues from ancient sages, learn from exceptional role models, and are nurtured by caring mentors. With a student-faculty ratio of 10:1, JTS students are truly known as individuals. JTS students come from varied backgrounds, but they share a passion for and commitment to Jewish life and learning, and a devotion to bringing Judaism alive for the next generation.

The Office of Student Life provides opportunities and programs for students at all levels to come together to observe and celebrate Jewish living, to enrich the shared experience of a spiritual and academic community, and to contribute to the vibrant, creative atmosphere at JTS.

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Faculty

The 39 full-time faculty and 53 part-time faculty at JTS represent top scholars across the fields of Jewish Studies who are committed to translating the richness of their disciplinary and professional experiences into meaningful learning experiences that inspire students from all five schools. This collection of experts creates a singular depth and breadth of scholarship, teaching, and publishing.

Staff

The JTS community is supported by the hard work and dedication of over 100 non-faculty employees. In recent years, partnerships with nearby institutions have allowed JTS to hire high- quality staff members while recognizing cost savings.

Alumni

JTS alumni hold leadership roles at more than 600 congregations and schools, 100 Jewish organizations worldwide, 150 major universities, and 35 JCCs, federations, and summer camps. Imbued with a spirit of innovation, JTS alumni have helped create new community organizations and spiritual practices, founding Camp Ramah, The Jewish Museum, Schechter Institute, Avodah, Mechon Hadar, Ikar, Encounter, and other organizations that have become an integral part of the Jewish cultural landscape.

THE ROLE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

The VCAF will lead the ongoing process of aligning the insitution’s operational and financial structures to ensure that JTS’s financial and strategic decisions are based on the best possible financial information and fullest understanding. Reporting to the chancellor, the VCAF is responsible for the following:

• Finance, including financial aid, budgeting, the bursar and registrar’s office, as well as controller and investment functions • Facilities, including maintenance, security, and new media as well as residence life and rentals • Human Resources • Public Safety • Information Technology • Legal

The VCAF oversees more than 40 staff members within the administrative and finance units, which currently include the following direct reports:

• Chief Financial Officer (a member of the executive leadership team) The Jewish Theological Seminary Page 5

• Director of Residence Life • Director of Human Resources (shared with the Union Theological Seminary) • Director of Facilities • General Counsel • Director of Informational Technology (shared with the Manhattan School of Music)

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

JTS’s vice chancellor for administration and finance will provide strategic leadership to advance the mission and goals of JTS. The VCAF will be asked to address the following priorities:

Strategic Financial Management: The VCAF will bring creativity, wisdom, and business savvy to the consideration of new opportunities for generating revenue or preventing loss through inefficiency. The VCAF will continue the work of leveraging JTS’s many assets, including real estate holdings, to best align with the highest strategic priorities of the institution. The newly opened 21st Century Campus building provides a remarkable opportunity for new and expanded revenues lines from large-scale events, conferences, and rental income. With 80,000 square feet located at 3080 Broadway, this building, along with JTS’s other financial, real estate, and library holdings, represent well over $500 million in institutional assets.

Support for Academic Excellence: The VCAF will be an important strategic partner to the chancellor and the provost, strengthening financial support for the academic mission of JTS, including the support needed to provide excellent service to students, faculty, and other key constituencies.

Administration and Operations: The VCAF will build and sustain efficient and effective administrative structures and operations. Key goals will include facilitating, supporting, and enhancing opportunities to engage in new and innovative initiatives by assisting JTS leadership in the management and development of strategic projects to improve quality, efficiency and productivity; to reduce costs, to increase revenues; and strengthen controls and procedures.

Analysis and Reporting: The VCAF plays a critical role in translating highly nuanced and technical issues for a variety of audiences. The VCAF will present concise, relevant, and accurate analyses of financial and operational realities so that JTS can make informed and thoughtful choices. The VCAF will be expected to sustain a high degree of trust, clarity, transparency, and credibility and to engage in substantive, open and respectful dialogue with faculty, senior administrative colleagues, the board of trustees, students, staff, alumni, donors and other members of the JTS community.

Staff Development: The VCAF will mentor, develop, and retain the talented staff within the Administration and Finance Division. The VCAF will work to cultivate the strengths of each individual staff member, building on their expertise, and encouraging their professional The Jewish Theological Seminary Page 6

development. An approachable and highly skilled people manager, the VCAF will cultivate an atmosphere of collaboration and collegiality within the Division.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

It is JTS policy that all employees and applicants for employment are afforded equal opportunities for employment, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, disability, age, sex, national origin, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other factors as prohibited by law. JTS encourages prospective candidates from all backgrounds to submit an application.

The vice chancellor of administration and finance will be a person of integrity and have a track record of successful and progressively responsible senior leadership in operational and financial management. JTS encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds. The ideal candidate will hold an advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., MBA, CPA) and have an open and collaborative leadership style as well as proven experience working with a chief executive officer, board of trustees, and internal and external organizational constituencies to provide transparent, accurate, and compliant processes. In addition, the ideal candidate will possess:

• The entrepreneurial ability to think innovatively about the future of JTS, combined with the practical leadership skills to bring those ideas to life;

• A record of strategic leadership in financial management including a superior understanding of finance operations in a similarly complex institution;

• Proven ability to oversee the preparation, analysis, and monitoring of budgets and financial projections as well as capital planning management;

• An in-depth understanding of risk management, compliance, and regulatory requirements for higher education institutions;

• A track record of successfully developing, managing, and mentoring a staff; and,

• A commitment to support JTS’s dual academic and religious missions. ______

For best consideration, please send all nominations and applications to:

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Shelly Storbeck, Managing Partner Lisa Solinsky, Senior Associate [email protected]