National Programs Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The ideal consultant will have deep knowledge of Chicago’s Jewish communal ecosystem, strong local relationships, and the ability to quickly discern and analyze the intersections and among Chicago Jewish life, Jewish environmental education, youth empowerment, campus life, green business, climate action, philanthropy, and community-building. This person should be a skilled listener, thoughtful analyst, and trusted convener who can help Adamah understand where its national programs and approach to Jewish environmental leadership could most meaningfully serve the Chicago Jewish community.

The consultant will be in contact with Adamah’s Chief Community Impact Officer, CEO and others to map potential partners, conduct stakeholder interviews, identify local assets and gaps, and surface opportunities for collaboration. The consultant will represent and support Adamah leadership in exploring relationships with Jewish communal leaders, institutions, funders, educators, environmental organizations, and prospective lay leaders who may help guide the exploration and, potentially, form the foundation of a future Chicago Advisory Council.

Key responsibilities may include:

• Conducting interviews with Jewish leaders in Chicago, including institutional and philanthropic lay leaders and professionals
• Mapping the local Jewish and environmental ecosystem, including potential partner organizations, funders, programmatic opportunities, and community needs
• Identifying gaps, opportunities, and areas of alignment between Adamah’s national programs and Chicago’s local Jewish priorities
• Helping plan or support a limited number of community convenings and pilot programs that test interest in Adamah’s work
• Producing a clear landscape report that summarizes findings, partnership opportunities, risks, and strategic recommendations—most importantly regarding a threshold question: based on Adamah’s other hub communities, is Chicago well positioned to become Adamah’s next hub?
• Working with Chief Community Impact Officer to develop recommendations for whether and how Adamah should move toward launching a Chicago Community Impact Hub, including possible structure, staffing, funding model, program priorities, and timeline.

We are especially interested in a consultant who brings strong relational instincts, excellent interviewing and synthesis skills, comfort working across diverse Jewish communities, and the ability to translate listening and research into practical strategic recommendations. Experience with nonprofit strategy, Jewish communal life, environmental or climate work, philanthropy, community organizing, or place-based program development would be especially valuable.

This role is not simply a research assignment. It is an opportunity to help Adamah enter Chicago with humility, curiosity, and discipline — listening first, building trust, testing programmatic fit, and ensuring that any future Hub reflects local priorities while drawing on Adamah’s national network, programs, and expertise.

We expect this assignment to begin no later than September 2026 and be completed by May 2027. Anticipated consulting fee range: $25,000–$30,000 depending on final scope, timeline, and deliverables. This is an independent contractor engagement and does not include employee benefits.

Submission Requirements
Interested consultants should submit a resume and one-page intro that includes the following information to Jodi Lox Mansbach, Chief Community Impact Officer, jodi.mansbach@adamah.org.

1. Statement of Interest
   A short note describing why this project is of interest and what you would bring to Adamah’s exploration of a potential Chicago Hub.
2. Relevant Experience
   A summary of relevant experience in Chicago Jewish communal life, nonprofit strategy, community engagement, environmental or climate work, philanthropy, youth/campus work, or place-based program development.
3. Local Relationships and Knowledge
   A brief description of your familiarity with Chicago’s Jewish communal ecosystem and any relevant networks or relationships that would inform this work.

We do not expect a full proposal at this stage. We are looking for enough information to understand fit, approach, local knowledge, and likely scope before inviting selected candidates into a deeper conversation.