President and Executive Director

Position description

Just Vision fills a media gap on Israel-Palestine through independent storytelling and strategic audience engagement. We aim to contribute towards a just, rights-respecting, and pluralistic future for everyone in the region. We place documentary filmmaking and journalism at the center of our mission because we believe that stories have the power to shape public norms, equip audiences with vital information, undermine stereotypes, and inspire engagement and action.

We are a dynamic team of filmmakers, journalists, and human rights advocates based across Israel-Palestine and the US. Our team reaches tens of thousands of people through direct engagements and screenings, moving fluidly from refugee camps and villages to top-tier film festivals and high-level talks with global decision makers. We touch millions more through television broadcasts, digital distribution, and international press coverage. Founded in 2003, Just Vision is nonpartisan and religiously unaffiliated.

The Opportunity

At this critical juncture, we are seeking a strategic, innovative, and visionary leader who can build on the organization’s 21-year track record as a changemaking presence in the Israeli-Palestinian landscape. Just Vision’s next President and Executive Director will continue to grow our organization, evolve our approaches, and increase our impact. The position is hired by and reports to Just Vision’s Board of Directors, and supervises the Chief of Staff, Creative Director, Editorial Director, Director of Development, and Editor-in-Chief of Local Call.

Building on our rich history of producing transformational, impact-focused storytelling and journalism, the President and Executive Director will provide:

Strategic and Visionary Leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of the organization’s theory of change, strategy, and framework for advancing impact.  
• Uphold the integrity and independence of Just Vision’s mission.
• Cultivate a values-aligned organizational culture centered on rigor, collaboration, and accountability.
• Thoughtfully pivot and align the organization as circumstances change and developments unfold in Israel-Palestine and the US.  Ensure that these shifts are strategic (as opposed to reactionary) and that internal and external stakeholders understand the context, purpose, and values guiding the shifts.

Organizational Leadership and Team Management

• Ensure operational excellence across human resources, finance, and legal compliance.
• Oversee an annual budget of $2.5-$3M and a team of 24, which includes a mix of full-time and part-time staff, special project consultants, and our editorial and writing team at Local Call, co-directed with +972 Advancement of Citizen Journalism.
• Align leadership team around strategic goals and cross-departmental execution.
• Build infrastructure for growth and ensure sustainability.

Governance & Board Relations

• Collaborate with the Board of Directors to further effective and mission-aligned governance and to advance Just Vision’s mission and strategic goals.
• Working with Board chair or co-chairs, committees, and the Board as a whole, implement policies, goals, and objectives, and facilitate Just Vision’s staff engagement with the Board and its committees.
• Assist in identifying, recruiting, orienting, and integrating new Board members.
• Help equip Board members to serve as ambassadors for the organization.

Media and Creative

• Ensure that all of Just Vision’s media and creative work is independent, adheres to the highest standards of journalistic integrity, and is coupled with strategic engagement plans to ensure they have an impact in the world. 
• Serve as the Publisher of our new journalism incubator, Co-Publisher of Local Call, and Producer of Just Vision’s groundbreaking documentaries. In each capacity, provide oversight and management, creative partnership, an impact approach, and infrastructure, including legal and financial support, so that our production and editorial teams are equipped to produce top-notch work.
• Support our creative, editorial, and public engagement teams to maximize Just Vision’s impact, particularly as developments relate to key themes in our work and where we can make a unique difference.

Relationship Building and Networking

• Build and sustain relationships with stakeholders including: key target audiences within Palestinian, Israeli, and American societies; journalists, editors, and media makers; allied nonprofit organizations and movement leaders; media, development, public engagement, operations, and finance staff; the Board; and major donors and foundations.
• Act as chief ambassador, deepening stakeholder relationships across movements, media, and philanthropy.

Resource Mobilization

• Lead fundraising efforts to grow a robust, diversified $3M+ revenue. 
• Hire and supervise an incoming Development Director who will manage the development and execution of Just Vision’s fundraising strategy.
• Act as the primary fundraising solicitor for Just Vision: increase revenue through the identification and cultivation of new individual donors and continued and new support from foundations while ensuring no funding compromises the credibility or independence of the organization.

Qualifications

The following offers an aspirational view of the ideal candidate profile; we encourage applications from candidates with a wide range of experiences and backgrounds. We recognize that no single candidate will possess every qualification. If you are interested in the role and hold many of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply.

 

Qualifications

 

• Deep, nuanced understanding of Israel-Palestine, and a longstanding engagement with these communities and constituencies. 

 

• Strategic understanding of the media landscape and how film and journalism can be effective tools for social and narrative change. Familiarity with journalism and documentary film production.

 

• Proven ability to articulate a vision, inspire a diverse and driven team, and evolve strategies and team structures in a dynamic and fast-changing landscape. 

 

• A commitment to challenging structural inequality, strong feminist political analysis, and an understanding of intersectionality in social movements and organizational practice. Can facilitate equitable and inclusive participation and create a supportive work environment.

 

• A track record of successful change management, including managing complex external and internal dynamics with grace, empathy, and with an eye toward advancing alignment around a shared purpose and set of values.

 

• Exceptional leadership and management skills, including direct supervision of leadership roles and cross-functional departments. Able to uphold clear expectations and accountability while centering care and well-being for staff working in sensitive and complex situations.

 

• Impeccable judgment and strong decision-making and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess risks and opportunities and consider the perspectives of a diverse range of stakeholder communities while maintaining alignment with core values.

 

• Exceptional relationship-building and interpersonal skills, including comfort working in multilingual and multicultural spaces, that allow for meaningful engagement with a diverse range of stakeholders, donors, and strategic partners. Ability to navigate complex political and cultural landscapes with sensitivity and integrity.

 

• Skilled public speaker who leads with clarity and integrity. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

 

• Strong fundraising capabilities, with a track record of securing substantial funding ($100K+) from foundations, individual donors, and other sources. Experience in developing and executing fundraising strategies that have raised upwards of $3M in revenue. 

 

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally approximately 50% of the time to engage with stakeholders, partners, and communities.

Benefits

This is a full-time exempt position with a salary range of $165,000 – $190,000 commensurate with experience. This salary band applies to candidates in the US and will be adjusted for location accordingly. Just Vision strives to offer a competitive total compensation package including health, dental, vision, and generous time off. 

We are ideally looking for someone based in or near Washington, DC or New York, NY or Israel-Palestine, with the option for remote/hybrid work. 

Application instructions

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